I never particularly expected the emotional mea culpas you rightly point out. I was thinking about real actions and real consequences. My own mea culpa being how I have let my over-reactions sometimes dictate my over-responses leading to burdens on others.

Interestingly enough within the confines of my own circle I still hear "I accept" with enough regularity to know that it is still in use, but generally it is done more and more playfully rather than a serious "excuse me but did you really mean to be that rude" sort of way. The idea of returning it to such use is an excellent one.