Do we care?

Just hours after an online video surfaced of his racist tirade at a comedy club, former Seinfeld star Michael Richards appeared on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman Monday night to apologize. "I lost my temper on stage. I was trying to do my act and I got heckled. I took it badly and went into a rage and said some really nasty things to some Afro-Americans," Richards told Letterman via satellite (view the clip here). "I'm really busted up over this. I'm really, really sorry. "I'm concerned about the anger coming through. I'm deeply, deeply sorry. I'm not a racist, that's what so insane about this. ... I just have to do personal work. I'm still reeling from this."

So here's my question: does this "apology" make everything okay? Should he be forgiven? I don't think so. Its the same with Mel Gibson, I was drunk and I was angry should not be justifiable excuses for bigotry and straight up hatred. It just goes to remind us that these people play characters and who they are on tv is not who they are as real live human beings.