Leading Off No that’s not the new French flag. But it is a flag that many in Red Sox Nation are considering flying. The Sawx were hobbled before, but with this most recent injury news, fending off the Yankees will be very difficult. I…

Otherwise we must look askance for they are suppressing their true motives and agenda.

Will someone please bring me another beer, so I can get a genuine post here….I guess you have to ignore this one as well….as I am not there yet

Can we just call a spade a spade here and move on?

Now that would be racist!

And the politically correct term is “garden implement,” since, you know, political correctness is the point here
(Insert eye roll emoticon here).

I live next to one of the world’s most famous spies, who shares your preference for fine cigars.

Unfortunately I’m a couple thousand miles away, or I would very much take you up on that offer!

We have bigger issues to address. Middle East, the free world’s security and survival, Nov. 2006, to list a few.

Professor, if you and your wife are in the San Diego area, I hereby give HotAir permission to share with you my e-mail address. Just announce yourself so your preferred provisions of food/drink are taken care of. I live next to one of the world’s most famous spies, who shares your preference for fine cigars. Only cigar-smoking, for those with a dirty (Clinton) mind. We’d spend a most interesting afternoon, one from which all parties would be enriched.

I would further suggest you are using liberal tactics of political correctness to label and smear someone you take exception to or the comments he made while intoxicated, with your own agenda of political correctness. It seems some succumb to the virulent virus of moonbatism after all.

Then you have the nerve to suggest his apology (not needed in my opinion)is not sincere but damage control, because you would rather malign his character and works.

Puts my tonuge next to my cheek!! :)

Uh, scuse me, senor. Get these words you put in here out of my mouth, pronto.

PB, those were questions, not words put in your mouth. And they remain, as of now, unanswered. Does anyone think he’s out to get the LASD? If not, why not? He said it, therefore it must be his true core belief, right?

And his entire attitude is appaling. To cops just doing their job. The “sugar tits” thing was particularly disgusting, because it again suggests a core character issue.

Exactly. He was a complete asshole in a whole rainbow of ways, which carries consequences that he’s going to have to deal with.

The above arguments are so patently liberal, so completely opposed to conservative ideals of personal responsibility… He did what he did and said what he said. Him. His choice. Period.

I’m a big fan of personal responsibility, which is why a little bit of respect creeps in when I see him say things like:

“I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable…”

“I am deeply ashamed of everything I said.”

“Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry.”

He could have done what every fricking celeb/politician does when they flash their ass, which is to blame it on someone else. Gibson owned up to it, which is to say that he’s taken responsibility for his actions.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, I post here isn’t at least a little tongue-in-cheek. If the above offends you, you’re looking to be offended.

Take a pill. Better yet, have a beer. Then we can all tell Jew jokes and go for a drive. It’ll be fun.

How about Ventura to Santa Monica? We can take PCH! :-P

The above arguments are so patently liberal, so completely opposed to conservative ideals of personal responsibility… He did what he did and said what he said. Him. His choice. Period.

Well said.

Do we all think he plans to make the cop regret arresting him? Do we think he owns Malibu? Do we think the lady cop has sweet tits? No one seems to care about him saying those idiotic things.

Uh, scuse me, senor. Get these words you put in here out of my mouth, pronto.

I care personally quite a bit. The drunk driving (what a lightweight!) pisses me off immensely; dumbass coulda killed somebody, and its not like he couldn’t just buy a limo and driver with the cash in his wallet.

And his entire attitude is appaling. To cops just doing their job. The “sugar tits” thing was particularly disgusting, because it again suggests a core character issue.

The only reason the anti-Semitism is being harped on is because its particularly surprising, really damn bizarre, and strangely ironic considering its exactly what he was accused of a year ago.

But that doesn’t mean the rest is something I “don’t care about.” Not even close.

So I get it. I like Mel, too. He was always one of the very few celebrities I respected. I’m hurt and disappointed, and tempted to defend him, too.

So I don’t mind the defenders, even though I know – and they know – that their defenses don’t pass the common sense test. Not even close.

And I don’t mind that conservatives are defending him. Some conservatives sort of adopted him after “Passion” came out. More of my Terrell Owens theory – he’s one of “us” now, so we’re going to defend him.

Fine. Have fun.

But you know what is driving me batty reading all these threads?

What is driving me absolute apeshit is that the defenses sound SO FRICKIN’ LIBERAL.

