Posted on 02/20/2010 6:51:38 AM PST by buccaneer81
So hard to say 'I'm sorry' Published Saturday February 20th, 2010
It was good while it lasted, but it was over far too soon.
That is one way to describe the apology Saint John-Lancaster Liberal MLA Abel LeBlanc offered in the legislature on Thursday.
The week before in the house, he lost his temper and embarrassed himself and the rest of the province with three middle-finger gestures and a challenge to go outside and fight members of the opposition.
Strangely, it was the opposition that was left out of his apology - the very group he attacked.
He apologized to his staff, the Speaker and the people of New Brunswick, but an apology to PC MLAs Dale Graham and Margaret-Ann Blaney did not exit his mouth.
To refresh your memory, this is what happened last week: He accused Blaney of lying, challenged Graham and the rest of the opposition to a brawl, gave them the finger, admitted he made the gesture while doing it again, then did it again, shook his fist at them, and finally, he called Graham a punk.
When asked why he did not apologize to Graham and Blaney, and while we're at it, the entire opposition, this was his response: "To the people on the other side of the house, if it's acceptable or unacceptable, it's the best I can do."
No, it is not the best he could do. He said he was frustrated, "a little upset," and what he did was unacceptable. After getting thrown out of the legislature for three days, he said he had a whole week to "meditate" on his behaviour.
He also said he felt that, even though he was not required to by house rules - because the banishment is in lieu of an apology - he believed he had to apologize to the Speaker and "to my colleagues."
But apparently, not to all of them, and certainly not by name.
By contrast, we witnessed another apology this week. Glen Allen, who owned Custom Machine and Hardchrome, is the man whose momentary memory lapse led to a poisonous hexachromium spill that has already cost $2 million to clean up.
A pretty big mistake, yes, but the difference between Allen and LeBlanc is that Allen did not attack anyone and he did nothing deliberately or maliciously. And yet his apology was sincere and inclusive.
"My main concern is for the residents and their well-being," Allen testified on Thursday. "I'd like to apologize to them."
But he didn't just apologize. After the spill, he spent thousands of dollars he got from selling the company equipment on bottled water for his neighbours. He has lost his business and his insurance policy did not cover the disaster. And his main concern was for the residents affected by his mistake.
Back to LeBlanc. The story of his outburst went international, and he said he received emails from all over North America and even South America, chastising him for his immature behaviour. He said he showed a different side of himself in the house, and that normally, he handles pressure well.
"I'm pretty easygoing, happy-go-lucky. I think in my own heart and soul I'm a pretty good guy," he said after making the apology in the legislature.
A "pretty good guy" who, for some reason, could not look a couple of people in the eye and say what needed to be said.
LeBlanc danced around this situation like a pro. He said everything he could possibly say without actually saying "I'm sorry" to the people at whom his tirade was aimed.
His outburst was bad enough, but to further exacerbate the situation by avoiding the obvious has made the whole fiasco worse.
He could learn a thing or two about humility from Glen Allen.
Canada ping.
New Brunswick ping.
Ooops! I thought this was going to be about Tiger.
Thanks for the PING!
He needs to contemplate the fact that he spends tax dollars from both liberals and conservatives, francophone and anglophone as well as the homophones.A good froggy pish pounding usually brings that about.
Thats the reset button.
He needs to be marched over to Officer’s Square and confronted with a frog’s worst nightmare...Redcoats with axes and mace!
Yes, and then force fed a huge mess of Blighty’s Fish and Chips.
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