Posted on 08/02/2006 10:00:34 AM PDT by abigail2
August 2, 2006
Contact: Ermias Alemayehu (323) 782-1980 / (213) 804-1872
Where’s The Compassion for Mel Gibson?
LOS ANGELES- Since Mel Gibson’s arrest for suspicion of drunk driving last week, liberal Jewish leaders and most of the media have condemned him for uttering anti-Jewish slurs. On two occasions Gibson has since offered apologies and asked forgiveness from the Jewish community—but some in the media are still not satisfied. Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, Founder and President of BOND (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny) issued a statement today calling for Gibson’s detractors to “have compassion” for the star. Below is Rev. Peterson’s statement in its entirety regarding this issue:
“I am sorry that Mel Gibson and his family are going through this difficult period. Gibson absolutely did the right thing by offering a heartfelt apology and asking for forgiveness from the Jewish community—he’s even asked to meet with Jewish leaders. To those who will not be satisfied until Gibson is destroyed—I say ‘shame on you. Where’s your humanity?’
“Now there appears to be an orchestrated campaign by some Hollywood insiders and media to personally destroy Gibson. These same people opposed Gibson’s blockbuster ‘The Passion of the Christ’ which despite opposition from liberals was a huge hit among audiences. These ‘smear merchants’ are using this incident to get back at Gibson. It’s time that people accept his apology and move on.
“Had this been a liberal struggling with a similar addiction—these same people would be calling for understanding—so where’s the compassion for Mel Gibson? Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Louis Farrakhan have all made anti-Jewish remarks in the past with little public condemnation. But God help you if you make a highly successful movie about Jesus Christ and then succumb to alcoholism. This is another example of selective outrage practiced by liberal hypocrites. So much for liberal compassion.”
BOND (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny) is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization whose mission is “rebuilding the family by rebuilding the man.” Rev. Peterson is the author of SCAM: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America. For more information visit BOND
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bttt
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This is why most of us REAL Americans are on Mel's side. We are embarrassed for him and feel bad that he had sunk to that level but we know that he has also done a lot of positive things in his life and we will support him.
I believe that "compassion" is recognizing that Mel Gibson's meltdown speaks of a man who needs to do more than apologize, or to blame alcoholism, to cleanse himself of his anger and hatred and to redeem himself.
Serious counseling to confront the roots of his anti-semitism and to overcome it ... is in order. If he is truly sorry, meaning he wants to change.
Mel's got my compassion. He screwed up and figuratively got his bottom slapped. He knew it and apologized. Hopefully, he's being treated. What's that famous adage "To err is human to forgive is divine."
Listen up people, Mel Gibson's publicist said he was sorry. Isn't that enough?
Just because Mel Gibson "owns Malibu" doesn't mean he can't be afflicted with the "disease" of drunk driving his new Lexus at 87 in a 45 zone.
After all, he's only human. Just like his Holocaust-denying and 9/11 conspiracy-spouting father.
Besides, the Jews are to blame. Don't you know? In wine, there is truth.
(/sarc)
How about in Chivas? :-)
to cleanse himself of his anger and hatred and to redeem himself.
Did he not asks to meet with Jewish leaders to do just that?
totally concur!! Mel Gibson is perhaps haunted by the demon of his father's bias but is a warrior for Christ when sober! An don't forget Hitlerry Clinton is also guilty.
< /sarcasm >
I liked Mel's movies. I was hopeful he really was a conservative. After he started badmouthing Bush, I put him into the Dixie chick category. They can all jump off a cliff, and I'd be perfectly happy with that.
Good points from Rev. Peterson.
I think the left is trying to get Mel Gibson to "admit" that simply being a Christian makes one "anti-Semitic." If he does, they'll use it on every publicly-known Christian for the rest of the century.
(((Listen up people, Mel Gibson's publicist said he was sorry. Isn't that enough?
Just because Mel Gibson "owns Malibu" doesn't mean he can't be afflicted with the "disease" of drunk driving his new Lexus at 87 in a 45 zone.
After all, he's only human. Just like his Holocaust-denying and 9/11 conspiracy-spouting father.
