4/26/2002
A kinda-sorta apology from the oafish rightwing chairman of the Florida House's "Lifelong Learning Council," Rep. Jerry Melvin.
He's sorry if he seemed to be critical of anyone's beliefs."I had no idea that my comments would be so twisted and misquoted," he said.
This has two of the three elements of a political apology.
1/ Suggest the possibilty that the offense wasn't really an offense, may not have happened, did not really piss anyone off. Viz. If anyone was offended, I am sorry. Why apologize if nobody was offended?
2/ Suggest that even though you are apologizing, the words or acts were distortions of the media and political enemies. Viz. "I had no idea that my comments would be so twisted and misquoted." Why apologize if you didn't say it?
3/ Apologize in third person or passive voice so it almost sounds like you're talking about somebody else's transgressions. Viz. Mistakes were made.
Melvin uses 1 and 2, omits 3.
If anyone was offended by my comments which were twisted into something that might have been taken for ridicule of the good representative, I can only say that mistakes may have been made.
He's sorry if he seemed to be critical of anyone's beliefs."I had no idea that my comments would be so twisted and misquoted," he said.
This has two of the three elements of a political apology.
1/ Suggest the possibilty that the offense wasn't really an offense, may not have happened, did not really piss anyone off. Viz. If anyone was offended, I am sorry. Why apologize if nobody was offended?
2/ Suggest that even though you are apologizing, the words or acts were distortions of the media and political enemies. Viz. "I had no idea that my comments would be so twisted and misquoted." Why apologize if you didn't say it?
3/ Apologize in third person or passive voice so it almost sounds like you're talking about somebody else's transgressions. Viz. Mistakes were made.
Melvin uses 1 and 2, omits 3.
If anyone was offended by my comments which were twisted into something that might have been taken for ridicule of the good representative, I can only say that mistakes may have been made.
