[funkywbr]

He no matter who and what he "IS" Mel could never in a million years make Israel say they are gonna give up their Air Power for 48 hours.

Now President Bush on the other hand...

[American_Centurion]

What I don't get is why people feel they have to distance themselves from someone with whom they mostly (or almost completely) agree, once they are charged with some character flaw such as antisemitism. I think the folks who speak the loudest to distance themselves, no doubt have a character flaw they don't want bandied about.

I now know Mel and I have differences, but I will not condemn the man as others have done simply because of this. Who knows the reason for his "hatred" or why it remained hidden for so long only to manifest itself during a bender? I personally think that regardless of this flaw we as a country and as conservatives would be worse off without him. In light of that, I wish him well, and pray that he soon gets back to doing things he does well.

[Mark was here]

Could it be that what a drunk say's is gibberish, and what he says is not to be taken seriously? A drunk may say he is fit to drive, but is it true? I would say that a drunk's inhibitions are lowered and he just says things he knows he is not supposed to say, not necessarily things that he knows are true. Judge the man for what he says sober.

[Gypssy]

I have always loved Mel Gibson's movies. I am a big fan of Mad Max and Braveheart but I agree with Hitchens. His true colors came out under very little alcohol.

I took his side on all the attacks that he endured when his many critics accused him of being anti-semetic after he made the Passion of the Christ.

I tend to now believe he holds his father's views. I came to that conclusion with regret.

Recently, I have seen very juvenile and vicious attacks that he has made on the President and his administration.

He seems to have alot of hatred.

Hollywood and Liberals will worship him now.

[Rockitz]

If you had tried to sell a brilliant work like "The Passion of the Christ" in Hollywood and got nowhere for years and then got slighted in the Academy Awards, it's possible you too might hold some ill will toward Jews, who for better or worse control most of Hollywood.

[Peach]

He has told interviewers that his wife, the mother of his children, is going to hell because she subscribes to the wrong Christian sect (a view that he justifies as "a pronouncement from the chair").

Problems and issues. Lots and lots of issues, which is hardly surprising given his nutty father.

But Hitchens nails it and those trying to give Mel a pass because he was drinking don't seem to understand the saying: in vino veritas.

[Thorin]

Christopher Hitchens is an unrepentant Communist and an anti-Catholic bigot. I'm not surprised to see him join the loathsome Abe Foxman on the hate Gibson bandwagon.

Like Foxman and the other leftists, Hitchens will never forgive Gibson for making "The Passion of the Christ."

[colorado tanker]

Hitch has obviously been itching to get licks in against Mel because the Brits come off so bad in Braveheart and The Patriot. Lighten up, Hitch, at least Mel didn't point out in The Passion that at the time the Brits were staining themselves blue.

[MarkeyD]

Seems to be headed down the same path as Nick Nolte.

[Honestfreedom]

In all fairness to Gibson much of the Australian fim industry is devoted to turning out anti British material. Look at Breaker Morant and Gallipoli (which Gibson starred in before hitting it big).
In terms of his now obvious Jew hatred there is a lesson for Jews in it. We have in many cases grabbed onto religious Christians as friends and rightfully so since they have in many cases been friends. However, not every conservative religious Christian is a friend.

[glorgau]

The guy gets drunk, mouths off and it's front page news. People must be bored.

[Deo volente]

The only good thing I can say about Christopher Hitchens is that he recognizes the mortal danger the Islamists pose to civilization and eloquently spells it out.

The many bad things I could say about Christopher Hitchens would probably get me banned from Free Republic.

[AlbionGirl]

You know, back when The Passion of The Christ was released I think I remember you saying something to the effect that while you were lacking definite proof, you knew that he was an anti-semite. I was always willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but you were right.

I work with a woman who was telling me that she could tell by looking at someone's face if they disliked or were uncomfortable around Blacks, and at first I dismissed what she said, but as I thought it over, I began to see how it could be so, that is, be able to recognize, through physical signs, a dispostion of someone at odds with your race, etc.

I don't care how much or how good the booze was that was involved here. He espoused opinions that he holds, and his apology may be nice, but what does it really mean or matter?

[TankerKC]

Has Gibson been lobbing rockets into Israel? No?

Lets get our priorities straight, then.

[Fawn]

How many of us here have never ushered a slur? (ummmm.....Besides me :)

[DonGrafico]

"This group more or less lives off the stench of medieval anti-Semitism. "

Hitchens cannot claim the moral high-ground by engaging in the same sort of bigotry as Mel.

BTW. What's really scary here is that after seeing the media's(MSM) reports of the current middle east conflict, I get the impression that 90% of the world feels the same way as Mel.

[Seruzawa]

Well, at least Mel didn't leave his wife to drown after drunkenly driving his SUV off a bridge. He didn't tell someone he raped to ice her lip either.

Who here hasn't said some really stupid things during a fit of anger after a bad day?

I didn't realize that there were so many utterly perfect and blameless people on the FR.

[DManA]

Huh, a ding bat from Hollywood. Will wonders never cease?

[trisham]

An unabashed hit-piece. Hitchens has in his arrogance revealed more about himself than his subject.

[MississippiMan]

While it doesn't excuse Gibson, anyone here think we'd see the same coverage of a TimRobbins/SusanSarandon/BabsStreisand/GeorgeClooney traffic stop, no matter WHAT they said?

MM