Put Down What You’re Carrying: Disrupting Apologia through Rhetorical Tactics of Change

Abstract

This article traces the nimble reorganization efforts, from restorative justice to transitional justice, employed by a single victim’s advocacy group, the Justice for Magdalenes (JFM) campaign, as they participated in a coalition of like-minded organizations to bring about an official apology and enduring justice for the women of the Magdalen Laundries. Offered as an obstacle that was pivotal in spurring transition, Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s apology is analyzed as an example of contemporary apologia. This article will argue Kenny’s remarks satisfy the goals of restorative justice, but impede transitional justice as the language of his remarks undermine non-recurrence. Thus, the women of the Magdalen Laundries, in collaboration with advocacy groups such as JFM, employ rhetorical silence and extend rhetorical listening as tactics of change.