This is all I hear from defenders:

1) You don’t know alcoholism. I know alcoholism. We’re not experts (except I am, wink, wink).
2) He couldn’t help it. He has a disease.
3) He has no personal responsibility here. It wasn’t his fault.
4) His daddy made him do it. His actions came from his childhood.
5) It’s not that bad, and he’s generally a good guy.

Do I need to go on?

The above arguments are so patently liberal, so completely opposed to conservative ideals of personal responsibility. They make me ill.

Every argument I’ve heard from defenders has been used to defend Hezbollah and Al Quaida, Cindy Sheehan, Ted Kennedy (and his relatives), Jason Leopold, Deborah Frisch, even Slick Willy himself. The. Same. Arguments.

Ugh. We laugh at those arguments.

Sorry. I don’t give a rat’s ass about his mythical “disease,” and I don’t care if his racist daddy was mean to him. Barf. That crap is liberalism epitomized.

He did what he did and said what he said. Him. His choice. Period. Now come consequences.

Defend him if you have to. But please … if we could drop the liberal style of rhetoric.

At the very least, quit stealing Tom Cruise’s material. He’ll sue, you know. ;)

——————————————————–

Note: although there’s a point in the above somewhere, I need to make something clear since some of the defenders are getting awfully serious. Nothing, and I mean nothing, I post here isn’t at least a little tongue-in-cheek. If the above offends you, you’re looking to be offended.

Take a pill. Better yet, have a beer. Then we can all tell Jew jokes and go for a drive. It’ll be fun.

It goes back to his nonsense about “where these ideas could have come from,” as though they’re something external, like a virus.

What, you don’t believe in the tabula rasa?

What has he ever done that would lead you to believe otherwise?

Do we all think he plans to make the cop regret arresting him? Do we think he owns Malibu? Do we think the lady cop has sweet tits? No one seems to care about him saying those idiotic things.

We know his father is an unapologetic racist, and clearly Mel has had some of that rub off on him having grown up with the guy. But if he actively squelches that in himself, knowing that it’s wrong, why condemn him at all? Isn’t that what people are supposed to do?

This is so much reading of emotional tea leaves, and prosecution of thought crime. Feh.

When he makes such remarks without apology, then we’ve got something to talk about. Anyone who’s ever been a jerk and then regretted it ought to be able to figure this out.

2. if he had been a muslim and had made these remarks about jews, it would be forgotten by tomorrow.

Labamigo on August 1, 2006 at 10:23 PM

Exactamundo. Actually, more like in 5 seconds.

Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, Lust.

All of us suffer from these. No one, unless your name is Jesus Christ, is entirely free of any of these sins. Some people are more guilty of certain sins than others, but none of us are entirely free of them. In my case, Envy and Anger trouble me the most. Even though I know I shouldn’t be envious and get angry, these two sins give me a great deal of trouble, even though I know they are sins. I have to struggle with them alot. Whereas Pride or Greed may cause others more trouble.

So since I think that all of us are guilty of these and other sins, the question isn’t are we entirely free of them or not. The question is, do we give in to our temptation to sin, or do we struggle against it, even though it is in our nature to do so.

And although they aren’t listed, I view racism and anti-semitism as similar sins, in that we all are to one extent or another, afflicted by them. But what marks us as moral beings is how we struggle against them.

Regretfully, it seems to me that Mel Gibson definitely is guilty of the sin of anti-semitism. So now, the question is, will he continue in his sinful ways, or will he strive to rise above it? Well, it is very difficult for us to know for sure. Only God really knows what is in Mel Gibson’s heart, and if he has truly repented for this sin.

Which brings us now to Allahpundits question.

If he’s truly remorseful, … because he doesn’t want to hurt the people he’s prejudiced against …, then yeah, he deserves some credit. But why should we give him the benefit of the doubt? … Why, at this point, should I believe he’s honestly sorry and not just doing damage control to protect his career?

Well, we arn’t talking about Divine forgiveness. We are talking about people forgiving Mel Gibson’s sin, and trusting him again. Because what Mel Gibson has done is damage the one thing his $850 million dollars can’t buy: his reputation. It appears Allahpundit no longer trusts or respects Mel Gibson. Which seems reasonable. As I don’t really respect or trust him much now either.

So what can Mel Gibson do? His apology could be faked. So there is no way for him to undue the damage to his reputation overnight. It will take a long time, and many good deeds and good works to restore his good name. Which may or may not be what Mel Gibson wants, or is able to do. But yes, Allahpundit, the burden is on Mel Gibson to prove that he is not an anti-semite, or if he is, he truly repents of it and wishes to better himself.

