Not presuming to know the forces that govern our behavior, I don't even know if forgiveness is useful. Neither do I blame Gibson for becoming "cordial and warm-fuzzy", because to do so is say that I do know how people work on the simplest level. I'm sure that if he does harbor racist ideas, he's well aware that people don't like it and aren't willing to talk about it, so the natural thing to do would be not to talk about it either. I surely-as-shit-is-stinky wouldn't expect Gibson to openly affirm any racist ideas he holds, because that would probably ruin his life on all levels. We all try to make good with our own fans - people we know that judge our behavior constantly to form an opinion about us - and Gibson only did what we would do. Not to mention that he may not be racist at all. Assuming the thing wasn't scripted, Sawyer was cruel to prod with such questions, as they do nothing but satisfy a public, and perhaps even her hunger for sidestepping the effigy and burning the actual man.

I'll close with an anecdote. Two summers ago I went to Texas to visit some family. In the late afternoon my sister and I were matching wills in a water-drinking contest in the hotel room. I choked on the water, for some reason stood up, and started dawdling around the room, tripping on a suitcase and letting my head break my fall. People in the next room later reported that they had heard a dull thud sometime in the late afternoon. For a period of 24 hours I was essentially in a drunken state. I could not make new memories or hold on to any incoming stimuli for more than a few seconds. Also, at the time I was living with a guy of Indian descent (that is to say Indian bindy, not Indian whooping). During my stupor I had a favorite joke that I'd tell, repeatedly, that being that my roommate smelled like "curry and poo." What can I say? He smelled bad. But the curry was a bit racial, and I'm embarrassed I said it. I'm only thankful my fan never heard about it, because I value his friendship. People do and say stupid shit for reasons they can't explain.

I can see that you oppose to organized religion.

But there's nothing on earth that will grow and not get organized to continue growing. At least nothing that humans do.

Power corrupts most people but not everyone or at least we can help each other to be not as corrupt as we could.