Three days ago, one of your subordinates forwarded to everyone in the office a bit of e-mail humor he’d received from a friend. Titled “You know you’re Southern when . . . ,” the message poked fun at Southern speech, attitudes, and lifestyles. Today you get this message from your subordinate:

Subject: Should I Apologize?

I’m getting flamed left and right because of the Southern message. I thought it was funny, but some people just can’t take a joke. So far I’ve tried not to respond to the flames, figuring that would just make things worse. But now I’m wondering if I should apologize. What do you think?