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# Letter: Racism, polarization and the Mel Gibson and Michael Richards controversies
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/racial-epithets-none-too-entertaining-this-past-week-q-line-asked-are-the-mel-gibson-and-michael-richards-rants-the-isolated-feelings-of-two-hollywood/
- Published: 2006-12-02T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T23:13:25.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

✆ “The stresses of our current society — overcrowding, gridlock traffic, rising crime rates, the chaotic mess in Washington D.C. and local politics — all contribute to the polarization among peoples. People begin to strike out and strike back. It shows itself in many ways, including racism.” ✆ “There is probably still a lot of racism in Hollywood and other places. Most people have sense enough to keep their big mouth shut, unlike Mel Gibson and Michael Richards. Look at the results — Gibson insulted the Jews and Richards insulted black people, and people will boycott their movies and TV shows, and write letters to the editor and all that. They want apologies. Just think if they insulted Muslims, they’d probably be dead by now.” ✆ “Whenever a multitude of people of various races and religions are congested together in a geographical area there will often be negative comments and flare-ups regarding race and religion. Racist comments come to the surface when a person of any given race is misbehaving — often by the recipient and the donor of the racist slur. Perhaps Michael Richards, being a minority Jewish person, was upset by being heckled by two minority black men in a time when racial cohesion is important. I do not recall if the two black men referred to Richards as being a honky. Still, this flare-up does not make Richards or the two black men racists. When a wife comments to her husband in a negative manner about his personality, it does not mean she hates her husband. Or if a person comments about a rotten apple in a barrel, it does not mean that person hates apples, nor does it mean that they will stop eating apples. We all have our prejudices. I hope and trust that each person put their prejudices to rest and let their smile be their umbrella.” ✆ “The Constitution gives us the right to free speech. Gibson is a racist. Richards was angry. He’s a comic and he was performing and the two men were very rude by interfering with his performance. There is no reason for them to receive any money, an apology should suffice. He is not a racist.” ✆ “I think that it’s indicative of the society that we live in today. There is nothing worse than poor white trash. And sometimes, white trash is way worse than being a black or Jew or whatever.” ✆ “Gibson’s and Richards’ rants are isolated feelings of two Hollywood racists. But racism is still institutionally rampant in LA County and the good ol’ USA. It’s sad, but true.” ✆ “Racism is still rampant in LA County and it works both ways. If you are the only white in a working environment and you are working with Hispanics, blacks, Asians and those from other countries, if you are the only white, they can be as nasty to you as you can imagine. They can hate you because you are white. So please, forget about racism towards the blacks, it applies to anyone who finds themselves as a minority.” ✆ “I do believe that hate crimes are still rapid, not only in LA County, but in the whole country. And these hate crimes are active towards blacks, Asians, whites, Hispanics, women and gays. This is an everyday occurrence. And as far as Gibson and Richards, when you’re angry, you’re drunk... it doesn’t really excuse that behavior. It just makes it easier to spread your hate. When you’re drinking, it takes away the inhibitions that would usually keep that language back. But if you squeeze an orange, you get orange juice. If you squeeze a bigot, you get hate out — alcohol and anger just make it easier.” ✆ “I don’t believe it is a racist thing. I just believe it is someone who can’t control the amount of alcohol he puts in his system and the electrolytes that go to his brain tell him things to say. Just like a Mexican would call me a “honky” or a “gringo.” Same thing, I don’t feel offended. I am a honky. I am a gringo. But it seems black people have been so oppressed over the years that they still feel less than what they are, but they are not. It’s just in their heads.” ✆ “People say all kinds of things. That’s what is great about free speech. If you don’t like vulgar or racist speech, don’t support their movies, records or stand-up comedy. Put forward Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest in comedic terms. Jay Leno and David Lettermen prevail because they are funny without being vulgar or racist. Those who are not either change or fall by the wayside. Don’t let millionaire professional racial agitators like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Maxine Walters use race as a means to limit free speech.” ✆ “As long as there are people of color, racism will never go away.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 2, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/120206.pdf?ref=smdp.com)