I'm sure many of you remember as children, how on occasion your alleged actions drew an admonition from your parents that called for you to issue a formal apology. The specific violation of etiquette you were being rebuked for usually was the determining factor as to how willing you were to apologize to the aggrieved party(s). I was most likely denied bail and remanded to my bedroom to quietly contemplate my actions. It was in that place where I would take responsibility and admit my response to a specific policy I disagreed or found fault with, was ill conceived. I came to the conclusion that I was a kid and fighting the establishment was futile whether I was correct or not. So in order to re-establish my life on the streets and along the waters, I would take a deep breath and publicly state for the record I was sorry whether I truly was or not. That heartfelt remorse usually was sufficient to have my case dismissed and enable me to go back to my life as a dumb, happy kid.
Now that I'm a relatively big, semi-matured boy, I understand that I lacked the full mental acuity to comprehend the charges brought against me and was unable to fully assist in my defense. In other words, kids often fall under the legal classification of insanity. I don't think I was truly insane, I just wanted to take advantage of my time outside the classroom and have a great time. That's how kids think and that's what kids do. However, as you grow up physically, mentally and intellectually, your understanding of your actions should incrementally keep pace. When your actions are questioned and you find yourself being called upon to stand up and acknowledge your mistake and seek forgiveness, you should be able to rationalize and comprehend why that is.
The apology is becoming more and more a part of our political lexicon. It seems nary a day goes by when an individual or group isn't publicly demanding an apology from another individual or group. The world of politics is now a debate of smear and fear. Politicians and their band of spinning surrogates make the most vulgar accusations they can come up with and continue until somebody in the background leaps to his or her feet and demands an apology. Even if an apology is issued, the horses have escaped the barn and the damage is done. When a judge tells a jury to ignore a remark that has just been stricken from the record, it's already too late. You can't (unhear) something. In less than one year, our current conundrum-in-chief will be out of office. Boy, that feels great to write and say out loud. Besides commissions of federal election fraud, the other main reason the drooling, drug addict, drunk took office twice was because his corrupt cabal slimed John McCain out of the primaries in 2000 and then swift boated John Kerry in 2004. Love or Hate McCain and Kerry, both men were decorated Vietnam War heroes as opposed to Bush, who was an undecorated coward and war deserter. Like with everything else he does, Bush half heartedly apologized but never admitted to doing anything wrong.
It takes guts to stand up and admit when you were wrong. That's why I've long admired Dr. Jake Houseman all these years. You remember Jake don't you? He was Frances "Baby" Houseman's father during our country's dirty dancing era. To make a long story short, Jake incorrectly assumed Johnny knocked Penny up and sent her to a "butcher" of an abortionist. Turns out, Robbie the waiter impregnated Penny and Johnny was innocent after all. Well Jake looked Johnny square in the eye and uttered the immortal "I know it wasn't you who got Penny pregnant. When I'm wrong, I admit I'm wrong". Johnny and the recently liberated from the corner Baby went on to, well I have no idea. No sequel, no nothing. But Dr. Jake did take responsibility and apologize. I respected and appreciated that. Now sit down Jake.
But these worms today. It seems the worst the offense the least likely the apology. The only people who apologize today do so out of fear rather than a sense of decency. MSNBC hardballer Chris Matthews recently expressed his honest, heartfelt opinion that the prime reason Hillary was elected to the US Senate from New York, was because a great many women empathized with her as the wife of a serial cheater and voted for her as a result. That's not really a wide stretch. Hillary had no elected political experience, had no real ties to New York other than the lure of an open senate seat and no desire to be a senator other than using it as a springboard to the presidency. This opinion of Mathhews was brutally and swiftly attacked by Gloria Steinem and other female activists as blatant sexism. So apparently there's any number of women so malleable and stupid, that they won't watch or do anything that Gloria won't. So this fact forced Mr. Hardball to his knees to offer a mea culpa to Hillary while simultaneously licking Ms. Steinem's feet.
I once read about a guy who was incarcerated in the federal prison system for tampering with the US Mail. It seems the guy was convicted of stealing a five cent candy bar from a mail package. A candy bar used to cost a nickel? He shared a cell with a guy who robbed a Brinks Armor Truck on federal property of more than $300,000. Each was basically convicted of theft and each received similar prison sentences. The moral is "If you're going to steal, STEAL"! Same basic principle applies to apologies. If you're going to be forced into issuing an apology, do something truly despicable as opposed to espousing free speech. Because if you don't apologize, you get banished to your room to write blog articles on the computer until you do.....
