Should parents apologize to their kids?

My stepmom NEVER apologizes…to anyone.

We were at a restaurant for dinner and were having a nice conversation. I was talking about going to college out of the country and I jokingly said, “Because I hate America.” And by that I meant I hate American opinions and American youth. Not my “freedom”.

My stepmom went off on me. She was yelling about how I need to move to Somalia or Afghanistan where they’ll kill me and rape me and then I’ll be thankful for living in America. But then she started talking about how all Muslims hate Americans and all Muslims need to die and I got defensive because I feel that’s racial profiling.

She went off on me more and said I didn’t know shit because I’m 17 and she’s 40 years older than me and she knows about life. I don’t know anything because everything I know I read on the Internet and therefore my opinions are invalid due to my age and lack of experience. She said when I grow up I’ll think like her.

By this time everyone was staring at me and the manager had come to the table to see what was up and left because
my stepmom completely ignored her in favor of yelling at me and defending her country.

I told her to calm down and she said, “I don’t care what people think of me!” And continued I finally told her she was wrong and was yelling at me and she didn’t even let me finish what I was saying about “I hate America” and how she didn’t even ask. How she embarrassed me and I apologized for insulting America and she just said, “Ok.”

She said she’d yell at her own mother if she said she hated America and that she doesn’t owe me an apology. I said then if she can’t apologize I take back my apology (which you can’t do because I was being honest, I am sorry for getting her upset, I just said that out of shock and hurt) and she said I can’t manipulate her.

I asked my dad why he wasn’t defending me and he slammed the door in my face so I went upstairs and cried and no one has come up to say anything. They never do. They never apologize or talk about anything.

It upsets me because I see families where they fight over stupid stuff and the kids get upset and the parents apologize for making them cry.

I’m jealous of that. My parents said that instills entitlement and disrespect for parents when the parents apologize for hurting their child’s feelings.

My stepmom said so many parents do that now in my generation and that when my “stupid” generation and me grow up and start voting she’s committing suicide.

I feel like parents should apologize, what do you think?