I hate the word “sorry” which people have the habit of using freely in their daily lives. I must say whoever coined it has done biggest disservice to mankind. In our country we have inherited the word from the British. You make a mistake and say “sorry” and get away with it. It happens everywhere, in schools, offices, government departments, banks, playgrounds, you name it.
My allergy for the word “sorry” needs to be explained. The dictionary meaning of the word “sorry” is expression of regret. By saying “sorry” you express regret for a mistake that should not have happened. Mistakes done unintentionally in small matters may be condoned. But my blood boils with anger when people even those in high places – make mistakes which can hurt somebody’s moral and material interests and seek forgiveness by merely saying “sorry”
In its August 6 issue the Herald carried a report captioned “Justice delayed for 24 Years”. The report angered me. Why in a country which lays its claim to superpower status, a common man has to wait for justice for such long period? What kind of super power it is which cannot assure speedy justice to its aggrieved citizen? Do we call ourselves a superpower simply because we own expensively priced deadly armaments bought from Russia, America and other countries to frighten our hostile neighbours? A super power also must offer ideal conditions of life to citizens in its domestic life, including assuring quick justice to the aggrieved.
In the delayed justice case there was a soft word of comfort when the High Court said “sorry “to the litigant. Fine, but is this expression of regret by the court enough? Who is to compensate him/her for the emotional, moral and material damage suffered by delaying justice for such long period?
Will the same court pardon me if I commit a serious crime and say “sorry”?
Take a few more examples recounted here from my own, more recent, personal experiences. On a busy roadway a speeding motorcyclist comes like a tornado and bangs hard against my brand new car parked in a parking area. The motorcyclist doesn’t have a valid licence nor any vehicle insurance. When questioned he merely says “sorry”
Fellow motorcyclists gather around us. They advise me to forgive their offender colleague since he has acknowledged his mistake and said “sorry” What about the cost of repairs? I can collect it from insurance they tell me and off they go without the slightest feeling of guilt or remorse. The police arrived on the scene and offered me the same advice. “Since the man had said ‘sorry’ I should close the matter. “
I am an Orthopaedic surgeon. If I operate right leg of the patient instead of left can I say sorry or put the blame on the lower staff and get away with it? Will the society pardon me for my lapse if I merely said “sorry”? It is another matter that personally I would never be able to pardon myself if I was guilty of such an act. God preserve me from this word “sorry” which I daily see every man applying to himself to his own advantage and making vice a custom!
