Steve
Mostly Harmless
Well, they do all suck.
As for this, I tell my son all the time that nothing happens that isn't his fault. That's a personal philosophy I try to live by (not to blame him, hehe. But to accept blame myself... to try and take personal responsibility in all things, even if I had little direct influence). Suggesting that things happen in my life that aren't my fault (good or bad) means to mean that I'm powerless to influence them. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Ceding responsibility (as individuals or as a group) for things that occur in or around us is exactly the point we allow things to happen to us rather than because of us. Simply put, are we victims or not? Are we influencing events around us or simply reacting to them? People and groups who allow things to happen to them don't tend to get very far and the first step in fixing that is to take ownership of the situation.
Of course, there are different levels of influence, but America as a Nation is very influential and our actions cause other things to occur.
Edit: Just wanted to add that sometimes an apology says more than just, "I'm sorry." It says, I am actively involved in not just what got us here, but am going to be an active part of where we go from here. It means that I (as a group or individual) have some authority in this situation.
