If Gibson had succumbed to the critics and publicly denounced his father, I don't think I could have had any respect for him as a man.I agree wholeheartedly, and thanks for the compliment. It really is a visceral thing for me and maybe that's because I'm Italian and in Italian culture, the family is sacrosanct. And taking hits on the behalf of any one of it's members is a badge of honor.
You're quite welcome. I'm Arabic/Iranian and my wife's Italian/German. So, I understand precisely what you mean about defending family. What really offended me about the media-- specifically the ABC interview-- was the way she kept trying to lure him, coax him into condemning his dad. It was so utterly shameless. But that's the essential nature of the media, I guess.
Being a good Catholic boy he kept his cool. Me-- I might have ripped her head off.