Besides, the Jews are to blame. Don't you know? In wine, there is truth.
(/sarc))))
And in all of us there is sin. Are you exempt?
I'm a fan of Gibson's and many of his past and future enemies would be mine.
However, I wonder if we're learning now why he's bashed Bush and the Iraq war, WOT, etc?
Mel just needs to get Cynthia McKinney's lawyer...
saying sorry is enough for anyone--bt not Mel--some "people" are just not man enough to grant the forgiveness!-and making a big deal of it is sicking!
He needs counseling.
He may seek forgiveness for his remarks but no one can realistically "forgive" him for his visceral hatred of Jews if he merely seeks to keep it better repressed from now on.
Gibson must confront his own demons on hating Jews (and disrespecting women and non-Hollywood star little people too) with professional help ... if he sincerely wishes to understand his emotions and purge himself of his prejudice, arrogance, and anger.
I wonder if Peterson would have been so forgiving.
You presume to know that Mel Gibson has a "visceral" hatred of Jews. (I'll bet you're one of those who thinks alcohol is "truth serum.")
Yes, I presume to think that a man who said such things as published in the police report has a visceral hatred of Jews (or of something else that he blames on Jews)
And alcohol may or may not be "truth serum" in its effect of loosening inhibitions, but Mel was rather lightly dosed, being only slightly over a very rigorous legal limit.
.
MEL's -PASSION- sparked by -WE WERE SOLDIERS-
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085111/posts
.
So very true.
I had a friend who was a total lush. She would get loaded, and the stories that would come out of her mouth--hoo boy! Then she would repeat these stories, adding embellishments, about every 20 minutes or so, if you could stand being around her for another cycle. She also would get confrontational and accusatory toward people that had no beef with her. It was all in her liquored-up head.
Truth serum, indeed.
I don't think some people will be satisfied until Mel is publicly flogged--perhaps as depicted in the scourging scene in "The Passion of the Christ". Then maybe he will be "sufficiently contrite".
He's an alcoholic. It won't take much.
As a recovering alcoholic with 17 years of hard drinking behind me, I can state that I've witnessed and experienced an unlimited number of reactions to alcohol in the circles I used to frequent. In many cases, I agree; alcohol does tear down one's personal inhibitions and people say and do things that have been lurking inside and which they would otherwise supress. Having said that, I've observed that a hardcore drinker, especially one who has abstained for a protracted period will experience a Jekyll and Hyde effect, doing things that are completely out of character for them.
I'm not making excuses for Gibson, and have been critical of him elsewhere in this forum, as I would be with any recovering alcoholic who surrendered their sobriety. Having said that, Gibson also has my pity and prayers that his apology was sincere, and that he will learn to value his sobriety above money, ambition and achievement.
When things are going bad in our lives, it is human nature to pray to God that he give us no more than we can handle. Far too infrequently, do we fail to pray that God limit our successes to that which we can handle as well, and I would suspect Gibson lost sight of that.
Is Gibson an anti-semite? I haven't the vanity to pretend to know what's in another man's heart. Did he open his heart for the world to see when he got loaded? It's possible, but far from certain.
Seems to me that American Jews need to focus their hate at Hezbollah and all other terrorists.
Isn't that the truth.
Agreeing with Jessie's comments here, I think you are right.
I remember being blitzed more than a few times in my youth. I can also remember a couple of times when I made some incredibly idiotic comments which did not reflect my sober opinions regarding the same subjects, at all, not even in the same universe.
Nobody knows Mel's heart, his true beliefs. I think the guy reacted terribly to being caught doing something that he knew to be wrong, and couldn't accept being caught for having done them.
He seems to be trying to make things right. He seems to have taken ownership of his actions and has reached out to Jewish leaders in the process. I think that is reasoned. Jewish leaders would do well to meet with him and open a dialogue.
None of us approves of Gibson's actions. None of us approves of all that we have done in our own lives.
Gibson will be judged by his current and future actions, by those who are guiltless. I'm giving the guy some slack, and I am a strident supporter of Israel and appreciate Jewish contributions as much as any other groups contributions to the world community.
