Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
Lucas' assertion that it's cold blooded murder reflects, I think, his increasingly liberal world view.

From what I've heard, Lucas is a Buddhist, and the idea of killing in cold blood flies in the face of any Buddhist's beliefs.

As far as there being no redemption for a cold-blooded murderer, that idea seems more conservative to me than liberal, since ultra-conservatives are for the death penalty while ultra-liberals don't believe in killing anyone for their crimes.

I think Lucas's explanation of the change reflects a religious change in his world-view (he grew up attending a Protestant church) and perhaps the extent to which other people in the filmmaking process of the OT had a HUGE hand in shaping the Star Wars Universe, storylines, characters, and all.