The Unapologetic "Apology" (Sujatha)

Is it an apology if the apologizer says in effect "I'm sorry at your reaction to my remarks"? Seems like that's what the Pope is saying in his almost too carefully constructed statement, which has already had the distinction of being pored over and parsed by more people on the planet than any line in the Bible. I just wish that more would pore over this one, truly vastly more worthy of being hammered into the minds of the faithful (of any religion or not) than regurgitated insults from long-dead emperors.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Comments

[Ben Abbott]

Q: Is it an apology if the apologizer says in effect "I'm sorry at your reaction to my remarks"?

A: Is it an apology if the 911 terrorists say "I'm sorry at your reaction to my action"?

Regards :-(

p.s. No.

[Joe]

Wow, he really screwed up that apology. First: "I'm sorry for the reactions." That is, "I didn't screw up, your reactions were out of line." Then, "the lines were from a medieval text, it's not my view." Which is great, except that normally when you're giving a speech and you quote something uncritically, it's understood that you endorse the content. But he admits no error on his part. Sounds like he suffers from a case of the George Bush disease! Admit no error, intellectual honesty is a sign of weakness!

[Sujatha]

Mr.Abbott,
The perfect non-answer answer to my question! I really admire how you managed to creatively reference 9/11 as well!

Joe,
Exactly, one doesn't go to the extent of quoting slurs upon another religion's holy cows unless for a specific purpose, which IMHO is (1)To insult by proxy (2)To rile some extremely thin skins (3) A strange insider joke by crafting a pseudo apology to those offended by the insult.
A recent parallel would be the hullabaloo over 'Hitler's Eatery' in Navi Mumbai, India. Didn't the Indian Jewish community protest the restaurant's theme and premise? Didn't the restaurateur eventually backtrack and change?

[Ruchira Paul]

Last night on our way home from Japan, the connecting flight to Houston was delayed for more than three hours in Dallas. During the wait, my husband began a conversation with a soldier in the US army on his way home from Iraq to Houston for a two week long vacation.

The soldier who is posted in the dangerous town of Ramadi, was quiet at first. But after he became convinced of our views on the Iraq war, he told us harrowing details of his experience - of what is in store for US soldiers and Iraqi citizens on a daily basis. I won't go into the gruesome and unsettling details. According to him, the morale of the US fighting forces in Iraq is not high because most soldiers now believe that they are putting their lives (and the future of their families) on the line for a wrong headed, immoral and unnecessary war. He said that our efforts should have been concentrated in Afghanistan and Pakistan against the "real" terrorists. He was very pessimistic about what the US can do to put a fractious Iraq back together and saw no acceptable solution in sight. The young man remarked that he was going to be home for two weeks, thus avoiding a week of the very dangerous time of Ramadan which is to begin next week. I found it very sad that the soldier was looking for solace in the fact that he would be "safe" for at least a week. He also said that the fighting men and women are waiting to see how Americans will vote in November and that there is pressure on them to make Iraq look "good" for the politicians facing elections. He also added that the Pope's undiplomatic remark is not going to make things any easier.

(It is odd that the last two comments resulted from conversations I had with total strangers at airports!)

[Sujatha]

Welcome home, Ruchira! I hope that you had a great trip, and am eagerly waiting for your observations on Japan.