Stop Demanding Apologies

Dan Webster, who is running in Florida against the detestable Alan Grayson, was asked a question that has become typical whenever one side is unfairly slimed by the other:

When asked if he was seeking an apology from the Grayson campaign, Webster said, "No, I'm not. It is the way he runs his campaign."

Exactly. It drives me nuts when someone does something intentionally insulting, like Jerry Brown's people calling her a "whore", and then the aggrieved party demands an apology like Whitman did.

Why?

If the person was actually repentant about what they said they'd offer an apology freely and without prompting. The fact that an apology must be demanded from them is proof to me that they're not sorry at all and in fact said exactly what they mean.  If they finally give in to pressure to apologize you usually end up with a meaningless non-apology apology that goes something like this:

I apologize if someone took offense at my words.

That's completely meaningless and they might as well say:

I'm sorry that you're too stupid to understand that I meant every word I said.

Say what you mean and stick to it. If you meant what you said, take ownership of your statements. I have more respect for the guy who refuses to apologize and says he meant every word of it than some guy who gives faux apology because of P.R. concerns.