Missouri Man Spits on Jane Fonda

(H/T to American Princess)...though I did hear about this on the radio just after it happened.

Missouri Man Spits on Jane Fonda

My wife and I were just talking about this woman. I personally found her whole apology thing so dispicible that I refused to even comment on it. It sounded hollow, empty, insincere and motivated by only repairing her image. It was carefully worded and did not really indicate that she made a mistake other than P/R. No reflection came through to me.

In fact it reminded me of one in 1988 during a Barbara Walters interview.

"I would like to say something, not just to Vietnam veterans in New England, but to men who were in Vietnam, who I hurt, or whose pain I caused to deepen because of things that I said or did," Fonda said.

"I was trying to help end the killing and the war, but there were times when I was thoughtless and careless about it and I'm . . . very sorry that I hurt them. And I want to apologize to them and their families."

The analysis from this website made me wonder about her apology a few days ago.

there is a direct reference to the veterans in New England and this points to the reason for the timing of the apology.

At the time, Fonda was filming "Stanley and Iris" on location in a number of blue-collar New England towns. Production on the movie was being severely disrupted by protesting veterans and this was causing a serious problem for the film. Fonda decided that something had to be done, so she went on 20/20.

Yep. An apology with questionable timing...and a carefully worded apology.

Then in 2000 she gave another carefully worded apology.

Finally, in an interview in 2000, almost thirty years after the fact, Fonda admitted: "I will go to my grave regretting the photograph of me in an anti-aircraft carrier, which looks like I was trying to shoot at American planes. It hurt so many soldiers. It galvanized such hostility. (source: Snopes.com)

Now fast forward to April 2005. She gives this line.

"I will go to my grave regretting that. The image of Jane Fonda, Barbarella, Henry Fonda's daughter, just a woman sitting on an enemy aircraft gun was a betrayal. It was like I was thumbing my nose at the military and at the country that gave me privilege."

She regrets the picture. The image was a betrayal to whom? She does not regret the visits, the company of the enemy of the U.S. of the time nor does she use the word "apology". She regrets the fallout from the image...but I believe that without the picture she would have no regrets. It is the image that she keeps mentioning.

I mean, she does not offer an "apology" for getting on the enemy radio and accusing American pilots of being "war criminals."

And it is a different image that she is focused on. Her public image. Just as her 1988 apology came at a time of her filming that was being disrupted by Veterans, this apology comes at the dawn of her book release and signing tour.

I do not want anyone to apologize for anything that they believe and that includes Jane. But if you do give an apology make it sincere.

Which brings us back to the conversation my wife & I were having earlier this week as Jane was being interviewed by one of our local FM follow-the-celebs-like-lemmings radio morning show. I explained why I thought that this latest spat of apologies were vacuous and that Veterans are smart. Vets see through this charade and their legitimate hatred for her runs very deep.

This Missouri man did what most Vets want to do daily.