I'm Sorry on The Finally Friday Freakout

Mercy did we make it to the end of the month? I can't keep track of all the apologies floating around. Or that what people are calling what they are doing. As always, I like to know what I am talking about. So, I looked up the definition of apology. From Definr:

• n 1: an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone; "he wrote a letter of apology to the hostess"
• 2: a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly [syn: apologia]
• 3: a poor example; "it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor excuse for an automobile"

Damn the English language! Just when a woman needs a little back up I get shanked by the electronic progeny of Funk and Wagner's.

Ok, let me try this from another perspective. Last Friday I said I did not want an apology for that New York Post cartoon. I meant it. So, there was an apology of sorts in the New York Post

I translated it to roughly mean: "Yeah, if you were offended we are sorry but not that we did anything wrong mind you. It was just a comment on a bad approach to the proposed stimulus package. Upon reflection we would have put a name on that chimp like, Bosco? "

"Maybe we should have thought about the implications of relating a local east coast story that half the country had no idea about but you can't blame us for that cuz we are a NY paper. Plus we just really hate that non-CEOs real type people are gonna get a chunk of that money. "Oh, yeah and we forgot there was a new guy in the White House too. Sort of. Not really."

The name of the song is "I'm Sorry"

I think an apology is when you admit you made a mistake and you are sorry. Now take Miss Brenda Lee, the kid has the right idea and the proper words and contrition. Plus, there are puppies. For real, check it out.

Now for those of you that are creatively confused about African-Americans, monkeys and watermelons AND are contemplating a cartoon, photo montage or live video interpretation using any of the above items please listen very closely.

Don't Do It.

But I am a vigorous advocate of freedom of speech. If you must travel down this road, (and really I encourage you to turn back) then I feel obligated to tell you when your ass in in the public sling of full blown hostility and people are looking at you like you have a booger on your cheek you need to issue a real apology.

Well, Rupert Murdoch gave it a go, this is a version found in the 2/24/09 NY Times.

Let's look at the checklist:

1. I had no idea it was racist? Check. Special bonus point for admitting it took a bunch of people to convince him.
2. To those that were offended we are sorry. Check.
3. Admitted that the paper made a mistake. Is sorry for those that were offended. I'm taking back the bonus point. Wrong is wrong, it is not targeted to just those you offended but to the community as a whole.
4. Only intent was to criticize a bad stimulus bill. Not meant to be racist but some took it as such. No Mr. Murdoch, a lot of people took it to be highly offensive not just for racial reasons but the implication of shooting the person promoting and most identified with the stimulus bill. I don't know if your peeps told you but police offices shooting anything looking like an anthropomorphic characterful painted black makes us queasy. We get flashbacks. We have YouTube videos to support those flashbacks.

Then when you think Black History Month couldn't get any strangers up pops up stuff from behind the Orange curtain. Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose sent a personal e-mail to friends, one of whom was African-American. Ms. Price was not amused at the contents nor the response.

Mayor Dean Grose's apology letter to the City Council, Price and her boss:

I am deeply embarrassed in receiving your email, and for any harm or hurt that it may have caused. It was poor judgment on my part and was never intended to be offensive to Ms. Price, your company or anyone in the African American Community.

Look folks, it is almost March. Could we just skip the hate cartoons and save it for next December when we will need some anger to keep us warm? It would be appreciated and I do think there are other things on people's minds, just saying that a $350 Trillion dollar budget requires attention. Y'all is distracting thinking caring people from grown-folk work.

No? I didn't think so. Well... Kumbaya to you until next time.