I should write a whole post just analyzing the recent short diatribe of Todd Akin, US representative for Missouri’s 2nd District, and that diatribe’s fallout. But there’s an aspect of it which is independent from specifically what he said, who objected, and why that I want to call attention to: the public apology ritual.

These things come up with bothersome regularity (two more near me in recent months, but in Kansas) so let this serve as anchor for a series. The public apology ritual goes like this. A person is observed doing something some others find objectionable. The act is recorded or described. The recording or description is published. The ritual then consists of the following. Continue reading Aduersus Apologias →