Apologizing

First, read this. I can't post a comment there for 24 hours so I'm doing this.

The reactionary propaganda producing (edit) anti-Bush segment of the population, is not helping anything. Yes, the woman was exercising free speach. Just as I would be exercising free speach if I went to some event and started yelling every time someone began talking. I'm not sure exactly how the event played out, but, while being rude is perfectly legal, it is also something that should be apologized for. Just because someone is excercising one of their rights doesn't meant that they are not rude, or insolent, or generally a jackass. The KKK can say watever they want but if one of them lived across the hall from me and started spewing epithets at a guest of mine, I'd apologize too. So long as King George didn't have the woman arrested or beaten, and hasn't started surveilance directed at her, he didn't do anything that a decent person would not do. That doesn't make him remotely respectable as he has--during his tenure--demonstrated an astounding lack of respect for citizens' rights, but this is the wrong issue to get huffy over. We should not criticize the president for being hospitable. There are plenty of real reasons to criticize him.

(edit: from here "The [reporter's] newspaper - which is understood to be supportive of the Falun Gong movement - later issued an apology" so even her own paper, which is supportive of her opinion, apologized)