SAYING "SORRY'.

 I put this apology on Richard's latest (well, it's already old but there doesn't appear to be a new one coming) post today because I'd written a rude comment earlier.

I have no intention of going to a Catholic church for Confession and then to mumble that mumbo-jumbo myself - I rejected that nonsense many years ago. No, I decided to do this via an agent, in this case Robert if he's up for the job. He does have experience and hopefully has an 'in' with the church officials.

This is not unlike a criminal, let's say some thug who bashes an old lady, a shop-keeper, a policeman or, Robert's god forbid, me over the head with a baseball bat or a metal bar and, in court, has his agent - the barrister - read out a 'letter of apology' that he has 'written'.

In Australia there is a side industry in the legal profession catering to this. See:

HOW TO WRITE OUT A LETTER OF APOLOGY

In New Zealand we don't yet have a money making industry like they have in Australia and other countries but I found many guides on Google on how to draft a snivelling letter of apology. Here's one example:

EASY METHODS TO WRITE A LETTER OF APOLOGY TO THE COURT

Yes, I know, I have written about this before in a post: MEA CULPA but it's really getting out of hand. 9 times out of ten the criminal isn't sorry - not for the crime anyway - they are sorry for getting caught.

Here's a very recent example of this.

GUNMAN ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE

"A man who narrowly missed being shot in the heart is “absolutely p***** off” the gunman, who has gang links, is eligible for parole.

Poull Andersen - brother of popular radio host Jay-Jay Feeney - believes the justice system is “bulls***” and favours criminals over victims.

Andersen, 35, was recently notified that the gunman who nearly killed him will appear before the parole board in the week beginning July 22."

        NZ Herald

In the court case it was reported that the defendant later told police he didn’t know what the firearm was “and that he just dinged it and it went ‘boom’. Judge Kathryn Maxwell assessed a starting point of nine years for the shooting and the receiving charges but deducted 20 per cent for his guilty pleas and a 5 per cent discount for his youth. Defence lawyer Kate Leys had sought a 15 per cent discount for youth.

Maxwell noted his age might have contributed to his “violent and impulsive manner” that night, but she described the issue of a youth discount as “a difficult one” because he’s been “no stranger” to the justice system.
“For such a young man you have serious previous convictions,” she said. “Your history tempers any discount for youth.”
He also received a 5 per cent discount for remorse, having written letters of apology to each victim, and a 10 per cent discount for his traumatic childhood.

This was only 2 years ago! What happened to the weak 5 year sentence?

For fucks sake!