Mel Gibson's drunken rants are disgraceful and there is no defending them. In fact, Mel Gibson himself doesn't defend them and claims they are not only disgraceful but that they disgrace his family. In a world where public figures hardly utter the words "I'm sorry" and issue non-apology apologies, one would think people would have been satisfied with not only an apology, but a healthy self-indictment for a very bad episode.
For the Anti-Defamation League, that is not enough. After reading the several statements from the ADL, it is clear that their righteous indignation has less to do with comments from a drunk being pulled over and more about the "Passion of Christ" (a link they themselves make in this release).
In fact, much like Psalm 59, the entire tirade seems to have been held lying in wait for Mel to stumble so they can jump on him and label him anti-semitic.
Take this statement they made at the time The Passion came out:
Q. Mel Gibson has stated that many people are calling him an anti-Semite. What is ADL's position? A. ADL and its representatives have never accused Mr. Gibson of being an anti-Semite. We do not know what is in his heart. We only know what he has put on the movie screen. The images there show Romans who behave with compassion toward Jesus. The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, constantly expresses his reticence to harm Jesus. The Jews, on the other hand, are depicted as blood-thirsty. The Jewish High Priest, Caiaphas, is shown as bullying Pilate, and the hundreds and hundreds of amassed Jews demanding Jesus' death.
Compare that with this recent statement fromAbraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director:
Mel Gibson's apology is unremorseful and insufficient. It's not a proper apology because it does not go to the essence of his bigotry and his anti-Semitism.His tirade finally reveals his true self and shows that his protestations during the debate over his film "The Passion of the Christ," that he is such a tolerant, loving person, were a sham. It may well be that the bigotry has been passed from the father to the son. It is unfortunate that it took an excess of booze and an encounter with a police officer to reveal what was really in his heart and mind.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - RJ Elliott
"We would hope that Hollywood now would realize the bigot in their midst and that they will distance themselves from this anti-Semite."
Translation: Ths drunk guy who made a movie we didn't like, and said some things while in a drunken stupor we didn't like, should now be barred from ever working in Hollywood again.
Yep. He's being blacklisted.
Is it anti-semitic to point out the fact that a large number of the power-brokers in Hollywood are Jews?
2 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
John,
Payback is a bitch - as Gibson is finding out.
3 - Jeff
*sniff*
Something stinks here. I think its the stench of anti-semitism masquerading as indignation. Which, of course, is hardly a surprise coming from a "Proud NeoCath."
What the ADL has done is rightly point out a pattern of behavior on Mr. Gibson's part. He *is* an anti-Semite and all his drunken rant did was strip the veneer of "well, that's one way to interpret it" off of the "Passion of the Christ's" indictment of the Jews as Christ-killers.
4 - John Bambenek
I was wondering how long it would take before someone called me an anti-semite.
Apparently not long at all.
5 - John Bambenek
And thank you for being one of those rare people who have the intellectual honesty to admit that you believe Christianity is anti-semitic by definition.
6 - Nancy
Being a celebrity, Gibson is bound to catch far more hell about his gaffe than the rest of us, and especially as the producer/director of The Passion, which was pretty controversial. So all in all I'm not surprised by the uproar. That said, if he goes & gets some kind of help for his drinking (which he should, regardless), then IMO the issue ought to become moot unless it happens again. Once is an aberration, twice is a warning, three times is a definite prediliction.
7 - RedTard
Jews pull off one trick that is amazing to me. They seem to be reasonably successful both in their own country and as a minority in the US yet they still manage to play the victim card. That's an almost unique feat and very powerful.
The victim status allows a group to antagonize and throw wild accusation at everyone else, goading them to respond. When they finally get a response it simultaneously validates and perpetuates their victim status while postitioning the respondent as a bigot.
Mel got suckered into a response, he's been accused of being anti-semetic for so long, then a Jew arrests him damaging his career. He loses his temper in a rage and says a few words that don't hurt anyone and pose no threat to the Hollywood elites (Jews well represented here despite all the terrible cruel pervasive anti-semetism).
His impotent response opens the door for the 'victims' to do real damage to Mel costing him career and much of his fortune. In reality, Mel's rant helped the ADL and perpetuated the victim status of the Jews, in reality he did them a favor.
I feel really dissappointed that with all the victim groups out there I really can't align myself with a single one of them. It's one thing to pull it off if you live in poverty with the rest of your group, or face a glass ceiling or something similiar where statistical analysis can demonstrate your victimhood status, it's something else entirely to claim victimhood from the top of the ladder. If Jews can do it why can't other white groups?
I want to be a victim too.
8 - Jet in Columbus
Retard "He loses his temper in a rage and says a few words that don't hurt anyone and pose no threat to the Hollywood elites "
RedTard, when I'm called a Faggot by friends, it doesn't hurt, when it's said at me with venum and distain is does hurt.
