What is it about politicians that makes them loath to admit a mistake and offer a sincere, unqualified apology? It amazes me that so many of them can’t bring themselves to say, “I made a mistake. I’m truly sorry.”
For a few days last week, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell ranked among those elected officials intoxicated by the conceits of power.
To her credit, however, Cantrell ultimately apologized for an insensitive comment she recently made about women victims of gun violence. To her shame, her apology included a typical politician’s deflection that her remarks were “misconstrued” (read: “blame the media, not me”) — and her qualified mea culpa came only after being called out publicly for not apologizing.
The story behind Cantrell’s diluted apology illustrates my point about politicians’ reluctance to express public remorse.
In recent weeks, the plague of gun violence in New Orleans reached a new level of horror when several young women were murdered. Their violent deaths prompted The Times-Picayune | The Advocate to publish a front-page story about the “trail of mothers” killed by shooters.
Cantrell spoke out against the violence on May 12 after a double homicide claimed the lives of two more young women — JaDiamond Jones, mother to a 2-year-old, and Imani Williams.
The mayor's comments included an off-the-cuff remark that "what we have to understand is that women also play a role in violent activity in our city.” Asked to clarify, Cantrell stressed that the cases weren't random.
She referred additional questions to the New Orleans Police Department and remained silent over the ensuing weekend as the victims’ families felt the sting of her insensitive — and inaccurate — comment.
On May 15, Cantrell pivoted by calling for a “swift, sweeping response” to the violence — but a pivot is not an apology.
Finally, on May 17, Cantrell said her comments had been "absolutely misconstrued." She said she had apologized directly to the families, who had forgiven her.
Then she pivoted back to her regal self, proclaiming that her apology to the families “wasn't walking anything back.” She said she showed “respect” to grieving families by “humbling myself just a little bit more …”
Cantrell said her comment about women playing a role in violence was meant from an “investigative standpoint.” What that means and how it relates, specifically, to the recent murders remains a mystery.
“I did not intend to hurt anyone and did not intend to make light of the women and the families that were impacted. So my heart just remains very heavy, and I am very sorry for that," she said.
We all know that politicians have big egos, and politics today is a blood sport. Perhaps politicians are slow to acknowledge any human weakness because they fear their adversaries will weaponize it against them.
That’s a shame, because voters love and respect leaders who, to paraphrase Gen. Douglas MacArthur, are strong enough to know when they are weak.
Deep down, I guess many pols are just insecure — or worse, cowardly.
Clancy DuBos is the politics editor and columnist for Gambit in New Orleans. Email him at clancy@gambitweekly.com.
