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Mel Gibson: Has He Gone Too Far? [Holocaust a 'Numbers Game']
Reader's Digest ^ | August 2, 2006

Posted on 08/02/2006 4:43:25 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative

When we interviewed Mel Gibson over two years ago for his controversial movie, The Passion of the Christ, we expected to make news. But we didn't know then that what Gibson had to say to us would be just as relevant today. Our interviewer, Peggy Noonan, asked Gibson about his father's rumored doubts about the scope of the Holocaust. Here's how Gibson responded:

MEL GIBSON: My dad taught me my faith, and I believe what he taught me. The man never lied to me in his life. He was born in 1918. He lost his mother at two years of age. He lost his father at 15. He went through the Depression. He signed up for World War II, went off to Guadalcanal, got malaria and shot at, and didn't like it too much. [He] served his country fighting the forces of fascism, came back, worked very hard physically, raised a family, put a roof over my head, clothed me, fed me, taught me my faith, loved me, I love him back. And he did all that so some guy has the right to misrepresent him and say nasty things and paint him in a very bad light. And then other people said, 'Well, he's just an old kook.' He's not an old kook. He's very intelligent. He's in complete possession of all his mental faculties. And if he says something he has a reason why he says it and he can back it up. Mensa wanted this guy, okay? He's very intelligent. So I'll slug it out with anyone until my heart is black and blue if they say anything against him or ever try and hurt him in that way. Now, that said, you know, I pray for the guy who maligned him in that way and hope that he will one day apologize.

NOONAN: You're going to have to go on the record. The Holocaust happened, right?

MEL GIBSON: I have friends and parents of friends who have numbers on their arms. The guy who taught me Spanish was a Holocaust survivor. He worked in a concentration camp in France. Yes, of course. And my dad also knows that there were internment camps where many people died. Now, his whole thing was about the numbers. I mean atrocities happened. The thing with him [my father] was that he was talking about numbers. I mean when the war was over they said it was 12 million. Then it was six. Now it's four. I mean it's that kind of numbers game. I mean war is horrible. The Second World War killed tens of millions of people. Some of them were Jews in concentration camps. Many people lost their lives. In the Ukraine, several million people starved to death between 1932 and 1933. During the last century 20 million people died in the Soviet Union. Okay? It's horrible.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: antisemitism; beatingadeadhorse; crucifymel; harpy; hewasdrunkgetoverit; holocaust; melgibson
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1 posted on 08/02/2006 4:43:26 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
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To: West Coast Conservative
Our enemies are motivated foremost by their hatred for Israel as a country, and their hatred for Jews as a people. What Mel Gibson said is a reflection of beliefs that he shares with Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Hezbollah, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

This hatred is at the root of Islamist terrorism. The scary part is that some Americans have been caught up in it.

The left, ultimate political opportunists every one, have danced with bigotry against Jews without embracing it. They are playing a very dangerous game.

A big part of what energizes opposition to Bush and the war against terrorism among some Americans is that same hatred. The anti- war left is courting it. The so-called "paleo-con" right is courting. It's bad bad bad.
2 posted on 08/02/2006 4:47:37 PM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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waiting for launch sequence.....


3 posted on 08/02/2006 4:48:02 PM PDT by Jaded (does it really need a sarcasm tag?)
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To: advance_copy
What Mel Gibson said is a reflection of beliefs that he shares with Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Hezbollah, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Don't you think this is going overboard?

4 posted on 08/02/2006 4:49:29 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

It's true.


5 posted on 08/02/2006 4:50:51 PM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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To: Jaded
5.....

4

3

2

1

Launch sequence initiated, fire away...

I'll be in my bunker watching lol.

6 posted on 08/02/2006 4:51:28 PM PDT by mosquewatch.com ("The enemy is anyone who will get you killed, no matter what side they are on.")
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To: advance_copy
What Mel Gibson said is a reflection of beliefs that he shares with Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Hezbollah, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Which part of what he said supports your comment above?
7 posted on 08/02/2006 4:52:27 PM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
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To: West Coast Conservative

Don't worry Mel.

Right now Hezbollah and all their fellow-travelers are doing their
best to contribute to whatever the final tally will be in this "numbers game".

