Mark Moring, "Downey Jr. Pleads: Forgive Mel Gibson" (CT Entertainment, October 18, 2011).
Yes, of course, there is no mention of forgiveness by those whom were directly wronged, much less divine forgiveness. What is nevertheless good about Downey's speech is its clear embrace of our human need for forgiveness -- his own, Mel Gibson's, everyone in the audience, and the rest of us. As well as the need to own up to one's responsibility. Call it a secular analogue to Sacramental Confession.
[Hat tip to J.M.]
Aside from having to wonder how much of this was genuine and how much was Hollywood, I would have to add that it is entirely open to question what Mel Gibson's sins actually are. Obviously he has a problem with Jews (or at least with zionism), but Jews are not uniquely innocent in the course of human history. Nor are Catholics, for that matter, and no one seems compelled to apologize for "having problems" with them.
ReplyDeleteI'd tack on the sideline observation that people are far more scandalized by a drunk guy rambling on about Jews than about cheating on his wife and breaking up a family after fathering, what, eight kids. The latter is understandable behavior in our society, he former not. Without approving of either, I'd say the sense of proportions is backward.
ReplyDeleteI'd also point out the hypocrisy in that from what I have encountered, the drunken ramblings of much of Hollywood are just as alarming as Gibson's slurs but targeted at Right-wingers of all shapes and sizes. A sagging Susan Sarandon calls the Pope a Nazi and is celebrated as a sexy Grandma age star with empathetic sensibilities.