The Mel Gibson Circus Sideshow
8-4-06
By: Devvy Kidd
My mail box has been inundated with requests that I make some comment on the Mel Gibson DUI story. I'm not sure it really matters because his DUI arrest is his problem, but here goes. This column isn't to defend Gibson, but rather to ask some reasonable questions. The question of anti-Semitism and Mel Gibson is an old one; I wrote a column about it on February 28, 2004. The issue of what is a Semite and what constitutes anti-Semitism is the issue I attempted to cover in that column by getting definitions of these terms, who Semites are and their religions. After all, words have exact meanings and if people are going to toss around words like "anti-Semite," at the very least they should have an understanding of what those words actually mean.
Let's look at Gibson's words as reported to date, but not yet verified by solid evidence. We are told through media sources there is a video of the arrest and Gibson's drunken behavior, so when that is made public, and it surely will be despite his new legal counsel's best attempts to keep it out of the public domain, we'll all get to see what happened. For now I'll use what's been reported:
"F*****g Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." He then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"
If you read my previously referenced column, I brought out this point:
"According to these credible reference sources, Semites are peoples who speak Semitic languages; the group includes Arabs, Aramaeans, Jews, and many Ethiopians who may be of any religion they choose, they don't have to be of the Jewish faith. So, can we conclude that being "anti-Semitic" applies to anyone regardless of their religion who is of the family of Semitic speaking peoples? If that is the case, where are the representatives of other "Semitic speaking peoples" and why aren't they all over the stupid tube with the “anti-Semitic” chant against Gibson and his movie? We have established that Semites are people who speak Semitic languages. How then does that make someone a hater of one specific religion, i.e. the Jewish faith, an "anti-Semite" if the definition refers to people who speak Semitic languages?"
To hear Abraham Foxman, who heads up the virulent, anti-Catholic organization known as the ADL, anyone who doesn't genuflect to someone of the Jewish faith is somehow "anti-Semitic." Not anti-Jewish, but "anti-Semitic." Heck, it doesn't even have to do with religion for Foxman to assassinate your character. Some of my closest and dearest friends are of the Jewish faith and they were appalled that Foxman had my picture up on his skin head "extremist page" along with Joseph Banister, who is also Catholic. Never mind that neither of us has ever had anything to do with any hate group, skin head group, never written anything remotely "anti-Jewish," etc., there we were, branded extremists by Foxman. Our sin: challenging the unconstitutional Federal Reserve and asking reasonable questions about the income tax laws.
Foxman is back on his band wagon of waging war against militias as if it were some foreign by-product created by terrorists. As you can see on the ADLs site, regarding militias: "With signs of growing activity in recent months, active groups or cells in at least 30 states, and continuing criminal incidents, the militia movement has proven that it deserves increased scrutiny. Ironically, efforts by the U.S. to fight foreign terrorism may have the side effect of spurring increased resentment and growth among domestic extremist groups."
Continuing criminal intentions? Where is any proof that individuals in this country who have a full understanding of the recorded history of this republic and the critical role of the militias under the control of the state legislatures are guilty of "continuing criminal intentions?" This is just one more blatant example of the bastardization of America's history by an angry old man. There are crazies out there, no doubt about it. But, if you read the cited posting above on the ADLs web site, anyone who questions Bush's phony war on terrorism or the Patriot Act and is concerned about their God-given rights, is an extremist in the mind of Abraham Foxman and deserving of having your reputation ruined by zero facts. I'm surprised he hasn't singled out Dr. Edwin Vieira for his scholarly writings on the true meaning of the Second Amendment. I would venture to say that Foxman wouldn't dare slander Edwin because Edwin Vieira is one of the finest legal minds in this country and he would not allow Foxman and the ADL to ruin his good name with innuendo or plastering his picture on their web site under the 'Extremism in America' section.
(By the way, the ADL still has the "tax protest movement" in the 'Extremism in America' section. My name has been removed, but Joseph Banister's is still there. No doubt after this column, I'll be back on the hit list so that someone doing a google search will get Devvy Kidd as a target of the ADL for extremism. Crime: questioning the income tax laws.)
Foxman's promotion of such unfair character assassination does nothing to promote fairness because what on earth is the crime in questioning America's income tax laws or the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve Banking system? As for the militias, they were an integral part of the security and defense of this nation when it was birthed and must be reconstituted - especially in this time of crazy terrorists who hate America and the full blown invasion from Mexico that continues to fester thanks to a worthless Congress and a sitting president who promotes and condones breaking existing federal immigration laws.
Back to Mel Gibson. He said that Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Is that an anti-Semitic remark, a stupid statement or an accurate definition of bigotry? I'm not splitting hairs here or trying a Clinton parsing of words, this is a legitimate question. Bigotry is defined as: The attitude, state of mind, or behavior characteristic of a bigot; intolerance. So, now let's look at bigot: One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
Gibson's comment singles out a particular religion in a political statement. He didn't say, "I hate people of the Jewish faith." Or, "People of the Jewish faith are this that or the other and I can't stand them." He said that people of the Jewish faith "are responsible for all the wars in the world." If you consider his alleged dumb remarks "anti-Semitic," then that's your opinion. Many feel it is not. No one should beat up on you or call you names as a response. We all have our own opinions about certain things and events and that's the beauty of the First Amendment.
