Monday, April 23, 2007
Posted by:
Kevin McCullough
at
12:32 AM
I know that Alec Baldwin is an avowed leftist and for that reason when he hits the skids conservatives love to go crazy on him. He also is someone with an apparent hair trigger temper, and someone who calls, or did call his daughter "pig."
By now everyone has heard the audio of his flare up at his 12 year old daughter Ireland that surfaced on a gossip web-site this week.
Alec's brother Stephen has become a good friend in recent weeks and months. I spoke with Stephen twice on Friday (when the story hit) and again over the weekend (he called me.)
Stephen was quick to alert me to a few things...
1. No one, not even ALEC approves of the way Alec spoke to Ireland. Alec has since apologized to his daughter (actually he had before the story even came out.)
2. The bitter custody dispute is the driving frustration here. Alec wants to see his daughter, a judge has said twice a week he can call her for only 30 minutes. The judge has ordered Basinger to make the daughter available and yet mysteriously enough - she just happens to be out shopping with mom when it comes time for the phone call.
3. Alec is learning first hand how the system is rigged to always lean in favor of the mom. Basinger has recently asked for charges against her to be dropped. The charges are for already violating the present custody agreement multiple times. It should also be noted - that the judge did NOT drop the charges.
All of this to say... what Alec said to his girl was terrible, horrible, rotten, very bad - no good. And on Friday's show I had parents (particularly women) who were calling in one after the other saying how thankful they were that they were never taped when they had dealt with their kids in inappropriate ways. We should all be so thankful.
And honestly - what truly loving mom would leak that tape to a gossip rag? ESPECIALLY if what he said to her on it was so bad that it might damage her for life? Now instead of being in her lawyer's vault - it has been replicated in dozens of YouTube mirrors for her to find for the rest of her life... this is the action of a mother who loves her daughter?
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her daughter as a pawn in this custody battle, knowing full well how many people view her ex-husband and his political views. Since she does not talk to the press, at least from what I have heard, it is hard to know both sides of the story. Regardless, I feel so sorry for this child and how her parents actions will profoundly affect her life and psychological health/well-being. |
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the phone call tape could well have been leaked to actually show what alec is really like instead of the scripted lawyer provided answers and (you dont have any proof of your alleged abuse by your husband) and that may have been the only way for her to show what is happening in private. but I am sure you already know that no man would talk that way to a child or wife. Is that the way most liberal men try to woo the children in a custody battle. |
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I don't fully agree..
How do we know this is the first time Mr. Baldwin has spoken to his daughter that way?
Words and behavior like these usually happen in succession.
I am not saying Mr. Baldwin is a pernicious abuser..or even a full out one (With all the hoops this man has had to jump through, and his actually inability to see his child, he may not even have time to..)
Nor am I saying that the mistreated Father syndrome is not a real, and sad scenario..
But if Mr. Baldwin has done this at least one other time, or Miss Basinger just knows him well enough, how do we know this wasn't a Mother's frustrated way of expressing protection of this girl?
If Mr. Baldwin does not have such a history, then yes, it was very destructive indeed.
No parents frustrations with each other should ever be so harsh, or so public, to actually hurt their kids..
But what if Miss Basinger was saddened, and angry
at this mistreatment of their child?
What if she felt she had no way out of this, and no evidence for others to see such mistreatment?
What if she became so angry, and frustrated, with somewhat consistent mistreatment, that she just let loose?
Discretion is the better part of valor.
And I am not saying Miss Basinger was right in letting this kind of info. out into the community.
But haven't you ever had -what seemed to be- an irrational moment, because of an injustice you got tired of seeing?
Maybe, just maybe, this was Miss Basinger's way -in her mind at the time-of actually protecting her kid..
Sometimes people don't think when they do things out of frustration..or spite, which would be worse..
No one is denying it wasn't prudent..and what she meant for harm turned out to be not even fair..
Not saying it was right, or even thought through..
Arguments generally take two.. |
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On the other hand..
I just saw this headline at the drudgereport:
"Basinger 'hires bodyguard for daughter' after Baldwin phone rant..."
And I must say there NEEDS to be a balance of fairness and respect towards each parent in life, and these situations, if the child is to come out fairly-or less scathed.
