Thousands petition Academy for Gibson film

World Net Daily ^ | 1/13/05 | World Net Daily

[Kerry Crusher]

A group that collected signatures on a petition urging the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to consider Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" for an Oscar nomination delivered 25,000 names to the organization today.

According to a statement from the group Passion for Fairness, the signatures come from movie fans from all 50 states – "blue and red."

After Gibson announced he would not campaign for an Oscar, Patrick Hynes started a web-based petition drive to generate grass-roots support for the film.

The petition reads:

To the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: It has come to my attention that you and your Board of Governors is considering ignoring the important film "The Passion of The Christ," its director and its actors when you hand out nominations on Jan.25. This would be an unspeakable insult to the millions of us mainstream Americans who believe this is the most important film in years, decades even.

I urge you to give fair consideration to the film and its principals when you determine and announce the nominees for this year's Oscars.

Do so, and Hollywood might actually win back some of its lost credibility with mainstream Americans like me. Ignore us, and we will continue to turn our backs on your anti-Christian, anti-Middle-American products.

Hynes reported a surge in support for his petition after "The Passion" won Best Drama at the People's Choice Awards Sunday.

"Folks thought the chips were stacked against Mel Gibson and 'The Passion,'" he said. "But when the film won the People's Choice Award, it really gave folks some hope. We honestly believe now that the picture, its director and its marvelous actors and actresses have a strong chance to earn well-deserved nominations in their respective categories."

[stinkerpot65]

Zero chance that Christian-hating, Hollywood liberals will nominate that movie.

Why waste your time groveling for liberals? Who cares what they think?

[Kerry Crusher]

I wouldn't say "no chance" ...

http://www.passionforfairness.com/article38.html

[inkling]

I don't get the point of this campaign. If the Academy doesn't recognize The Passion, they will further alienate themselves from a vast swath of their customers. By lauding the film, they will be merely covering up their seething contempt for believers. Why should we encourage them to hoodwink the American public? Hollywood hates most of us and the more fully America knows this, the better.

[Kerry Crusher]

Well, to be honest I think we should engage the culture. Shoot, Jesus would be right there in Hollywood working on them everyday if he were around in corporeal form.

I think we need to encourage them to do more films like this, to raise up our voices with love and respect, but to make ourselves heard. And to change the culture from within.

[newgeezer]

I don't get the point of this campaign.

Same here. If I was a big fan of the movie, I'd be disappointed if the Hollyweird establishment was heaping accolades on it.

Someone once said something about rejoicing when suffering persecution for His sake. I have yet to see much rejoicing from those who think Hollywierd isn't giving Gibson his just rewards. A lot of what I've seen looks to be more like whining.

[stinkerpot65]

I think we should engage the culture

Fox News is the best chance. We would never have changed CBS, the entrenched hatred for conservatives is too strong. But we can create competitive venues, which is what Gibson did.

We need our own movie productions and award shows. Sucking up to the Oscars further inflates their phony prestige.

[inkling]

I get nervous about Christians using the ploys of liberal victim groups. While it is entertaining to use the left’s tactics against it, this tacitly endorses the liberal culture of grievance. Sure, it points out PC hypocrisy, but it also reaffirms the value of victimhood to the usual liberal suspects.

A protest campaign to gain insincere accolades from Robert Redford, Sean Penn and Barbra Streisand, strikes me as empty and futile. Yes we should engage the culture, as Gibson did, but we shouldn’t expect earthly rewards for doing so.