Mel Gibson has asked a “path to healing” from the Jewish community; the Jewish community has responded with “witty criticism”. Do I think that the media is blowing this instance out of proportion? Of course. Do I think that Mel Gibson himself was grossly irresponsible and foul and should be held fully accountable for his actions? Doubly of course. Do I think the Jewish community is extremely quick to pounce down Mel’s throat and play the guilt-laden race card in order to bring themselves “oh-poor-Jews-look-at-us-attention?” Tripply yes. Do I think that the Jews have a right to this attitude? Quadrupably yes.
Do I think that the Jewish community’s response to Mel is harsh and not representative at all of the values they claim and the forgiveness that Jews are supposed to be known for? Absolutely. Do I think Mel’s tirade, even induced by alcohol, was extremely inappropriate? Yes. Mel has made a fool of himself, and the Jewish Community has not done much better. Their interests are self-serving, harshly criticizing Mel for the portrayal of Jews killing Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” on one side and then asking Mel to donate the $350 million in profits from “Passion” to Israel for restoration and defense efforts. It’s kind of like taking blood money from someone who profited off the murder of your son.
I love the Jewish people, and love Israel. I am a big fan of Mel Gibson, and think that his upcoming film “Apocolypto” makes him none short of a modern-day prophet. But damn — bad form, bad form. If this isn’t an example of Satan using someone’s weakness to undercut the good they’re doing, I don’t know what is.
But even as I criticize the Jewish response — I must also chuckle a bit at it — especially at this article detailing a interesting 12-step program suggestion for Mel to overcome any possible racism of the Jews:
A 12-step program for Gibson
1. Read “The Diary of Anne Frank”; “Night,” by Elie Wiesel; “The Chosen,” by Chaim Potok; “From Beirut to Jerusalem,” by Thomas L. Friedman, and “Maus,” by Art Spiegelman.
2. See the films “Life Is Beautiful,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “Schindler’s List,” even “Exodus.”
3. Watch “Paper Clips,” a documentary about Christian children who, to comprehend the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust, collected 6 million paper clips.
4. Visit the Holocaust museums in New York, Washington and Jerusalem.
5. Visit Auschwitz.
6. Or the Western Wall.
7. Read the Old Testament.
8. Go to a Passover Seder.
9. Or a Sabbath dinner.
10. Sit shiva.
11. Have a sitdown with Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and Billy Crystal.
12. As atonement, eat 10 pounds of pastrami, which Zero Mostel said “killed more Jews than Hitler.”
August 8, 2006 at 4:02 pm |
I wish we could all just get along. We are all just people, after all, no one made better or worse or with more or less love than anyone else.