No parents frustration with their ex spouse should ever become so destructive that it becomes corrosive to the child's image, or relationship with that parent.
Unless, as I said above, there is true abuse..
But, hiring a body guard against one's Dad?
That seems pretty bad to me and a bit of extreme overkill |
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I am a born-again Christian and have been just amazed at the way God is using Stephen Baldwin in ministry. Kevin, I listened to your radio show on April 16 for the first time because Stephen was hosting and also because I was off work that week. I understand Stephen's defending of his brother because, well, they are family and I am sure his main focus is to win Alec to Christ. Also, he is closer to the situation than any of us and knows better what is going on. Because Alec apologized to his daughter before the tape came out speaks volumes to me that he is truly sorry. HOWEVER, there are a few things that seem suspect. Let me explain:
Alec's apology on his website does seem a little suspect to me because he says "In the meantime, I'm sorry to anyone who's taken offense from this episode" I can't imagine that there is anyone who didn't take offense.. Why didn't he just say--"I know what I said was offensive and I am sorry" more like Mel Gibson did when he offered his apology regarding his tirade against Jews.
Also, he plugs his book "Once my book is published, I'm sure more people will understand the incredible strains created by parental alienation." He had time to leave a vitriolic message to his daughter but he doesn't have time to explain parental alientation on his website. It seems that he would rather us wait for the explanation when the book comes out and then spend our money to find out. That may not be the case, but on the surface to me as someone who doesn't know him, that is how it seems.
Also, Kevin, you said:
"The bitter custody dispute is the driving frustration here. Alec wants to see his daughter, a judge has said twice a week he can call her for only 30 minutes. The judge has ordered Basinger to make the daughter available and yet mysteriously enough - she just happens to be out shopping with mom when it comes time for the phone call."
This statement makes it seem that Alec believes it is Kim's fault that Ireland's phone was turned off, and I am sure it is. Why didn't Alec call Kim and leave that message(not that he should leave that message to anyone--but I am sure you follow my reasoning here)? If he can't speak directly to Kim, he could get the message to her through her lawyers. I am sure there is not much that Ireland can do about her mother's manupilation of her. Why then, did Alec take it out on his child?
Since Alec apparently knows enough about parental alienation to write a book, he should never have allowed the pressure to drive him to speak to his daughter this way. I know he is just human and we all make mistakes, but if he knows enough to write a book, shouldn't he have been more above doing something like that than the average person experiencing this trauma? Maybe he doesn't need to be writing a book.
Now, onto Kim. If she released that tape, that is just reprehensible. Why would you want the public to hear your daughter's father talk to her that way? I have no idea.
I think Alec's and Kim's hate for each other has so consumed the both of them that they are both alienating their daughter, whether they mean to or not.
Anyway, that is my take. For awhile now since I have known about Stephen's conversion, I have been praying for Alec's salvation. Jesus, is really the only One that can fix his situation. I heard recently that Chynna Phillips, Stephen's sister-in-law, has become born-again and that Daniel Baldwin has also. It seems that God is doing a great work in that family. I just keep trusting that eventually Alec will come into the fold. He is such a passionate person that I know he would be the most devoted and on-fire for Jesus Christian this generation has seen in a long time.
P.S. Please let Stevie B host your show again. He did such a good job.
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I think the thing we all need to be careful of here is saying what we would never do. The Bible says that pride goes before a fall
(Proverbs 16:18) and that the heart is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). I believe that anyone, including born-again Christians like myself, are capable of saying and doing anything given the right (or should I say "wrong") circumstances. It has pained me to hear Sean Hannity (of whom I am a huge fan) suggest that he would never talk to his children this way. I hope he never has and never does. I don't have children, so I hope that if I have children, I would never speak to them this way, but anyone is capable of anything. Just look at the story of King David. What is important is to focus on Jesus and to seek to emulate Him. When we lose sight of Him, we are subject to a huge fall. For Alec, we need to lift him up in prayer that he will be drawn to Jesus through this situation and that Stephen would be able to minister to him during this time. We should also pray that Kim would become a Christian and that they could somehow work out a truce that would honor Christ. |
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