Now that I'm a relatively big, semi-matured boy, I understand that I lacked the full mental acuity to comprehend the charges brought against me and was unable to fully assist in my defense. In other words, kids often fall under the legal classification of insanity. I don't think I was truly insane, I just wanted to take advantage of my time outside the classroom and have a great time. That's how kids think and that's what kids do. However, as you grow up physically, mentally and intellectually, your understanding of your actions should incrementally keep pace. When your actions are questioned and you find yourself being called upon to stand up and acknowledge your mistake and seek forgiveness, you should be able to rationalize and comprehend why that is.
The apology is becoming more and more a part of our political lexicon. It seems nary a day goes by when an individual or group isn't publicly demanding an apology from another individual or group. The world of politics is now a debate of smear and fear. Politicians and their band of spinning surrogates make the most vulgar accusations they can come up with and continue until somebody in the background leaps to his or her feet and demands an apology. Even if an apology is issued, the horses have escaped the barn and the damage is done. When a judge tells a jury to ignore a remark that has just been stricken from the record, it's already too late. You can't (unhear) something. In less than one year, our current conundrum-in-chief will be out of office. Boy, that feels great to write and say out loud. Besides commissions of federal election fraud, the other main reason the drooling, drug addict, drunk took office twice was because his corrupt cabal slimed John McCain out of the primaries in 2000 and then swift boated John Kerry in 2004. Love or Hate McCain and Kerry, both men were decorated Vietnam War heroes as opposed to Bush, who was an undecorated coward and war deserter. Like with everything else he does, Bush half heartedly apologized but never admitted to doing anything wrong.
It takes guts to stand up and admit when you were wrong. That's why I've long admired Dr. Jake Houseman all these years. You remember Jake don't you? He was Frances "Baby" Houseman's father during our country's dirty dancing era. To make a long story short, Jake incorrectly assumed Johnny knocked Penny up and sent her to a "butcher" of an abortionist. Turns out, Robbie the waiter impregnated Penny and Johnny was innocent after all. Well Jake looked Johnny square in the eye and uttered the immortal "I know it wasn't you who got Penny pregnant. When I'm wrong, I admit I'm wrong". Johnny and the recently liberated from the corner Baby went on to, well I have no idea. No sequel, no nothing. But Dr. Jake did take responsibility and apologize. I respected and appreciated that. Now sit down Jake.
But these worms today. It seems the worst the offense the least likely the apology. The only people who apologize today do so out of fear rather than a sense of decency. MSNBC hardballer Chris Matthews recently expressed his honest, heartfelt opinion that the prime reason Hillary was elected to the US Senate from New York, was because a great many women empathized with her as the wife of a serial cheater and voted for her as a result. That's not really a wide stretch. Hillary had no elected political experience, had no real ties to New York other than the lure of an open senate seat and no desire to be a senator other than using it as a springboard to the presidency. This opinion of Mathhews was brutally and swiftly attacked by Gloria Steinem and other female activists as blatant sexism. So apparently there's any number of women so malleable and stupid, that they won't watch or do anything that Gloria won't. So this fact forced Mr. Hardball to his knees to offer a mea culpa to Hillary while simultaneously licking Ms. Steinem's feet.
I once read about a guy who was incarcerated in the federal prison system for tampering with the US Mail. It seems the guy was convicted of stealing a five cent candy bar from a mail package. A candy bar used to cost a nickel? He shared a cell with a guy who robbed a Brinks Armor Truck on federal property of more than $300,000. Each was basically convicted of theft and each received similar prison sentences. The moral is "If you're going to steal, STEAL"! Same basic principle applies to apologies. If you're going to be forced into issuing an apology, do something truly despicable as opposed to espousing free speech. Because if you don't apologize, you get banished to your room to write blog articles on the computer until you do.....
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1 comment:
I've been reading your stuff for a while and find it so wonderfully done, but aside from that I am pleased you decided to allow your readers to let you know as much through enabling comments. Peace......T
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