i found this and defenitly had to post it.
When a six-year-old hits his three-year-old brother and takes his truck, I put him in time-out and demand an apology. I realize that the apology is nothing more than a public acknowledgement of the transgression. His apology won’t make his brother stop crying or convince me that he’s capable of regretting his action in a fully mature fashion with an implicit agreement that he won’t hit his brother or take his toys again. None-the-less, I get the apology in order to teach him that I, and society, think hitting is wrong and that toy taking is, at best, frowned upon.
In his commentary "Do We Really Care What Kramer Thinks?" John McWhorter posits that Michael Richards’ apology for his racist statements is insincere and self-serving. Why, he asks, demand an apology that can neither heal the wrong nor convince people that Richards sincerely regrets his outburst. McWhorter asks, "Why go through the meaningless ritual of seeking insincere apologies that don't serve any purpose?"
In his commentary "Do We Really Care What Kramer Thinks?" John McWhorter posits that Michael Richards’ apology for his racist statements is insincere and self-serving. Why, he asks, demand an apology that can neither heal the wrong nor convince people that Richards sincerely regrets his outburst. McWhorter asks, "Why go through the meaningless ritual of seeking insincere apologies that don't serve any purpose?"