Sunday, May 3, 2020

Two Apologies in Analysis




In an apology, we look for strong psychological presence through the pronoun "I" as well as ownership of the event and responsibility. 

Taking responsibility and stating that one is taking responsibility are two different issues to examine.  

"I am sorry. I broke my own order..."

Here are two statements from two mayors who broke the mandate to stay home. 




This mayor got her haircut. Previously she had made the public statement that if one were to go out jogging, she would have him arrested. 

Note a prior statement to the haircut (via Twitter) showing her priority: 

I don’t have much time to myself these days, but I felt I needed to make sure everyone knows how I feel about this Stay at Home Order. Which one motivates you the most to stay at home?

Then, she got caught.  Her response: 

“I’m the public face of this city! I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye. I take my personal hygiene very seriously. I felt like I needed to have a haircut. I’m not able to do that myself, so I got a haircut. You want to talk more about that?”

Now, she has announced that she is not fooling around and will arrest and "take you to jail" if you disobey her order.  

Did you note her progression?

The act of being caught did not produce any form of regret or remorse.  

It angered her. 

She has since increased her rhetoric to punish those who might follow in her example.  

She takes her "personal hygiene very seriously" which is, in context, to indicate that her audience either does not or that her audience need not do the same.  They are not "the face" of her city. 

This is not a mea culpa and is an example of an elitist in both belief and practice:

She is not subject to the consequences of her own ideology or order.  She is above it because she is on camera and cares about her hygiene.  




Here, another local mayor had gone against her own (or her governor's) "stay at home" order and went out and got her nails done.  


My heartfelt apology to all of the citizens of Beaumont for my lapse in judgement on Tuesday, April 21st.

It was not defiance, disregard nor disobedience but a "lapse" in judgement.  



I promise that there was no malice intended. I should never have entered the salon last Tuesday.

She wants her audience to know that she had no "malice" in getting her hair done.  

This is similar to many criminal defense positions where the claim was to not "hurt" or "harm" someone while hurting or harming someone. 


I did not intend to take personal privilege while asking others to sacrifice and for that I am truly remorseful.

She did not "intend" to take personal privilege---she took it without intention?

She is not truthful.  


As an elected official I am held to a higher standard, 

This is consistent with "I take full responsibility" in a statement, rather than taking responsibility.  

What will be her consequence? This is best seen in context of what consequence has she intended for others who refused to submit. 


I regret my action that day. 

This is reliably stated.  Her concern of what we think of her motive was a higher priority than this, as it came first and by way of explanation. This regret ---why does she regret it?



I am honestly sorry and I pray that you will forgive me.

What does it mean to pray that her audience will forgive her? What does this forgiveness look like?
Forgive for a "lapse" where she had no negative motive and no intention to do what she did?

Without the intention, did someone force the nail salon upon her? 

This does not address consequences that citizens might be subject do, including arrest. 


In addition, I have asked the city attorney to place me on executive session this Tuesday so I can discuss this issue with my fellow council members

Has she sought a suspension, arrest, or fine?

She has sought an audience. 


Both apologies are to explain away the action, with neither willing to be held to account.  

The former is likely chilling for citizens, as she has increased her threats to deprive them of their liberty should they follow her example. 

The latter is more likely to produce a dismissive response to the subject as a one who panders rather than being personally responsible.  

Both believe themselves above the consequences of that which they impose or seek to impose upon others. 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope the voters remember that vanity was more important to those 2 women than following rules and public safety when election time comes round again.

Charmayne said...

Hypocrisy at it's finest..

Giordano Downes said...

For thee but not for me.

Tania Cadogan said...

A classic case of "Don't do as I do, Do as I say."

Nadine Lumley said...

Vain elitist women... they're everywhere.

Men too of course. Look at Freedo Cuemo.... what a joke pretending to be in his mansion basement.

.

Josh Brown said...

These are 'apologies' in the old fashioned sense of defending a position. The more modern meaning pertains to repairing a sense of trust betrayed and entails an acknowledgement of the inappropriate action and a commitment to refrain from repeating the behavior, and then the party whose trust was betrayed forgives. Most people who betray a trust placed in them prefer to defend themselves as being in the right rather than seek to repair the broken relationship.