Mel Gibson exploded about the same time as Lebanon. Some reactions in both instances have been to blame the Jews. For some this is a reflex, like getting tapped on the knee with a mallet. At first, the Gibson defenders just accepted Mel’s explanation he had too much to drink. I bet you could pour a gallon of Jameson down my throat and couldn’t wring one word about a Jewish conspiracy from me. Perhaps these apologists realized the silliness of their claim, so now they are concocting conspiracy theories. One far-left Web site is saying, because of Gibson’s public outrage about the Neocons and their war in Iraq, there are those who wish to discredit him. On the far right, Gibson’s Jew mongering is shrugged off as a plot against him by those who didn’t like "The Passion of the Christ."
Columnist Christine Flowers has not proclaimed a Gibson conspiracy theory, but she has joined the celebrity’s defense team. Her Daily News column for Aug. 4 essentially says we cannot see into Gibson’s soul. At the same time, she blames liberals who explain away personal vices and even murder, but are willing to hop all over Mel. She openly admires the star for his involvement in conservative Catholicism and believes in those who don’t want to discredit him.
My response:
"Your defense of Mel Gibson really intrigues me. The critics of Mel Gibson become people who can’t stand his conservative values, so it winds up being another rant against liberals.
"You seem peeved that we — his critics — won’t make allowances for his anti-Semitism and this is a bad thing? You could have made a much better argument — some liberals (myself not included) gave Jesse Jackson a pass after his "hymie town" comment. (I stopped paying my union dues at that time because they were going toward a Jesse for President campaign.)
"We shouldn’t make allowances for bigotry, whether it comes from Ann Coulter, Jesse Jackson or, in this case, an inebriated Mel Gibson, whose past comments, I still believe, trivialized the Holocaust.
"The Gibson criticism is warranted and has nothing to do with some idiots who might excuse Andrea Yates. By mixing the two, you have trivialized Gibson’s anti-Semitism."
Flowers response:
"You are very wise, Mr. Cardella. Your words summarize the true issue: Since you can’t defend anti-Semitism without being labeled an anti-Semite yourself, you take the circuitous route.
"The problem is, you assume his anti-Semitism, and then criticize anyone who dares to defend him as being an anti-Semite.
"Fair enough, if you assume that he’s a bigot. I’m not able to peer into his soul, as you are, so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"Just as I’m willing to give Madonna the benefit of the doubt for not being anti-Catholic when she has herself ‘crucified’ onstage.
"It’s a very slippery slope we get into when we assume things, Mr. Cardella.
"But at least your letter, unlike most of those I’ve received (and which have eschewed your tact and actually called me an anti-Semite) is intelligently written."
Columnist’s thoughts:
In the guise of being fair-minded, Flowers lets Gibson off the hook: If we can’t peer into his soul, we can’t hear his hate-spewed words. If we can only define anti-Semitism by one’s actions, then we are left with just Hitler as the one true anti-Semite, but we know that is not the case. As a conservative, Flowers is big on personal responsibility. That’s the standard to which we are holding Gibson and he fails the test.
In the same way, we can judge the anti-Semites of the world who see Hezbollah rockets target and kill Israeli civilians, are silent and can only muster outrage when Israel fights back. Hezbollah hides its rockets, using innocent civilians as shields, and some only remove their moral blindfolds when Israel defends itself. Gone is the excuse Israel is hated because it occupies. This small country was still attacked after it left Lebanon and after unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza. Israel is not hated because it occupies, it is hated because it exists.
The country left Lebanon under a United Nations mandate that Hezbollah would not be allowed to threaten it with impunity, but the UN failed. Now, because Israel defended itself, we have another UN resolution promising to keep terrorists out of southern Lebanon.
Some ask, "What is Israel’s strategic value to us?" These are the same folks who complain we are bound to the Arabs because of oil. You can’t have it both ways. Either we act on our ideals or we don’t. We are tied together with the fate of Israel, as we are all western civilizations under attack from fascists who hide behind their religion.
There are even some folks who believe we are in Iraq to save Israel. Translation: blame this debacle on the Jews too. But then maybe they also had too much to drink.
