This has been quite the week for people saying something hurtful, and then apologizing, sort of, for it. I, myself, have felt the sting of someone else's words, and been offered an apology, but it makes me wonder:
When someone says something hurtful and then apologizes for it, do you take them at that word, or the words they said in the first place?
Judy Shepard doesn't think Asshat Award Winner, Repugnant Representative from North Carolina, Virginia Foxx was sincere when she apologized for calling the 1998 murder of Shepard's son, Matthew, "a hoax." Y'all remember that, during the House debate on the Hate Crimes Bill, the Matthew Shepard Act, Foxx said the Shepard's murder shouldn't be used to justify a hate crimes bill because it wasn't a hate crime; she said he was killed during a robbery.
But the true facts are that the young men who murdered Matthew targeted him because he was gay, pretended to be gay so they could get him outside. Sure, maybe they were looking for someone to rob that night, but their target was chosen because he was gay.
That's hate, Virginia, that's not a hoax.
Foxx says she based her statement on an ABC News, 20/20 story, of Matthew Shepard's murder. I have a small suggestion, Virginia. Read the transcripts of the trial. Read what the actual murderers said about why and how they did what they did.
Read, for God's sake, just read.
Then, pouring salt in the wound, Foxx issued an apology. She said something along the lines of I'm sorry IF I offended anyone.
If? So, you're not sorry FOR your stupidity and insensitivity and outright lies, you're only sorry IF you offended Matthew's family.
Well, Virginia, I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry you haven't been kicked out of office yet. I'm sorry you don't have the common sense to think before you speak. I'm sorry for the people of North Carolina who are no doubt shaking their heads in amazement over the idea that you represent them. I'm sorry you haven't taken the high road and resigned for being stupid and insensitive and a liar. But my apology has meaning, Virginia, yours was just more words.
You're sorry, all right, Virginia. A sorry excuse for an elected official. A sorry excuse for a human being. Just plain sorry.
I totally agree with Virginia being a sorry excuse for a public servant. People like that clearly apologize only when something they hold dear is in jeopardy -- like their job.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, it takes a lot more than just words for the apology to mean anything anyway. But as angry as I am about her stupidity, if that's what she truly feels, then she should stick by it and then suffer the consequences at voting time. Don't patronize us with false remorse, because it does no one any good.
Or better yet, keep her damned mouth shut.
ReplyDeleteI can usually forgive someone for being a jerk to me...but I never really forget it. I hope the voters don't forget this woman's hateful and stupid remarks.
ReplyDeleteshe is a sorry case
ReplyDeleteThe voters should remove her from office for such an insensitive and inaccurate statement. Shame on her!
ReplyDeleteI hate those "apologies" that have IF in them. Good post and Amen!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I really must disagree with this whole "hate crimes" issue. Murder should be a crime. How you feel about the victim doesn't really matter if he's still dead.
ReplyDeleteThis really was driven home to me by a brief exchange from "Life on Mars." Sam Tyler: "This might be a hate crime." Gene Hunt: "As opposed to what? An 'I really, really like you crime?'"
The point, Anon, is that certain people are targeted as victims because of their age, race, gender, sexual orientation. They are beaten, robbed, murdered BECAUSE of who they are, gay, elderly, disabled.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Shepard wasn't beaten and left to die for any toher reason than that he was gay.
All crime is hateful, not all crimes are hate.
And to quote a TV show on an issue this sensitive is quite shallow.