On that media storm

[bellinghman]

"I am very sorry that certain comments made by me have caused offence," said Gray.

No, that's not a proper apology.

That's pushing the blame onto those offended.

What he should have said was "I am very sorry that I made certain comments that may have caused offence,"

Comments

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

This is the precise reason that we're warned to avoid the passive tense in writing classes. Offense does not, after all, magically cause itself.

[clanwilliam.livejournal.com]

Surely "I am very sorry that I made certain comments that caused offence" rather than "may have caused offence" would be even better.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

True - for some reason, I managed to insert the 'may have' when recasting the sentence.

[lagilman]

Teflon Responsibility. One of the few things that will cause me to give up on a person and walk away.


("I'm sorry that you feel that way" was one of the major causes of my getting divorced, rather than working it out. How people say something often tells you more than they think.)

[martyn44.livejournal.com]

But that would require a sincerity of him that he very obviously does not possess.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

Well, yes.

But there's the hope that others may be educated by the example.

[aldabra]

Presumably what he's sorry about was that he was caught making the comments; they wouldn't have caused offence if he'd been off-mic.

[jon-a-five.livejournal.com]

I guess that's typical of a man >:->