I wonder what the response would have been if Gibson said, "Zionism is responsible for all the wars in the world"? I ask that question because over the years I have read many books trying to understand why Arabs and Jews hate each other so much. One excellent work is Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land by David K. Shipler. There is so much hate between these religions and people, and my personal opinion, take it or leave it, is that this hatred is taught to their children at the earliest age which will never bring peace and understanding. I've also learned a great deal about something called Zionism from people of the Jewish faith who condemn it. Jews Against Zionism is a massive web site, very well laid out, which describes its mission as:
"This site was created to provide historical documentation refuting the misconception that all Jewry supports Zionism (the existence of the so-called "State of Israel") for website visitors seeking information on the history of Zionism, its historical and current day impact on the Jewish community worldwide and the danger it presents to us all.
"For decades renowned Rabbinical leaders and scholars have opposed the creation of a "Jewish State", supporting their opposition with words of the scriptures and of the Torah, as being diametrically opposed to the ideology of Judaism. We have provided many such quotations for the inquiring web site visitor who is seeking such information. Although there are those who refuse to accept the teachings of our Rabbis and will continue to support the Zionist state, there are also many who are totally unaware of the history of Zionism and its contradiction to the beliefs of Torah-True Jews."
Are these folks "anti-Semitic" because they tell the true history of how the State of Israel came into being and the long history since? Kind of difficult to slather them with the inflammatory "anti-Semitic" brush, but no doubt, it's been done by people like Foxman and other opportunists milking the issue for all it's $worth.$
What if Gibson had said "Muslims (or Arabs) are responsible for all the wars in the world," Hollywood and Abraham Foxman would have cheered. Probably not the champion of tolerance and socialism, the blowzy, constitutionally fact challenged, Arianna Huffington. As with many over the past week, she has all but stopped short in demanding Gibson be shot at dawn. Let's not leave out the holier-than-thou maven of mindless chatter, Barbara Walters, who has also called for Gibson's head. As has been pointed out in other columns over the past week, Hollywood's power base and organizations like the ADL have no problem with movies that depict Christianity on the same par as something smelly running in the gutter and the most unflattering depictions of Jesus Christ. No bigotry there, right? When I see all of the hatred spewed by Hollywood against Christianity, know what I do? I don't give them my money. Personally, I am sick to death of all the hate in this country whether it is over religion or race. As a side note, I'm sure it would distress Foxman if he knew the results of a poll on the silly program Showbiz Tonight (CNN): a whopping 75% of the people polled said they will still go see Gibson's movies. Doing research for this column, I subjected myself to about ten torturous minutes of this highly rated Hollywood nonsense just to obtain the poll numbers. What one endures in the name of fact finding.
I'm sure many more words will be written about this incident. Abraham Foxman will continue to demand Gibson get down on his knees and kiss his robe in atonement for stupid words allegedly yelled while drunk. Gibson employs many people of the Jewish faith and it has been reported that a holocaust survivor has forgiven him. However, it will never be enough for Foxman because controversy brings big $$ into the ADL so they can continue to demand more and more unconstitutional "hate crime" laws and demonize militias.
How about the newly created office in the U.S. State Department to monitor anti-Semitism around the world? This "conservative" Congress which has completely ignored the U.S. Constitution since taking power in 1995, passed another junk bill which calls for hunting "anti-Semites" worldwide and Bush signed it:
"SUNRISE, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush said he had signed into law a bill requiring the State Department to monitor global anti-Semitism and rate countries annually on their treatment of Jews. "This nation will keep watch; we will make sure that the ancient impulse of anti-Semitism never finds a home in the modern world," Bush said as he campaigned in the key battleground state of Florida. The state's Jewish population is the third largest in the world after Israel and New York."
There will never be an office in the U.S. State Department (as well there shouldn't be) to monitor hatred of Catholics around the world and believe me, there is big time hatred of Catholicism in this country. Everyday I get e-mail from Christians about "the Whore of Babylon" referring to the Catholic Church. Such hate filled mail against Catholics is never ending. The ADL would never stand for such a function under the U.S. government, only one for hunting anti-Semitism. Never mind that the U.S. State Department has no business monitoring how people around the world feel about any religion. The U.S. Constitution does NOT authorize the people's purse to be plundered for this type of expenditure - regardless of which religion, it's simply unconstitutional.
Mel Gibson is in deep doo-doo, no doubt about it. He knows driving drunk (allegedly 87 in a 45) was a stupid move. He knows how dangerous it was and how lucky he is he didn't kill or maim an innocent person or himself. I have driven by Moonshadows before, so I know where it is in Malibu and the road he was on to his home in Pacific Palisades. He has bought himself a semi-truck's worth of legal problems, not to mention domestic. I doubt his wife, Robyn, has been overjoyed to see the cell phone video of him dancing drunk with a harem of women at Moonshadows. Personally, I feel he has shamed his wife by such public drunken behavior with women draped over him at 1:00 am while Robyn is home with his children.
Gibson can fight his own battles. While this incident has provided a lot of salacious stories and indignation by Abraham Foxman and others, the world is still in a state of madness. Innocents of all faiths are dying in the Middle East. Congress has gone on a month long vacation while illegals, terrorists and vicious gangs continue to pour across the border. We the people need to keep focused and let Gibson go through his rehab to treat what he has admitted is a battle with the bottle, the legal process and take care of his own personal problems.
Devvy's website: www.devvy.com
E-mail is: devvyk@earthlink.net
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