In a recent "Today" show interview, Kanye West expressed remorse for his now-infamous 2005 remark that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" in regard to the then-president's handling of Hurricane Katrina. Bush has called that moment an "all-time low." Did West need to apologize, all these years later, for his incendiary remarks? (Watch a clip of Kanye's "Today" show apology)
Yes, it was the right thing to do: It's "good to know Kanye West is capable of shame," says John Nolte at Big Hollywood. "There might be hope for him yet." Those on the Left who subjected Bush to the "worst kind of cruelty and vitriol" during his presidency should look to Kanye's apology as an example.
"President Bush Reacts to Kanye West Apologizing for 'Doesn't Care About Black People' Smear"
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West shouldn't have backed down: Why retract such an "awesome" statement, asks Choire Sicha at The Awl. Kanye's slam against Bush was "2005's most magical moment," and in saying he's sorry about it, Kanye has gone from a "hero" to an "abused, apologetic" man.
"Former hero Kanye now an abused, apologetic Kanye"
West should stop apologizing, period: Yes, from his Twitter tantrums to the Taylor Swift incident, West has certainly done some regrettable things, says Sady Doyle in The Atlantic, but he spends far too much time apologizing for it all, and all "his atonement is getting more depressing by the day." His "willingness to run off at the mouth... and follow his brain wherever it takes him is what makes him a distinctive performer," and he should take pride in that.
"Why Kanye West should stop apologizing"
West started an important discussion — let's finish it: For the record, Kanye didn't call Bush a racist, he said "George W. Bush doesn't care about black people," says Jen Chaney in The Washington Post. While that might not have been wholly true, it captured a "heartbreaking, horrible moment in this country's history." But let's move on: "We should be talking about... how the people of New Orleans are doing now and how our government would respond differently if a crisis of that magnitude reared its devastating head again."
"Why Kanye West should not have apologized to George W. Bush on the 'Today' show"
