Mel, you just don't get it, do you?

Mel Gibson offered a second public "apology" today that still falls short of him taking responsibility for the anti-Semitic remarks he made last week during his arrest for driving drunk on Malibu's Pacifc Coast Highway. Let's explore...

In his statement, he said that "There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark."

That might have been sufficient, except for the sentence that immediately followed:

"But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith."


Sorry, Mel, you can't have it both ways. You can't say that "fucking Jews... are responsible for all the wars in the world," and then expect people to believe you when you say you are "not a bigot."

I'm not saying that he needs to declare outright that he is a bigot. What I am saying is that the denial in the second sentence dilutes the sincerity of the first. If he had just issued a statement with that first sentence, AND if he had offered to take some tangible actions with Jewish leaders to address his, and others', anti-Semitic remarks, I might have taken his words as sincere. Here, I'm sorry, but I just can not.

Just like the drunks who refer to gays and lesbians as "fucking faggots" or even those who in a more moderate tone say they oppose equal civil rights for gay and lesbian individuals, couples and families can't modify their statements by saying "don't get me wrong, I don't dislike gay people, and please don't think I'm a bigot, I just don't agree with homosexuality," neither can Gibson expect people to accept his half-hearted (UnBrave Heart?) apology in which he admits to making anti-Semitic statements but denies being an anti-Semite.

Brave Heart, indeed, Mel. You didn't fool me the first time, and you're not fooling me this time either.

Thanks for listening, have a great day,

KA