"Words empty as the wind are best left unsaid." ~Homer

A friend of mine posted on Facebook today that a rapper had some lyrics that offended the military. The exact lyric is "fuck da [sic] FBI & fuck all da [sic] army troop[sic] fighting for what? Be yo [sic] own man." Of course, an apology was demanded, and, of course, one was issued. Read it here. You can question its validity for yourself.

It got me thinking, not so much about things like the First Amendment, or whether or not words hurt, but we've become a society that constantly demands public apology, because it's not just "sticks and stones" anymore. But why? We have this lynch-mob mentality, as if we constantly speak kindly of everyone and never say anything controversial. But what is even more irritating to me is that, demanding apologies, such as the one that Soulja Boy issued, does two things:

1. It gives validity and power to what he said in his lyrics.
2. It coaxes out a half-assed, public-appeasing statement.

Who gives a rat's tiny, hairy ass about what this guy says about anyone?! Is the military so invested in the opinion of some rapper who is looking to sell a song that, (from what I gathered reading the lyrics) has NOTHING to do with the actual military? The song is presumably about how he is living his own life, and it's awesome, and he makes his own choices. The line might even only serve to make the rhyme work. Is he a powerful social or political figure? I think we'd all be a little more upset if, oh, I don't know, Leon Panetta (the Secretary of Defense) said something like "fuck the military." Google and read any of Soulja Boy's other lyrics, and tell me if you are willing to give a crap about the statements of someone who has a song called "Booty Meat."

I didn't think so.

Secondly, we go after someone like him, he issues some pretty little statement, and everyone forgets about it. Awesome. What was the point of that? Is that all we need? Are we all little boys and girls in the sandbox and when someone tugs our hair or throws sand in our eye, all we need is "sorryyyyy" and back to digging we go?

If Soulja Boy has to issue an apology to the military, he also owes one to the FBI (who, apparently, aren't offended). If Soulja Boy has to apologize, then all those yammering old bags on television who criticize the wardrobes of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have to apologize. I now have to apologize for calling them old bags. Discover Card has to apologize to foreign customer service representatives named Peggy. MTV has to apologize for the Jersey Shore (ok, maybe that's not such a bad idea...).

An apology means absolutely nothing coming from someone who was forced to give it. I highly doubt Soulja Boy is going to be remorseful after all the extra hits this song gets on YouTube and iTunes. And I'm even more doubtful that any of the men and women who are serving in the military at this very moment really care about the lyric or the "apology" that followed. I think they're too busy doing something incredibly important with their time. Maybe we should follow their example. Stop caring so much about inane statements from insignificant people. Because the demand for the apology is just as ridiculous and insignificant as the statement and the subsequent "apology." Enough with the apologies.