Mel Gibson's statement on his DUI arrest

GrandForksHerald.com ^ | 7/29/06

[olderwiser]

The left, which panned the movie, are growing more virulently anti-Israel (which I say is synonymous with being anti-Jewish, given the history culminating with the Holocaust).

The Christian right remains strongly supportive of Israel and our country's effort to confront Islamic radicals who see Israel and America as the twin Satan.

[Eric Blair 2084]

I know what you mean about pulvarizing Germany and Japan.

Western military and economic might has done worse to the Arab world. We've beaten them in every way that someone can be beaten. Militarily, economically, socially, intellectually, athletically in soccer (Football).

But they won't give up. They can't seem to get over it.

MEMO TO THE ARAB WORLD: YOU LOST. You fought bravely like fierce warriors. You should be proud of yourselves. There is no shame in fighting and losing with honor.

The smart ones are here posting on Free Republic. The rest are trying to fight a battle that they lost decades ago.

[Eric Blair 2084]

I guess I've followed you on a tangent that has nothing do with Mel Gibson. But your point is well taken and I hope you get mine too.

[Caramelgal]

I am not an alcoholic and I have never drank much at all, but i talked with my husband, who has been recovering for 7 years and spent MANY more than that as an avid practicing alcoholic. I was wondering how .12 would affect an alcoholic so severely. I doubt it and so does he. Perhaps there was something else in his system????

I understand your doubt and that of your recovering spouse. (congrats to you both BTW). It’s hard to say. I can only speak to my experience and what I’ve heard from others and their stories and from what I’ve read from the medical community.

The great puzzle of the alcoholic’s constitution is that we can have an extremely high tolerance for alcohol at some point – I could once drink any man, twice or three times my size right under the table without even trying (and of this I used to be very proud) but as the disease (or addiction if you like) progressed, the tolerance changed and at some point a much smaller amount caused a higher level of intoxication and loss of control than what was needed before. The effects became much more unpredictable.

I would not automatically assume that other substances were involved but then the alcoholic may and some do seek and turn to other drugs to either moderate or enhance the effects of the booze.

Only a full tox screen or his personal admission would tell the full story. In the end it doesn’t really matter. Alcohol is a drug, a mood altering, mind-altering drug. Unlike other drugs, it can be legally purchased and consumed and enjoyed socially and it is not addictive to the extent of drugs like heroine or cocaine but to the addictive, a drug is a drug.

[Eric Blair 2084]

As a trained professional beer drinker (professional drinker on a closed course do not attempt this at home), that was my first reaction.

.12? That's 4 beers for a man who weighs 200 pounds like Mel Gibson. That is hardly enough to be so drunk as to start spouting stupidity and racial epithets to law enforcement officials.

Ted Kennedy has probably voted on many bills with a BAC twice that.

There is something else going on here.

[juliej]

I think it is because their grandparents worshipped FDR - wrongly, I might add - and it is embedded in them. More religious Jews vote Republican. The "secular" Jews see the Democratic platform as their religion and not the Torah, which is unfortunate. However, more Jews are changing their voting patterns and I believe there will be a shift in the next ten years. My son, like me, will vote Republican.

[juliej]

Ironically, the Islamofascists borrow the language of old-fashioned Christian anti-Semitism.

[olderwiser]

No, they have plenty of it in the Koran.

[Shimmer128]

Thanks for all the info. Dh never reached the point of getting more sensitive, and hasn't had to start over in 7 years, so i guess he didn't have experience like you mention.
Good to know.

[Al Simmons]

Best investment he ever made.

[sonofstar]

Not everything a person says while drunk is what they truly believe. I've seen two types of drunks - the "good ole boys" and those who get angry. The ones who get angry while drunk do and say things they would never do while sober because the alcohol disrupts their brain chemistry. Later, when they find out what they did and said, they are generally horified.

What I feel the worst about is not what Mel Gibson did or said while under the influence of a powerful drug - alcohol. What I feel the worst about is that this man is so very addicted he can't quit, even though he seems to want to. It's like the person with lung cancer who can't stop smoking even though they know it's killing them. In Mr. Gibson's case, he can't stop drinking. A near death experience might be the only thing to pull him away from the bottle, sad to say.

[DilJective]

I've seen many soldiers, who aren't alcoholics, spout off many embarrassing statements when they've had a bit too much- but, I'll stand by every one of them in battle. Alcohol and drugs can bring out really stupid behavior in otherwise honorable men.

Not that Mel has an excuse, but this is one incident that is far more harmless than we've seen from the likes of others. My point is simply that you can't tell the character of a man by one action- He has shown better judgement over many years (as far as we know) than this one night of stupidity.