Mel Gibson - What a Bloody Mess
I always liked Mel Gibson...not a lot (not like I liked Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, or Bruce Willis), but he was in a lot of fun films and he seemed nice enough.
But I am reluctantly changing my mind after the news of his arrest for drunk driving over the weekend. Yelling anti-Jewish comments at an arresting officer is pretty stupid. Then he issued a press release apologizing for his behavior stating that he has been battling alcoholism.
I want to forgive Mel, I really do. But...according to news reports, he tested out with a blood alcohol level of 0.12. The legal limit in California is currently 0.08 (until recently it was 0.10 and in the distant past it use to be 0.15 in many states). Mel was not falling down drunk; he was mildly impaired. And if he is a recovering alcoholic, a 0.12 is nothing...he could probably have passed for sober if he wanted to. But there he was, screaming all kinds of ugly, hateful things, and he was only mildly impaired. It makes it hard for me to see this as anything less than his true feelings shining through.
I hate condemning others for evil emotions. You absolutely do NOT want to be driving in the car with me when I am in a bad mood and someone does something stupid on the road near me...I will say the most horrible things. Racist? You bet! And then I feel horrible about it afterwards. Sometimes I will put ugly things into emails to my friends...or say ugly things to them in person or over the phone. But they know me...they know I am venting. That is a side of me I never show in public, EVEN when I have been drinking.
It's one thing to bare your ugly side to your friends...especially since they can tell when you are venting and you can later apologize and take the remarks back. But to say things like that in public...unbelievable. Only a true believer would let that kind of hate out.
I am a big believer in forgiveness...I am not one for seeking revenge. I think it is possible for Mel to redeem himself...to take actions that will show that he has a good heart and that he knows that his ugly emotions are wrong. Mel is going to have to show his "consciousness of innocence." Until then, he deserves every bit of scorn that everyone can throw at him.
But I am reluctantly changing my mind after the news of his arrest for drunk driving over the weekend. Yelling anti-Jewish comments at an arresting officer is pretty stupid. Then he issued a press release apologizing for his behavior stating that he has been battling alcoholism.
I want to forgive Mel, I really do. But...according to news reports, he tested out with a blood alcohol level of 0.12. The legal limit in California is currently 0.08 (until recently it was 0.10 and in the distant past it use to be 0.15 in many states). Mel was not falling down drunk; he was mildly impaired. And if he is a recovering alcoholic, a 0.12 is nothing...he could probably have passed for sober if he wanted to. But there he was, screaming all kinds of ugly, hateful things, and he was only mildly impaired. It makes it hard for me to see this as anything less than his true feelings shining through.
I hate condemning others for evil emotions. You absolutely do NOT want to be driving in the car with me when I am in a bad mood and someone does something stupid on the road near me...I will say the most horrible things. Racist? You bet! And then I feel horrible about it afterwards. Sometimes I will put ugly things into emails to my friends...or say ugly things to them in person or over the phone. But they know me...they know I am venting. That is a side of me I never show in public, EVEN when I have been drinking.
It's one thing to bare your ugly side to your friends...especially since they can tell when you are venting and you can later apologize and take the remarks back. But to say things like that in public...unbelievable. Only a true believer would let that kind of hate out.
I am a big believer in forgiveness...I am not one for seeking revenge. I think it is possible for Mel to redeem himself...to take actions that will show that he has a good heart and that he knows that his ugly emotions are wrong. Mel is going to have to show his "consciousness of innocence." Until then, he deserves every bit of scorn that everyone can throw at him.
posted by Lucius Cornelius at 7:26 PM
3 Comments:
The National Jewish Outreach Program is holding a poll on their website, www.projectforgiveness.com where you can vote to forgive him or not.
I thought he was on drugs as well as alcohol, that's why he was so messed up.(?)
Yes, alcohol does lower our inhibitions, diminish our common sense, impair our motor skills and, sadly, loosen our tongues. It often brings out the truth at inappropriate times. I have lost my respect for Mel Gibson, not because he got drunk, but because he was too cheap to take a taxi home, even though he said that he "owns" Malibu.
Here is a man that claims to be Christian but was acting in un-Christian ways. Jesus Christ must be appalled at how people who claim to be Christian, do such nasty things in His name. I do not recall Jesus, or any of his apostles, intentionally harming another human being. I defy anyone to find a bible scripture saying that they did. Mel Gibson did several bad things that night beyond endangering himself and others by driving a car under the influence.
He acted dumber than a donkey when he verbally attacked the arresting officer and then tried to escape. I guess that he was under the impression that no one would recognize him. The thing that really annoys me, though, is his attack on the Jewish people. The truth came out and I wish him a long life so that the truth will haunt him longer. It was a terribly un-Christian thing to do. While he is rich and talented that does not give him the right to disparage others.
I am not Jewish, but I sympathize very strongly with them. They are good people that have endured what people like Mel Gibson have dished out for two thousand years. I have to admit that Mel Gibson is an even better actor than I thought. I would never have thought of him as being prejudiced. If he makes another movie, I will salute him by pointing my index finger to the sky.
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