Very good point. Without condoning Mel's behavior, the disparity in coverage and outrage between his utterances and those of the RATS is almost as nauseating as what he said.
It was payback for doing a film on Christ.
Gibson, like DeLay and Rove, is way to dangerous to the left, that's why it was his turn to be crucified by the msm.
I hope that this doesn't sound like quibbling...
Has the police report been published? Where can I read it?
The smear merchants will never forgive Mel. Sad but true.
Got any more lame non sequiturs?
I guess in your world it's not allowable to criticize a phony Hollywood apology.
What if Mel Gibson had crashed his car into a family and killed them? That's the biggest problem here. And it seems that Gibson has been caught before and let go. The whole "Jews" thing is bad, but it isn't nearly as bad as Gibson's criminal behavior.
But this is something different, and there comes a point where you have to put personal prejudices/preferences aside and just look at the facts. And if you do, Gibson comes out of this looking horrible.
You presume to know that Mel Gibson has a "visceral" hatred of Jews. (I'll bet you're one of those who thinks alcohol is "truth serum."
I've been drunk more than once, and I never went off about jews or any other ethnic group. I might have said an unkind word or two about an ex-girlfriend or something, and perhaps said much worse than I actually believed. But there always was a kernel of truth that the booze needs to start the ball rolling.
You don't go off against jews the way Gibson did unless you have some serious issues with them. I can guarantee I've never done that, and never would. Why? Well, because I don't dislike jews, and the thought would never cross my mind.
I used to just think that consumption of alcohol lowered one's inhibitions and caused them to say and do stupid things that they'd never consider in a sane moment.
That's exactly right. It lowers your inhibitions, meaning that the line between thought and action gets very blurred. You do things and say things you only thought before, but good judgement and decorum kept under wraps. Impulses come to the forefront, etc. But the thought or impulse has to be there in the first place. Or do you personally think that, if drunk, you're just as likely to go off on a rant against the jews as was Mel?
"Sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you"
That is utter nonsense. It starts with words and ends up in the gas chambers.
"Seems to me that American Jews need to focus their hate at Hezbollah and all other terrorists."
You mean I cannot hate two people at the same time?
Mel Gibson made what I and many other people believe to be a viciously anti-Semitic movie. He compounded this act by effectively denying the Holocaust (remember his "people die in wars" comment?) and in failing to repudiate his father's utterly wicked views. He has now voiced openly anti-Semitic views himself. Having been rumbled and frightened about losing money he has deigned to apologise. I do not believe his apology and I do not accept it.
Gibson is a prominent Roman Catholic. Roman Catholics have persecuted Jews in every conceivable fashion for almost 2,000 years. He let himself and the Roman Catholic church down by engaging in the kind of banter that would have been more suitable for a European peasant about to engage in a pogrom.
Why is it always Jews (like Israel) that are expected to act better than any Christian would in the same circumstances? If the situation were reversed every man and his dog would be screaming for blood on this forum. I utterly despise Gibson and his father. I have no sympathy for either of them whatsoever.
I've enjoyed many of Mel Gibson's movies, and I've always had an image of him as a decent guy with a bit of self-deprecating humor. It's sad to learn that he has a strong anti-semitic streak.
Is this the end of the world for Mel? Hardly. He's not exactly in the poor house -- with the ton of money he made from "The Passion of Christ" he might not have been too far off when he boasted that he owned Malibu. He can certainly self-finance whatever future movies he wants to act in or produce or direct.
However, his reputation has taken a huge hit. That's the fair and reasonable consequence for the hateful things he said. The apology he issued is a good starting point, but it will still take him many years to rebuild his shattered reputation. That's as it should be.
The reputation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has also taken a hit, although it was none too high to begin with. Heads should roll for giving special treatment to Gibson and then trying to cover it up. But I doubt anything will happen; it will be business as usual.
Yes indeed. Send him to a reeducation camp.
Their humanity, if it ever existed, is in the gutter along with the humanity of people on both sides of the Israeli-Hezbollah war who are using the dead children of Qana as propaganda props.
We've gone through some rough protracted arguments here on FR, but I have never been as disgusted with this forum as I am now.
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