BlogHer - Mel Gibson: Is apologizing for being a racist bigot enough? - Comments

This is blatantly racist statement (nm)

debra roby — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:26:22 -0500

Debra
A Stitch In Time
Deb's Daily Distractions

CIVIL discourse

Pam — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:01:08 -0500

Civil discourse does not involve blanket indictment of populations and/or entities. Saying "The Jews and the Media are X" is a broad statement with no value.

For example, I would not make the mistake of saying that the Christians are responsible for all the wars in this world, though I am certainly able to come up with a number of examples in which war has been started in the name of Christianity.

If I were to say that the Christians were responsible for all the wars in the world, I would expect to be accused of anti-Christian sentiment. If I indict the Jews and the media, I would expect to be called anti-Semitic.

This has nothing to do with agreeing with me. The difference between agreeing with me and adding valuable commentary to a conversation is quite clear and I stand firmly by my request to have anti-Semeitic/racist remarks stricken from the conversation. I would request the same for any racist comments, no matter which population they attacked.

Nerd's Eye View

Mel Gibson and my compassion

Liz Rizzo — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 01:13:49 -0500

NOTE: Just fixed my HTML on my comment above - DOH!

Liz Rizzo

Everyday Goddess

SexySmart Blog

mel gibson

jmirenda — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 23:32:24 -0500

So you believe in promoting discourse as long as it agrees with your views?? I don't quite get it. Enlighten me please

mel gibson

jmirenda — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 23:26:05 -0500

Editor's note: This comment has been removed because it does not adhere to BlogHer's community guidelines.

I disagree. It's

Pam — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:54:26 -0500

I disagree. It's racist/antisemitic language. Promoting discourse is fine as long as it transcends the language of - oh, who? I don't know - Mel Gibson?

Nerd's Eye View Nerd's Eye View

In Vino Veritas.

BritGirl — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 18:41:55 -0500

In Vino Veritas.

I agree, it's offensive.

CityMama — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 12:08:21 -0500

However, I am inclined to leave it up in the interest of fostering a discussion. Surely s/he isn't the only person that feels that way. Like the article you link said--many many people saw The Passion of the Christ and believe in Mel Gibson's vision.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
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I'm offended by that post.

Pam — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 09:35:50 -0500

I've requested the removal of jmirenda's comment.

Broad accusations of what the Jews may or may not have conspired and remarks about what the "media and jews" are up to to are racist and antisemitc.

I recommend you read this.

Nerd's Eye View

I think you are missing the point.

CityMama — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 03:21:21 -0500

Mel's beliefs weren't a secret before this incident. He didn't just have a couple of drinks and say something dumb. (Well, he did but...) He's made racist and bigotted remarks before. It just took a few beers for his true self to come out.

"Who hasn't said and done things they regret?" We all have. This is different.

Merely asking if someone is Catholic or Christian isn't the problem. (Although what right does a drunk being arrested for driving under the influence have to be asking the cops anything about their religious beliefs? How about shutting your trap and being thankful you didn't kill anyone, Mel?) Having a history of being a racist bigot and then making racial slurs to a Jewish officer? That's the problem.

And what do you mean by "god forbide (sic) we say something against the Jews or other minorities?" God forbid, indeed! What would God think about that, I wonder?

But one thing we can agree on: "I'm tired of all the bull," too.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
Link TextCityMama
Link TextKimchi Mamas

mel gibson

jmirenda — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:17:35 -0500

Editor's note: This comment has been removed because it does not adhere to BlogHer's community guidelines.

Mel Gibson

jmirenda — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:10:31 -0500

Editor's note: This comment has been removed because it does not adhere to BlogHer's community guidelines.

I have compassion for Mel

Liz Rizzo — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 22:53:58 -0500

Mel Gibson and My Compassion

Thought I'd throw my lone voice into the mix. I certainly respect everyone's opinions about his hateful words (and stupid words: "sugar tits" UG); I just question vilifying someone who was clearly off his rocker at the time of his comments.

It's not exactly the same as going on talk show after talk show to express your opinions.

Liz Rizzo

Everyday Goddess

SexySmart Blog

Speaking of the almighty dollar

CityMama — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 15:34:07 -0500

Interesting that one of the Jewish people coming out in support of Mel is the guy that's incharge of distributing his new film.

Stefania Pomponi Butler
Contributing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, BlogHer

I blog:
Link TextCityMama
Link TextKimchi Mamas

ironically

mir — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 15:20:11 -0500

I was reading "Vanity Fair" (The novel by William Thackery Makepeace - not the magazine) who makes several jarringly anti-semitic comments during the course of his novel. However it was written over 150 years ago, and times were different then, right? I sighed and said to my friend, "I can't believe people used to think it was totally acceptable to make anti-semitic jokes and comments as a matter of habit.

Then my friend turned on the tv and the first words I heard were some newscaster quoting Mel...

I am not so much shocked by who it is, or what he said, but in the present international climate, giving that kind of hatred so much air-time isn't going to help anyone, Jews or otherwise stop being militant and aggressive.

Sadly anti-semitism is all too normal I guess, and Thackery isn't the exception after all.

Miriam
The Flink
"like harnessing a unicorn to harvest potatoes"

Mel Gibson: Is apologizing for being a racist bigot enough?

CityMama — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:58:34 -0500

By now we all know about Mel Gibson's arrest and the drunken, anti-Semitic tirade that ensued. While being taken into custody he reportedly told the arresting officer that "the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked him: "Are you a Jew?"

People stay and do stupid things all the time when they are drunk, but I'm sorry. You can't blame being a racist bigot on having a few drinks with some Malibu co-eds. An ass? Maybe. But a racist? No.

Mel has admitted his mistake and apologized, and wants Jewish leaders to "help him heal." But is that enough? Will he be able to change? I mean, every time I see his craggy, alcoholic mug flash across my computer screen I can't help but think, "You're a complete a--hole...but at least we finally know the real you."

I also think, "He has a bunch of kids. Imagine what he is teaching them and what they will teach their own kids?" Afterall, Mel learned how to be a jerk from his own Holocaust-denying father. I think the potential for this kind of ignorance to be perpetuated by another generation (his own brood) is what disgusts me the most. Let's hope Mel's children are less drunk and ignorant than their father.

Criticism against Gibson has been harsh with my favorite response being from Arianna Huffington who laid the smack down:

I see the Gibson story as "a moment of opportunity," a chance for reasonable people to stand up and be counted. For the sane among us to identify, separate, and condemn the extremists, the fanatics, the fundamentalists, the bigots, the hate-mongers and say 'no more.'

Al Franken has a plan for rehabilitating Mel:

Put him in a movie as an "under-five" (an actor who has fewer than five
lines). Make him play BUSBOY #2 in a Matthew McConaughey comedy.

Bill Maher offers up this admonition:

Mel, let me remind you: The Jews have not started all the wars in the world. But they have greenlit all the movies.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles urges Gibson to "read about Jewish persecution and visit sites where it had taken place." (I'd like to suggest the book Light One Candle by Solly Ganor, a man whom I had the honor of meeting about ten years ago. In fact, I will gladly send Mel my copy of the book.)

Hier, showing admirable restraint and openness towards Gibson, says:

Anti-Semitism is not born in one day and cannot be cured in one day and certainly not through the issuing of a press release...When Mr Gibson embarks on a serious long-term effort to address that bigotry and anti-Semitism, he will find the Jewish community more than willing to engage and help him.

Let's hope so. But if not? Who can blame them?