Part one of term paper
When does saying you're sorry go from an expression of regret to an apology? The sad thing about this is that some people don't know the difference. Deborah Tannen, a professor at Georgetown University, reports: "The First Lady… 'I regret very much that the efforts on health care were badly misunderstood, taken out of co ...

Part two of term paper
... all hell broke loose. One newspaper article quoted a political scientist as saying, 'To apologize for substantive things you've done raises the white flag.'" (107-108). This political scientist obviously took this statement of regret out of context. Previously stated was a comment about "raising the white flag" which symbolizes retreat, defeat, and weakness. "I think those brave enough to admit fault would find a... power at home: It's amazing how an apology, if it seems sincere, can dis ...