Just tell your dear father that whatever number he wants to take for
the enterprise halted by the surrender of Germany in 1945...it's being
increased in the present day. And that some mean sumb-tches are still
working to arrive at a Final Solution to "The Jewish Question".

And don't listen to him when he tries to wiggle out of that.


8 posted on 08/02/2006 4:52:55 PM PDT by VOA
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To: advance_copy
What Mel Gibson said is a reflection of beliefs that he shares with Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Hezbollah, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Unmitigated BS.
9 posted on 08/02/2006 4:53:12 PM PDT by microgood
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To: West Coast Conservative

I understand what Mel is saying about the "numbers". The real point is that nobody really knows for sure. And so what? Mel certainly is not saying someone make up the holocaust. Far from it. His question, and it is a fair question for those interested in accurate history, was how many Jews were killed under Hitler's fascism?? Nobody seems to REALLY know.

And frankly, it does not matter now. Many died. It was horrible. Lots of people died in WW2, including several of my relatives.

There are alot of people in Hollywierd (many of Jewish decent) who have a chip on their shoulder because of Mel's success and his stories. Some close friends of mine that work in that industry have verified that fact. That is their problem the way I see it. Let them whine all they want. It is sad to see an industry trying to devour some of its best -- and I think it finally got to Mel, a guy who cared about his stories. It obviously takes a thick skin to survive in that jungle.


10 posted on 08/02/2006 4:53:14 PM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: advance_copy
Any proof? Can you really extrapolate that from his statements?
11 posted on 08/02/2006 4:54:19 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: West Coast Conservative

Jeepers creepers!!

We didn't hear this much howling and gnashing of teeth when Patrick Kennedy or his lardarsed uncle Teddy had their "little" DUI moments, did we??

That Mel Gibson while in a drunken stupor shot his mouth off was beyond the pale, cannot be denied or excused. In the grand scheme of things though, his rantings are hardly worthy of all this bravo sierra.

Where were all of these defenders of the Jewish people this past weekend when the Hezbos were staging their "innocent civilian victims" and accusing the Israelis of bombing women and children????

Give me a fuggin break!!


12 posted on 08/02/2006 4:54:35 PM PDT by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: nickcarraway
"F*****g Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Hezbollah, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad all agree with Mel Gibson about this.
13 posted on 08/02/2006 4:54:44 PM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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To: advance_copy
...even if Mel is a bigot....he has not espoused anything close to the Islamofascists you speak of...that is nuts and I see you are blinded by something other then facts... If someone hates Jews...that is his/her problem....if they want to kill or destroy Jews...then that is OUR problem and we will defend them....but saying Mel is the same as Osama is ludicrous.....and you don't need to pontificate your position...I see it already....
14 posted on 08/02/2006 4:56:23 PM PDT by NorCalRepub
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To: West Coast Conservative

I did not find Mel's comments to be out of line. Does anyone really know how many millions were killed in the Holocaust? I don't think anyone does and that was his point.


15 posted on 08/02/2006 4:56:32 PM PDT by Chicos_Bail_Bonds
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To: EagleUSA
His comments sound like Holocaust "revionism" to me.
16 posted on 08/02/2006 4:56:42 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative (Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.)
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To: West Coast Conservative

This is getting ridiculous. (not your post WCC) The press is having to go back 2 years just to drum up news to keep this story alive. Why aren't they digging into the history of the man who killed that woman in the Jewish Temple and wounded 6 others? Or the fellow in North Carolina who drove his SUV into a crowd of people?


17 posted on 08/02/2006 4:57:08 PM PDT by TrishaSC
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To: West Coast Conservative

Ah, yes. The reliable Wikipedia source.


18 posted on 08/02/2006 4:58:00 PM PDT by Clara Lou (A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality. --I. Kristol)
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To: advance_copy
WWII stats

more WWII stats

even more WWII stats

19 posted on 08/02/2006 4:58:01 PM PDT by Jaded (does it really need a sarcasm tag?)
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To: NorCalRepub

I used to be a Mel Gibson fan. I loved "The Patriot". But what he said is precisely what the terrorists say.


20 posted on 08/02/2006 4:58:43 PM PDT by advance_copy (Stand for life, or nothing at all)
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