Defending the Rant

I've kept my mouth shut about the latest celebutard. You don't know how much self control it's taken. Now, I choose to speak up on an issue.

Celebs are lining up to vouch for Mel Gibson's good character and pro-semite ways. They are saying that we all should leave him alone because it was just the booze talking and that he has never seemed anti-semitic to them. Also, his attorneys are saying that prosecutors don't have enough evidence to prove the man was drinking and driving.

First, I see this Mel episode as a bit like a person of note being caught harming a child. Friends and acquaintances line up to say "he/she never beat me, so they couldn't have beaten this child" -- or "I have seen _____ act very loving towards children in the past, surely they didn't do this horrible thing." You get the idea. Now, Mel's friends are lining up to say - he's never broken out in an anti-jewish rant at me or around me, so even though it's a matter of public record, surely he couldn't be anti-jew.

I know, alcohol effects humans and critters in different ways. The amount, the tolerance, the history of alcohol consumption matters. However, I have never heard of alcohol making someone do or say something that wasn't already lurking in the brain. People who beat their wives or rape their children can not claim that the alcohol MADE them do it. People who run over innocents in their cars while guzzling tequila cannot claim the tequila has the legal responsibility for their behavior.

I think that celebs need to keep their mouths shut about the anti-semitic stuff. Let Mel take responsibility for his actions and his words. Frankly, the fact he never called Jodie Foster "sugar tits" or went off on an anti-semitic rant to Patrick swayze doesn't mean that those thoughts and feelings aren't lurking somewhere in the back of his brain.

The other thing I'd like to comment on is the inconsistency of the defense. On one hand, Mel's attorney's are saying that the actor was past drunk when he went off on his hate speech tirade but on the other hand say there isn't enough evidence to prosecute him for the drunk driving. Which is it people? Was he impaired enough that his brain and mouth were completely disconnected but his brain and driving skills were just fine?

Mel is mister "The pope is too liberal a catholic for me" but yet is willing to hide behind legal technicalities to avoid taking responsibility for his words and actions. Mel needs to live up to the christian values he claims to have and take full responsibility. Not just hide in rehab and issue apology after apology through his agent. He needs to get himself help, fully admit his wrongs, atone for them in meaningful ways, and change his behavior so that he a) grows as a human and b) stops making such huge, hurtful mistakes.