Gibson seeks meeting with Jewish leaders

[sabra]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2261170

Gibson seeks meeting with Jewish leaders

Aug 1, 2006 — LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mel Gibson on Tuesday apologized for making anti-Semitic remarks after his recent arrest for drunken driving and asked to meet with members of the Jewish community to begin a "path for healing."

"There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark," Gibson said in a statement.

"I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested," he added.

Gibson, who directed 2004's blockbuster movie "The Passion of The Christ" about the last hours of the life of Jesus, was caught speeding in his car in the early morning last Friday, and he went on a rant in which he is widely reported to have said "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

[Drum]

1. "specifically to everyone" oy. nt

[redqueen]

7. hahah yeah that was nice! n/t

[underpants]

2. Will Mel drive to this meeting?

:bounce:

[Mrspeeker]

4. LOL

[barb162]

5. Hahaha, only if the breathalyzer says he can

[w13rd0]

3. Gibson should have a reality TV show...

...called "Desperate Damage Control"...

[yellowcanine]

6. Why should they meet with him? Why doesn't he go see his priest if

he wants absolution? Isn't that how it is supposed to work for good Catholics? Isn't he an Opus Dei member?

[megatherium]

11. He is not in communion with Rome, he belongs to a splinter

group, if memory serves. Rome is too modern or liberal for his tastes, on matters of liturgy and/or theology.

[yellowcanine]

30. Opus Dei is recognized by the Vatican - maybe it's not OD?

[megatherium]

32. I don't know. If Gibson isn't in communion with Rome, I don't

know how he'd be allowed to belong to OD in good standing, so maybe he belongs to some other similar organization. Google doesn't seem to be much help.

[LostinVA]

16. Because his priest is most probably an anti-semite, too

He belongs to the Traditionalist Church -- which isn't even recognized by the Church. They renounce Vatican II as a work of Satan... including that whole forgive the Jews and blood libel thing...

So, technically, he isn't a good Catholic, because he's not a Catholic. He could probably be called a heretic...

[Cybergata]

8. De Ja Vu

We've been here before with Gibson, except last time it was with his foul words toward Gays. He is a charming actor, & I loved Braveheart, but I think he has shown himself to be a a lightweight in intelligence, full of bigotry and with a small minded view point of the world around him. I wonder who he'll trash in his next drunken rage. Amazing how the truth is revealed when one is in that state. The question is can he really search into his soul and grow as a person, or just cover his deeper emotion with denial.

[Botany]

9. Good idea

Party

[rocktivity]

10. Thought he'd checked into rehab

His was even shorter than Rush Limbaugh's!

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[ShortnFiery]

12. Why is this TRIPE remaining and expanding into NEWS?

I hope "All Stories Mel Gibson" gets shuffled into Nancy Grace / Greta VanSustran status ---> post haste.

This is NOT news ... it's Hollywood Celebrity bilge water gossip! :puke:

[pelagius]

22. Agree completely.

If DUers need something to discuss, it just so happens that on the same day a drunk movie star said rude things, one of the worst outbreaks of anti-Jewish violence in US history occurred: six people gunned down in the Seattle Jewish Federation office by someone on a personal jihad. It doesn't get as much play as Mel's mouth, but here's the story, if anyone is interested:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/279302_shooting28ww.html

[MrPrax]

26. What would be the 'play'?

The guy was nuts...in fact then he would have been in court this Thursday to answer to public exposure charges where he took all his clothes off and stood on a fountain at a Seattle mall? Doesn't sound like a jihadist...just a deeply disturbed bipolar case.

"...Haq, a U.S.-born Muslim, told authorities he was angered by the war in Iraq and U.S. military cooperation with Israel. According to a statement of probable cause, Haq told a 911 dispatcher: "These are Jews and I'm tired of getting pushed around and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East."

Authorities said they believed Haq was acting on his own, and there was no evidence of a broad conspiracy.
...
Haq, whose parents had moved to the United States from Pakistan in the 1970s, excelled in writing, winning an essay contest as a teenager, Ullah said. Haq eventually completed an engineering degree at Washington State University.

Then in March, Haq was arrested at a Benton County, Wash., shopping mall. Newspaper reports said that he climbed onto a raised coin fountain and exposed himself to young women..."
Detroit Free Press

Possible trigger mentioned here in this story (Seattle Times)

Gibson has far more influence over people than Haq and his ilk ever will...

[calimary]

24. But for heaven's sakes, it's keeping Harvey Levin out of the

flood control channels!

Levin's the guy who runs that celebrity gossip-gotcha site TMZ.com which "broke" this one. He used to be one of those show-boater types, like a Geraldo wannabe, who'd run out into the swolen flood control channels and stand in the water at their edges during really ferocious rainy seasons here in L.A., when every authority in town would be telling people NOT to do foolhardy things like that and risk their necks. If he were in Florida, he'd be fighting to be the first to be blown over on caemra by Hurricane Whoever. But it made for great video. He's an ambulance-chaser type who finally figured out how to get his mug on TV ALL the time, set the tawdry, tabloid agenda, and stay dry. Bless his little pointed head.

:eyes:

[Ian David]

13. I bet by "Jewish Leaders" he means assholes like Daniel Lapin. n/t

[Marie26]

14. Give it up, Mel. nt

[adarling]

15. good then

in this world we need to see more forgiveness and repentence....what he did was sick and wrong but at least he admits he is wrong. Maybe he is doing this to save his career, but i try to look on the brighter side of it all.

[noonwitch]

18. I'm sure he feels genuinely badly about it

Everybody makes stupid drunken comments once in a while. At least he apologized.

[LostinVA]

17. Oy vay! What a poseur!

[Bake]

19. The guy is an actor, for cryin' out loud

He screwed up, he admitted it, he's apologized and seems to want to make it right. (a) Why is this news anyway? (b) Who cares if he's a "good Catholic," a "heretic," or whatever?

People do stupid things, especially when they're drunk. At least he didn't run over anybody. Give it a rest.

Bake

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

21. He will be kissing their ass for the rest of his public life. Never forget

nor forgive and he has no one to blame but himself, what a dumb shit.

[ShockediSay]

23. Mel, if your face were your foreskin

you've lost most of it already

the direction your heading

might as well kiss the rest goobye

[zonkers]

25. He is an even bigger egotistical jack ass to call for this meeting right

now and think he can fix this boo-boo quickly. Dumb. He is just keeping it in the news cycle that much longer. He needs to lay low, attend his rehab. And then do some community service for the jewish community (more than donating money, money means nothing to him.) And he should do it without expecting any quid pro quo forgiveness) He needs to take some pointers from Danny Glover, who's exploits are discussed in another thread today.

[Disturbed]

27. Raciasism is real difficult to overcome.

When a person has a lifelong mindset it is not something that can be overcome in a few days.
In his film The Passion it was obvious that he is anti-Jewish in how he portrayed the Jews. I only saw clips and it was plain to see. He will need to atone with more than words.

[Gully Foyle]

28. Suckers

Hell Mel is playing the correct game.
He makes PROFIT.
You think Hollywood will turn their backs on a buck maker, no matter what his drawbacks are?
Hundreds of millions versus some verbal foolishness.
I'm sure next year someone here will be crying about his next movie, or his next outburst.

[catmother]

29. if i were jewish i would not meet with him. you don' t make

remarks like that if you don't feel that way -- whether you're drunk or not. :puke:

[JudyM]

33. Yeah. If I were on a drunk rant it'd be against neocons. Definitely. nt

[catmother]

34. me too except i don't drink. so i just rant sober. lol

[skooooo]

31. wow his career is right down the crapper

Will he ever recover??

I got my doubts.