I'm sorry...

Apologies are all the vogue these days. Mostly they use the word "regret" a lot and phrase things in passive voice: "Mistakes were made...". I wish I had that much cover.

Every now and then I re-read some article from my archives and find myself perusing unfamiliar words. After a decade or so this is understandable, but four days?

I just read over my post about Dean Kleckner's NYT op-ed article. I could see that a reader could construe it as an ad hominem attack.

That's because it is.

My words were inexcusable. My judgment was incomprehensible, and my choice of words lamentable. Worse yet, they were illogical - calling on presumption and prejudice for baseless accusations. As with most knee-jerk responses it revealed more jerk than knee.

Regardless of our differences, Dean deserves fairness. I apologize to Dean and to you, my readers.

I have deleted the post - which raises some interesting questions in and of itself. We're just beginning to understand how this new medium works, and as more of us stray over the lines of civility, perhaps we will begin to accept some standard practices of commentary to guide our instantaneous outbursts.

As for regret, I have reached an age where I sadly acknowledge the lasting power it has in our lives.