I know this fact. Years ago, someone who was supposed to love me said something so cruel I will never forget it. I have learned you can slowly forgive… but forgetting is another story. My point…
Where do people get off saying things they know are offensive and thinking an apology wipes the slate clean?
Yes, I am looking straight at Pat Robertson. Please do not tell me this man of the cloth was so naïve that he did not think anyone would be offended by suggesting the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He knew. He absolutely knew. That was not just careless, it was calculated.
And the part that gets me? He is not the only one. These last few years, it feels like public figures treat speech like it is a free scratch-off ticket. Say something reckless, and when the backlash comes, just mumble “I’m sorry” and move on.
- A DJ offends Jewish people—he apologizes.
- Another DJ calls Hispanics “wetbacks”—he apologizes.
- A sports critic spits racial slurs at Hispanics—he apologizes.
- The President of Mexico insults Black people—he apologizes (or so I heard).
See the pattern? Say anything you want, duck behind the apology, and hope it all blows over.
But here is the truth: you were THINKING it long before you spoke it. And you cannot apologize away your thoughts. They are part of you.
So no, I do not believe every apology. Some things you cannot take back. Words do not vanish just because you said “sorry.” They land. They wound. They echo.
If you are bold enough to say the thing, be bold enough to stand in the consequences when they come down. Do not apologize just to protect your job or your image. Because the rest of us are not fooled.
And that’s why people do not forget. Because we know the difference between a mistake and a mask slipping.
—Leata
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