Last week – maybe two weeks ago – Marty Peretz, who is alleged to be a deep thinker, but is really just a racist jerk, and was honored at Harvard this week said among other racist things – and I am not paraphrasing here – Muslim life is cheap, most notably to Muslims. On the eve of Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, by way of atoning, Peretz said  I allowed emotion to run way ahead of reason, and feelings to trample arguments. For this I am sorry.

That's not apologizing or atoning. That is just a cheap cop out. No, I was wrong. Just a I am sorry I allowed emotion to run way ahead of reason. Shame on you, Peretz, you are a jerk. I was glad to see they protested him when he showed up to accept his prize.

This spring Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell made a proclamation that started out

WHEREAS,  April is the month in which the people of Virginia joined the Confederate States of America in a four year war between the states for independence that concluded at Appomattox Courthouse; 

At the time, I went on a rant about it and I still feel the same way.

But, now, McDonnell has made a heartfelt apology that started out My major and unacceptable omission of slavery disappointed and hurt a lot of people–myself included,  he went on to say 

Until the Civil War, the founding principle that all people are created equal and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights was dishonored by slavery. Slavery was an evil and inhumane practice which degraded people to property, defied the eternal truth that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, and left a stain on the soul of this state and nation. For this to be truly one nation under God required the abolition of slavery from our soil.

Now that is a proper apology, Way to go Governor.