Of course the Left are gloating. They gloated during Rush Limbaugh’s “problem”. I always know that for whatever the Left endorses, the correct action is to do the opposite; hence I’m back to my “quagmire” with Mel Gibson.

For now, I’ll give him a black mark, but I’m not going to write him off. I’ll still watch his movies if I’m interested in the plot. I watch movies for the plot, not the star. It’s not like he’s Ben Afflek, who not only is he a Liberal moonbat, but I’ve decided to oblige him when he said he doesn’t want Yankee fans to watch his films anyway. Too bad, though, I did like Voyages of the Mimi.

For example, whom do you blame for all the world’s wars after knocking back a six of Bud?

If it’s Bud I blame Pete Coors (the drunk-driving lout). If I slug back a sixer of Heniz I blame Bush. If I would happen to down a 6-pack of Pabst then I’d blame the trailer parks of the world for all of my problems. Follow this pattern with Corona (Mexico is blamed), Harp (blame the Irish…those gits) or Becks (all Germans are Naxis, including that formerly hot singer Nina).

Don’t get me started on Sapparo.

In Gibson’s situation, I don’t know exactly where it came from. Perhaps he’s a psycho conspiracy theorist type. He fits the profile… Opposes Iraq war, praised Fahrenheit 9/11… He probably watched a little liberal media that day, got drunk and then started to unload on the Jewish people. But sounds like he may truly have his issues, but maybe not even know it.

I know racism can be realized when you move to a particular area that has a lot of members of a particular race, from an area that didn’t. While you may have been friends with the random member of that race in your original home, in the new location you find yourself dreading dealing with them in daily life. You might even have friends that are of that race that have the same issue with the “general” public of their own race, so that makes it all that much easier to become what one would call “racist”. One might not be in their own mind a racist, just observing particular behaviors and attributing them to a group as a whole. Even though a person might realize that it’s just a generalization, and doesn’t apply across the board, with a few drinks in them they might feel open enough to have a conversation about it, and come off as much more of a bigot than they really are.

I’ve had drunk conversations about politcal issues with people and I find myself having to pause to organize my thoughts, and even then it’s often tough, so my argument comes out different than intended. Instead of laying out a minute or two of points and pretty much ending a debate, I struggle through going point for point, and usually still “win”, but not as authoritatively as I might sober.

Recently my cousin and I were talking about Global Warming…. He, surprisingly, agreed what a pile of garbage it is, though he continued to rail against polution. His point wasn’t as clear as he probably wanted it to be and it was like an hour later when something “clicked” and I realized what he had originally tried to say in his first comment that would have virtually eliminated the entire stupid conversation. He said of Global Warming (paraphrasing) “it’s real, we’re obviously poluting, but they shouldn’t call it “global warming”". We went in so many circles, but later he repeated it more simply that he agrees that global climate change as a result of human activity is ridiculous, but that he thinks we’re obviously destroying the planet with polution. A position I pretty much agree with. His wording until the end didn’t convey the message that he through “global warming” out the window, because he kept sayign “it” was happening… but he was talking about “pollution”, which we know is happening. But our younger generations have tied that term to Global Warming so he was having trouble articulating that he didn’t agree with global warming BS at all.

One final note. I think Islam is evil. I’m sorry, I just don’t buy any of the religion of peace crap. I think it’s evil. Now as most of us know, free speech in public is generally reserved for liberals who want to bash Bush, Christianity, etc. But conservatives don’t dare speak their mind for fear of “bigot” labels and pleas for “open-mindedness”, etc. I would never just say flat out in public (around people, excluding blogs, etc.) “Terrorism won’t stop, as long as Islam is around”… But give me a few drinks and some bloviators who want to argue with me and you might hear it.

As for the Jewish community line, I think that might be an acknowledgment that he has a problem with racism, not just alcoholism, lest anyone think this talk of recovery was only referring to the latter (cause it apparently wasn’t clear enough; I’ve heard commentators wonder if he meant some sort of Jewish AA group or something).

That bugs me too — treating racism as an illness. It goes back to his nonsense about “where these ideas could have come from,” as though they’re something external, like a virus. If he wants to cure his “disease,” he should do a little reading.

A spokesman from the ADL or some other Jewish organization analogized it to a disease today, too. Bad move. The stigma is useful but it lets them off the hook for their moral choices.

1. he was blind drunk. Ever say anything you regretted when you were drunk?

2. if he had been a muslim and had made these remarks about jews, it would be forgotten by tomorrow.