9 - RedTard
So does being called an asshole or a dickhead. Unfortunately, those words don't make you a victim.
10 - RedTard
On second thought, my new victimhood status, the status of the 'dickheads' allows me to consider nondickheads who use that word a bigot and the word dickhead an epithet. Only we can call each other dickheads, how dare you deny my victimhood status.
11 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
It is not news that Christianity is anti-Semitic by its nature. Doctrinally, it seeks to replace Jews with a "spiritual Israel" that gets the covenant that we supposedly have lost with the Almighty.
Since the days of the death camps, pushing this doctrine has stunk more and more and fewer and fewer Christians do it. But the doctrine is still there, the concept still remains and Gibson, drunk or sober, believes in it - as do many millions of others.
A lot of Vatican politics rides on this doctrine as well. The Vatican claims Jerusalem and one of the titles of the king of Spain is "protector of Jerusalem." The Vatican in particular, wants to control Jerusalem to play out its little drama of becoming the universal church of mankind.
John, you may not be an anti-Semite. But yes, Christianity, by its nature, is anti-Semitic.
12 - zingzing
i think that you're more likely to speak the truth (about yourself) when you are drunk. gibson has shown he is capable of anti-semitism. i don't think he's going to wander around killing jews (did you see that shit in seattle the other day?) but i do believe he should be condemned (for a time) and his recent movies should be scrutinized (what else do we have of the man?)
again, john, i see i hidden little christian agenda in this one. just like in your "is islam a violent religion" post. how are you going to complete the trilogy?
13 - John Bambenek
Ruvy-
Claiming a religious belief as superior to Judaism isn't anti-semitism. Some sort of negative stereotyping of the Jews is.
Unless you seriously intend to argue that all criticism of a Jew or Jewish ideas is anti-semitic.
14 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
"Claiming a religious belief as superior to Judaism isn't anti-semitism. Some sort of negative stereotyping of the Jews is."
You're right, John. The Christian Book is filled with all sorts anti-Jewish stereotyping. More to the point, when Christianity achieved official status within the Roman Empire, a concerted policy of persecution of Jews in Judea took place. The negative stereotyping in the Christian beliefs led to persecution and massacres of Jews.
Christians don't like accountability - being held to the consequences of what they preach. "Anti-Semites are not true Christians" - the great battle cry of Christians trying to worm out of the consequences of the anti-Semitism in the Christian book.
Got a bridge to sell, John? How about some Arizona beachfront?
15 - John Bambenek
I'm not going to humor your hate anymore.
16 - Dean
Ruvy,
“More to the point, when Christianity achieved official status within the Roman Empire, a concerted policy of persecution of Jews in Judea took place. “
Not “when”… “had“…
More to the point, the Roman Empire had a concerted policy of persecution of Jews in Judea for several centuries before Christianity achieved official status within the Roman Empire.
Remember Masada?
17 - Martin Lav
The guy apologized and although I'm not Jewish I would assume that us Christians didn't alter the foundation of our teachings from the Jews that "forgiveness should be given as sincerely as forgiveness is asked for". I'm pretty sure this comes from the old testament although I'm no religious scholar.
18 - Dean
Some people don't believe in forgiving...
19 - Martin Lav
forgetting?
20 - Condor
Define Semite. Rather than go to Websters (1955 or 1828 unabridged). I'll paraphrase and add a bit of scholarly accredited research.
Semite:
A descendant from the lineage of Shem.
A bit down the lineage trail is Brother Abraham... who doinked his maid Hagar and begat Ishmael... the father of the Sons of Ishmael (Arabs).
Sarah, Abraham's wife, is blessed by G-D and is able to have children at the ripe young age of 90 something. Out of which comes the Jacob-Israel (the father of the 12 tribes of Israel).
So... are Arabs Anti-Semite... No they ARE Semite or descendants from the line of Shem.
Now... are Europeans Semite. Some contend that the those of the 12 tribes taken into Assyrian captivity migrated into Europe. There are 4 very large stone tablets which describe this very thing. Jesus talked about going to the "lost tribes of the house of Israel and delivering the Gospel message (Good News)."
Hmmm...if this is so, can a European be Anti-Semite, if they are descendants of Shem?
No they can't.
Are Iranians Anti-Semite. They are not descendants of Shem as they are Persian. I think that is covered earlier in the OT as from the land of Nod... ho-hum...
BTW, many theologians agree that the Scriptures are about the descendants of Adam and Eve, and that Adam and Eve were created by G-D, as were everyone else alive during that period.
This is alluded to in verse 2 of Genesis 1. Which states that the "earth WAS void." The actual Hebrew word mistranslated as was... is actually became.
If you believe that, then earth was established as well as populations before Adam and Eve were created. Adam and Eve were a unique creation aside from what was already on earth.
Also if the earth BECAME void... that would explain fossils, oil, all that stuff that confuses. Entymololgy is an interesting study aid.
