We love a good
heartfelt apology!
This one is
from a former British MP (member of Parliament) named Sir John Randall who
has issued an apology for voting against same-sex marriage back in
2013.
At the time,
Randall told his children that he was voting against same-sex marriage because
heterosexual couples could not enter into civil partnerships, and that since he
was a teller (a person who counts the votes but whose own vote is usually not
counted), then his vote wouldn't really affect anything.
The apology
comes after Buzzfeed
News emailed every MP who voted against same-sex marriage
to ask them if they had changed their minds in the years since.
Randall was
the only one to issue a well thought-out and obviously genuine letter
expressing his regrets.
"There
are not many things that I regret about my time as an MP but almost as soon as
I voted against same sex marriage I knew I had made a mistake. Of course I
recognised that it was going to go pass anyway so my vote was not crucial and I
was wavering. I excused myself with my children with the excuse that I would
have voted for it had civil partnerships been allowed for heterosexuaI couples
and I still think that should be actively considered but in the end as a
Government Whip I was a teller and therefore technically didn't vote one way or
the other.
That was not courageous. I think I was just not ready for this step,
conflicted between many of my age group and those of the younger generation
whose views I wanted to understand. Ultimately I think I knew that I was going
to be on the wrong side as those who wanted to me to vote for were some of the
nicest people I came across, something that couldn't be said about those
opposing.
With hindsight I wish I had spoken to a very good friend and
colleague before the vote.
He might easily have been expected to oppose the
move to same sex marriage but he said to me that it was something that wouldn't
affect him at all but would give great happiness to many people. That is an
argument that I find it difficult to find fault with. So three years on I can
honestly say, I was wrong and I am sorry not to have been able to see it at the
time."
AH-Mazing!
We wish more
people were willing to admit to their mistakes like this!
Two other MPs, Sir
Simon Burns and Andrew Griffiths, also said they had
changed their minds.
Unfortunately,
however, there were still many who held steadfastly to their beliefs that gay
marriage should not be allowed, including David Davies, Stephen
Timms, Sammy Wilson, and Sir Roger Gale.
LAME!
Still, it's
good to see some people like John Randall eventually understand the errors of
their ways.
[Image via Twitter.]
perezhilton
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