INspire

Monday Moods

Of Doubted Apologies and Press Freedom

by Mazuba Mwiinga

Who wasn't shocked? I was. And now I am even more flabbergasted!! Hope George M isn't planting seeds of hullabaloos in me.

Isn't an apology a sacred gift? Whether it comes out sincerely or not? Shouldn't the receiver be redeemed and vindicated for the same? I don't know. However my last check from the shelves of political talk, an apology whether or not given in good faith, needs good timing. Should you wake up from slumber and kneel before your adversary like one suffering from kwashiorkor?

Do we even need to say sorry to someone we have offended if our hearts are already contrite? A solemn heart need not pronounce how it feels about the previous uncalled for actions of its owner. All one needs to do is to show it by different remorseful actions that have got nothing to do with the words sorry.  Haven’t we heard rapists say so, and get lighter sentences and yet still go back to the same old filth order again? It’s not what we say, but what we show by doing without saying, that makes sense.

Who wouldn’t have seen it coming from the receiver of the apology to accept it with reservations? Journalists maybe regarded as wise men’s nests, but not all journalists are that gullible as to accept apologies from political pundits as solemn heartfelt contrition. Neither could I. Had I been the media adviser for the apologizer, I would have offered a better solution. The apology was mis-timed and uncalled for. Freedom of the Press doesn’t flourish on trite words from power racers. Freedom of the Press archives everything that comes from the mouth of a public din.

To show remorse in such circumstances, one needed to ignore the media uncovering and still speaking good about your adversary without asking for forgiveness. To embrace every media no matter how much it doesn’t cover you to show how much you respect Freedom of the Press.

Those who know tell us that news is what we say it is. My news may not be another person’s news. So if I don’t cover you, then you are not my news. If you want to be heard as a public pundit, make your own news channel to sale yourself. Politics is huge business, and investing it is more of a need than a want if you want to get positive results from it.

Kneeling before the cart, that you once tossed off the road; is like poking a hive of bees while standing under it; it will have a field day on you.