Yes, I have said things to friends that I wouldn't say in public. On the other hand, if I were talking to someone on the other side of a lawsuit that involved hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, and the custody of my child, I would be damned sure not to drop the N-word.
Furthermore some of Mr. Gibson's other racist comments were not said among the safety of freinds but rather were said in public places.
While I fail to understand why disparaging an entire race aided him in any way, towards making a point in a fight, I am just not all that shocked by it. Maybe it's because I grew up among varying degrees of racism from "where do you hide your white hood' to 'making excuses for people who happen to be black because you are so afraid of being called a racist.'
People, even celebs, are not perfect and capable of suffering from ignorance. I've known plenty of otherwise intelligent people who suffer from the misconception that being rude is somehow worse if the rude person happens to be black; or here in Florida, being Mexican seems to be even worse of a crime.
Driving in traffic and someone cuts you off:
If they are white, they are just rude (or not paying attention). If they are black, they are self-entitled and think they are excempt from manners. If they are Mexican, they are here illegally and a danger to everyone on the road. If they are Asian, they just can't drive.
So someone says this without looking over his proverbial shoulder and it makes news. Being able to parrot one-liners does not make me hold Mel to any higher standard than anyone else. I don't know him personally so it can't possibly change my opinion of him. Hearing it come from someone else does make it sound worse and hopefully, people who read this kind of news might make some kind of comparison to how they might sound but it's not likely. In any racial discussion, most people defend themselves and what they say by random anecdotes of limited experiences they've had with a particular race. My favorite defense is: I don't hate all black people, just n******. /facepalm!
Of that nature and magnitude? Not me.
Is there an acceptable level of ignorance? I seem to remember a thread full of Helen Keller jokes. I don't know if you actually partook so I am not directing this at you, personally; cruel jokes about a severely disabled person = funny but racial slurs = unacceptable.