Now back to my point. If the Archeology holds up, Gibson is of European blood and is Semite, just like the Arabs and the bloodline Judeans. There are other bloodlines who claim Judaism as a religion, but are not of the blood. Slandering them wouldn't be anti-Semitism as, they're not bloodline to Shem.
I always chuckle when someone states that Arabs are Anti-Semite. They ARE Semites. Would violence against the Arabs be anti-Semite?
Sure... they descended from Shem.
Now how about this...
Would violence by non-bloodline Jews against bloodline Arabs be considered anti-Semite.
The answer is yes.
This stuff is all documented, and has been for millennia. Occasionally you even hear a shred of it on the boob-tube, occasionally. I think the last time I heard anything on the tele was watching a “town meeting” in Israel hosted by Ted Koppell, between Arab and Israeli residents of a small city in country. I was amazed that the exchange made it past the censures.
It’s even taught at University…. The curriculum is called Religion and there are also Archeology courses dealing with mid-eastern, sub-Saharan and sub-Asian areas.
Sadly PolySci, Business and Journalism students are not exposed to these sciences as a matter of course. It shows in the general lack of knowledge in the day to day affairs of these concentrations.
21 - Condor
Oh one more item of interest.
The Protocals of Zion are considered to be a fogery by some group, whose designation escapes me. I belive that was the conclusion from either the Smithsonian or the National Geographic Society a number of years ago.
One other point I would like to inject here is the National Geograpic Societies ongoing world-wide Genome project. Fascinating work, hopefully it will provide a good baseline of all the blood-talk and brotherhoodliness going around.
The world's population is so mutted up from migrations and conquest... it should be moot by this time... but perhaps there are ethic groups "purer" than I imagine. But without the corresponding data, it would be impossible to make a case out of it.
L8tr
22 - Peter J
I grew up as a Catholic Italian boy in South Boston where the Irish rule. I was a ginny, wop, dago, greaseball, and anything else derogatory to the Italian race there is.
Now, since I've grown up, having lived through 20 years of lonely persecution, I've learned quite a bit. I have nothing to do with the church or religion of any sort, being that my God is my business and no one elses.
Being that I don't discuss religion, I fit no category so in this melee I'm only an observer.
As a victim, I've let go of it long ago and feel all the better for it.
My observation in general is that Christains are a self-righteous lot, wanting to convert the world to their beliefs and damning for eternity all non-believers.
Jews are a strong people, lasting against all odds through out a violent history of persecution.
This is what perplexes me.
There are many of us who have personally suffered persecution over race or religion.Not claiming the history of Italians to thst of Jews, but what I went through is every bit as real as any Jew in my age bracket. What I don't understand is why a nation as strong as the Jews can't just get over a single incident involving such a cretin as Gibson.
I understand that no one would want to see a repeat of the Holucaust but I hardly think that some words spit from a drunkards mouth will create any social movement against Jews.
Gibson's a drunken ass hole, he's apologized, his career will never recuperate, it's done. All that's being accomplished by dragging this out is supplying fodder for other anti-semites to feed on.
What more can be done to Gibson? Going over and over it is only going to fuel more hatred.
In a situation which began with my feeling that Gibson was a bigot my feeling is now becomming that Jews are a whiny lot.
Do yourselves a favor; drop it. All of the damage that can be done to him has been done.
23 - Martin Lav
Self sustained persecution theories and stalking those who would be deemed suspicious is a highly paid profession as well as a self fullfilling prophesy. You hate me, you hate me, you hate me.
I don't hate you. I don't hate you. I don't hate you.......enter.....invino veritas......I hate you.
Not all Arabs are worthless pieces of scum that hide behind their mothers shawls and blow themselves up in the name of Allah.....how many glasses of wine will make you say something different?
Mel Gibson should be more ashamed of his driving drunk, than of speaking drunk.
24 - zingzing
um. no.
gibson should be ashamed of both, and he is. he can pay his debt to society in rehab.
"how many glasses of wine will make you say something different?"
none--if it is already in you.
25 - Howard Dratch
Re(d)Tard is back and still filled with hate. You have used, of all the symbols of intolerance in recent history, The Protocols of Zion. All to defend the immorality of a drunken, second-rate (albeit well-paid) actor/director. Shame!
When I was a psychiatric social worker I sat on a forensic board to decide if a young man, who had been one of the rapists and murderers of an 85 year old woman, was able to stand trial. He tried to tell the elderly psychiatrists that "drugs made me do it". I didn't buy that one. I took plenty in my youth and never once thought of killing anyone's grandmother (nor raping). It wasn't the drugs. It was the evil in him. Gibson is a bigot and a drunk. Alcohol didn't make him that way. It is the evil in him.
If Gibson didn't notice by now that many of his superiors in Hollywood happen to be Jewish, then he is a dumb as well as bigoted drunk.