Posted on 08/02/2006 10:00:34 AM PDT by abigail2
August 2, 2006
Contact: Ermias Alemayehu (323) 782-1980 / (213) 804-1872
Where’s The Compassion for Mel Gibson?
LOS ANGELES- Since Mel Gibson’s arrest for suspicion of drunk driving last week, liberal Jewish leaders and most of the media have condemned him for uttering anti-Jewish slurs. On two occasions Gibson has since offered apologies and asked forgiveness from the Jewish community—but some in the media are still not satisfied. Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, Founder and President of BOND (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny) issued a statement today calling for Gibson’s detractors to “have compassion” for the star. Below is Rev. Peterson’s statement in its entirety regarding this issue:
“I am sorry that Mel Gibson and his family are going through this difficult period. Gibson absolutely did the right thing by offering a heartfelt apology and asking for forgiveness from the Jewish community—he’s even asked to meet with Jewish leaders. To those who will not be satisfied until Gibson is destroyed—I say ‘shame on you. Where’s your humanity?’
“Now there appears to be an orchestrated campaign by some Hollywood insiders and media to personally destroy Gibson. These same people opposed Gibson’s blockbuster ‘The Passion of the Christ’ which despite opposition from liberals was a huge hit among audiences. These ‘smear merchants’ are using this incident to get back at Gibson. It’s time that people accept his apology and move on.
“Had this been a liberal struggling with a similar addiction—these same people would be calling for understanding—so where’s the compassion for Mel Gibson? Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Louis Farrakhan have all made anti-Jewish remarks in the past with little public condemnation. But God help you if you make a highly successful movie about Jesus Christ and then succumb to alcoholism. This is another example of selective outrage practiced by liberal hypocrites. So much for liberal compassion.”
BOND (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny) is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization whose mission is “rebuilding the family by rebuilding the man.” Rev. Peterson is the author of SCAM: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America. For more information visit BOND
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He needs counseling.
He may seek forgiveness for his remarks but no one can realistically "forgive" him for his visceral hatred of Jews if he merely seeks to keep it better repressed from now on.
Gibson must confront his own demons on hating Jews (and disrespecting women and non-Hollywood star little people too) with professional help ... if he sincerely wishes to understand his emotions and purge himself of his prejudice, arrogance, and anger.
I wonder if Peterson would have been so forgiving.
You presume to know that Mel Gibson has a "visceral" hatred of Jews. (I'll bet you're one of those who thinks alcohol is "truth serum.")
Yes, I presume to think that a man who said such things as published in the police report has a visceral hatred of Jews (or of something else that he blames on Jews)
And alcohol may or may not be "truth serum" in its effect of loosening inhibitions, but Mel was rather lightly dosed, being only slightly over a very rigorous legal limit.
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MEL's -PASSION- sparked by -WE WERE SOLDIERS-
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085111/posts
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So very true.
I had a friend who was a total lush. She would get loaded, and the stories that would come out of her mouth--hoo boy! Then she would repeat these stories, adding embellishments, about every 20 minutes or so, if you could stand being around her for another cycle. She also would get confrontational and accusatory toward people that had no beef with her. It was all in her liquored-up head.
Truth serum, indeed.
I don't think some people will be satisfied until Mel is publicly flogged--perhaps as depicted in the scourging scene in "The Passion of the Christ". Then maybe he will be "sufficiently contrite".
He's an alcoholic. It won't take much.
As a recovering alcoholic with 17 years of hard drinking behind me, I can state that I've witnessed and experienced an unlimited number of reactions to alcohol in the circles I used to frequent. In many cases, I agree; alcohol does tear down one's personal inhibitions and people say and do things that have been lurking inside and which they would otherwise supress. Having said that, I've observed that a hardcore drinker, especially one who has abstained for a protracted period will experience a Jekyll and Hyde effect, doing things that are completely out of character for them.
I'm not making excuses for Gibson, and have been critical of him elsewhere in this forum, as I would be with any recovering alcoholic who surrendered their sobriety. Having said that, Gibson also has my pity and prayers that his apology was sincere, and that he will learn to value his sobriety above money, ambition and achievement.
When things are going bad in our lives, it is human nature to pray to God that he give us no more than we can handle. Far too infrequently, do we fail to pray that God limit our successes to that which we can handle as well, and I would suspect Gibson lost sight of that.
Is Gibson an anti-semite? I haven't the vanity to pretend to know what's in another man's heart. Did he open his heart for the world to see when he got loaded? It's possible, but far from certain.
Seems to me that American Jews need to focus their hate at Hezbollah and all other terrorists.
Isn't that the truth.
Agreeing with Jessie's comments here, I think you are right.
I remember being blitzed more than a few times in my youth. I can also remember a couple of times when I made some incredibly idiotic comments which did not reflect my sober opinions regarding the same subjects, at all, not even in the same universe.
Nobody knows Mel's heart, his true beliefs. I think the guy reacted terribly to being caught doing something that he knew to be wrong, and couldn't accept being caught for having done them.
He seems to be trying to make things right. He seems to have taken ownership of his actions and has reached out to Jewish leaders in the process. I think that is reasoned. Jewish leaders would do well to meet with him and open a dialogue.
None of us approves of Gibson's actions. None of us approves of all that we have done in our own lives.
Gibson will be judged by his current and future actions, by those who are guiltless. I'm giving the guy some slack, and I am a strident supporter of Israel and appreciate Jewish contributions as much as any other groups contributions to the world community.
Very good point. Without condoning Mel's behavior, the disparity in coverage and outrage between his utterances and those of the RATS is almost as nauseating as what he said.
It was payback for doing a film on Christ.
Gibson, like DeLay and Rove, is way to dangerous to the left, that's why it was his turn to be crucified by the msm.
I hope that this doesn't sound like quibbling...
Has the police report been published? Where can I read it?
The smear merchants will never forgive Mel. Sad but true.
Got any more lame non sequiturs?
I guess in your world it's not allowable to criticize a phony Hollywood apology.
What if Mel Gibson had crashed his car into a family and killed them? That's the biggest problem here. And it seems that Gibson has been caught before and let go. The whole "Jews" thing is bad, but it isn't nearly as bad as Gibson's criminal behavior.
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