Wilson, West and Williams: How Valuable Were Their Apologies?

No one is perfect. People make mistakes all the time. From saying something you don’t really mean to acting inappropriately in front of others, we’ve probably all wished we had a rewind button for life once in awhile.

However, when people of importance make mistakes, the pieces are much harder to put back together.  Recently, there have been a few incidents where people of stature have acted in ways that have raised many eyebrows. The objectionable actions of Joe Wilson, Kanye West and Serena Williams have many people wondering if there is something in the water.

The issue is not only in the actions themselves, but also in the response following the mistake. Even though each of these individuals issued a statement of apology for their actions, I personally don’t feel they were effective in dealing with the complete ramifications.

Joe Wilson started off well, but then turned his statement into an effort to rally campaign support. Kanye posted an announcement on his blog, but it was horribly written and was full of backward “apologies” and hints of narcissism. Serena did issue a statement to her fans, but failed to acknowledge her obvious wrongdoing until she later issued an amendment.

For these three, “forgive and forget” isn’t really an option. In today’s web world, their actions are continually popping up on sites, blogs, and emails every second.

The question now is, how far do words go in rectifying the situation? Do these individuals deserve forgiveness? Or, should they be held to a higher standard?