That was quick. After causing an uproar with a column that trashed immigrants and psycho-fellated cops, then having to grin and bear it as lawyers walked out of his inauguration ceremony, Orange County Bar Association (OCBA) president Michael Baroni issued a full-fledged apology to the county’s lawyers earlier this week.
“I’m sorry,” he stated succinctly at the beginning of his mea culpa, emailed to all members of the OCBA and published on the OCBA’s website. “I used this forum to express political and personal beliefs and that was wrong. As President of this Bar Association, I am the spokesperson for our wonderfully diverse legal community and what I penned was reckless. “
Baroni basically walked back everything he wrote in his initial column. The immigrant trashing? “My neighborhood was filled with an incredibly diverse array of firstgeneration immigrant shop owners. It is a world I love, and I am deeply disappointed that my written words portrayed otherwise.” The unabashed love for law enforcement? “let my passion for law enforcement override common sense – I know that our law enforcement officers do the best they can, but they are not faultless in every violent encounter; yet, I chose to write differently.” He even told his supporters (who the fuck could possibly support his first column?) by saying that the OCBA executive committee is only doing the right thing by reaching out to his critics. Man, Baroni was reduced to praising diversity—what conservative tough guy does THAT?
Nevertheless, we applaud Baroni for being a man and apologizing when he fucked up, so we let him have the last word here, in the conclusion to his column: “I can’t emphasize this enough—I eagerly welcome the opportunity to speak with anyone, or any group, to help heal any rift I may have created. Positive results develop from civil, constructive dialogue, and the sharing of viewpoints. Let’s learn from each other, and give me the opportunity to better understand your needs and concerns.”
We’ll be watching to make sure he practices what he preaches.
