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Apologies aren't enough sometimes.
Saying "sorry" doesn't fix a smashed fender. It might not save your marriage. It won't heal a broken leg.
While we teach our kids that "sorry," like "please," is a magic word that solves problems, we often leave out that it has to be accompanied by repair for the damage caused. We forget that sometimes forgiving doesn't mean forgetting.
On Monday, Kirk Rice, 66, of Harmar was in tears at the defense table, lamenting the actions he took and begging for mercy from Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Jennifer Satler.
He didn't get any, receiving a sentence of four to eight years in state prison for forging names on a nomination petition in the 2022 primary election.
"This has got to be the saddest day in history," Rice said as he left the room in custody.
Rice was found guilty of 38 criminal counts, three of them felonies. The laundry list included forgery, identity theft, perjury and submitting false signatures.
No one died. This wasn't violent crime. But it was crime nonetheless, and that can't be ignored just because there was no bloodshed.
This was not a victimless crime. It had many victims -- arguably everyone in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District. Even worse, it hurt the reputation of elections at large.
Perhaps the only saving grace is that it wasn't done out of malice. It was done out of greed. Rather than trying to harm the election process, Rice was forging the names for money, netting $3 per signature for a total of $1,340.
Rice's emotional moment in court and his wept apologies don't change what happened.
The crime also comes at a time when election integrity is at the forefront of conversations about the November midterms and even the 2028 presidential race.
Accusations and allegations about fraud happen regularly. County election officials are trying to maintain confidence. Election-related crimes are rare, but every one that occurs creates a perception that the problem is more prevalent.
Apologizing doesn't repair that rupture.
"Sir, these crimes are so egregious and so outrageous that they undermine the public's faith in our election system, which is already fragile," Satler said.
There's no restitution that can be made for that. Returning the $1,340 won't make a difference. All that remains are the consequences, to be paid out in four to eight years.