Jane Fonda helped win Cold War !

"Jane Fonda's actions must not be forgiven ", thinks Jill "J.R" Labbe, a senior editorial writer for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. "

Even in the "liberal " New England, news stories routinely remind us of the Jane Fonda of 30 years ago - " one time friend of North Vietnam ". Shot down fighter pilots , imprisoned at the notorious Hanoi Hilton- like lawyers Ronald Bliss and Charles White-will hold Jane Fonda's name in infamy. Not for nothing, not for a scheduling conflict was she cancelled out of the Silver Gavel Awards luncheon of the American Bar Association.

As a protester of the Vietnam War myself ( limited to letters and demonstrations) , I can only agree that Jane Fonda naively allowed herself to be manipulated by cunning North Vietnamese communists. In despair many American soldiers in Vietnam actually supported the " Bring the Troops Home Now " rallies in Washington D.C., in which hundreds of thousands of citizens participated -most of them innocent of radical politics or pro-Stalinist -Maoist sympathies.

Perhaps Jane Fonda can't be forgiven unless she asks for forgiveness.  I just saw a touching movie " Wallace ". If George Wallace could be forgiven for his past racism by black victims of it, why can't those bitter Hanoi Hilton American prisoners ultimately forgive Jane Fonda - for foolishly idealizing a ruthless enemy ?

Ironically many political commentators thought that Russia was our real enemy in Vietnam.Strangely a Jane Fonda Workout Tape may have been a big factor in the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Recall the scary day -August 19, 1991 - when hard line communists held Gorbachov incommunicado. The reform minded Soviet leader cleverly taped a message to the Free World over the Jane Fonda tape - and the tape was smuggled past security guards.

With the world alerted, the reactionary coup collapsed. And soon Boris Yeltsin was the new pro-Western leader of the doomed Soviet Union. History finds ironic purpose even for villains !
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response from J.R. Labbe:

Ron:   Thanks for your comments about my recent Jane Fonda column. I beg
to disagree with you, however, when you compare your protest activities with
hers. It is one thing to vocalize dissent over what was unquestionably a
horrible commitment on the part of this country. The U.S. involvement in that war was inexplicable. But while you were making your feelings known here, she was sitting in an NVA firebase, calling for the death of American pilots. She
attacked the most vulnerable of our American military men - prisoners of
war. She provided information to the Cong on which prisoners were members of
Special Forces (she obviously had confederates within the military who helped her) and they were summarily executed. Talk to Ron Bliss, who was tortured for
refusing to sit around the camp fire and sing camp songs with her.

``Foolishly idolizing a ruthless enemy''?  In my family (Air Force colonel
father who died in the line of duty, an Air Force veteran husband who did
his time in-country guarding the perimeter at Cam Ranh Bay with an M-16 and a
German shepherd), we called it aiding and abetting. A national treasure? I think
not. Glad you enjoyed the privilege of protesting  the war, then went home
and slept in a nice warm bed every night. My father, my husband and every man
and women who served in uniform made that possible for you.
    Regards,  J.R. Labbe


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Form Values Comments :  " Jane Fonda's actions must not be forgiven ", thinks
Jill "J.R." Labbe, senior editorial writer for the Fort Worth Star
Telegram." Even in my " liberal " Rhode Island, news stories routinely remind
us of the Jane Fonda of 30 years ago-"one time friend of North Vietnam.
Perhaps the lovely Jane Fonda -whom I found especially appealing in
"Coming Home " - can't be forgiven until she asks for forgiveness. Has
she?

Just last night I viewed a touching  video, " Wallace ". If George
Wallace could be forgiven for his past racism by black victims of it,
why can't those bitter Hanoi Hilton American prisoners ultimately forgive
sweet Jane Fonda -for foolishly idealizing a ruthless enemy ?

Inspired not by Jane Fonda, but by the anti-war movement and my
own conscience, I -like our President Bill Clinton - protested the Vietnam War in the late Sixties. In fact hundreds of thousands of all-American citizens marched in the streets of Washington D.C. shouting: " Bring the troops home now ! "
   
And many American soldiers in Vietnam applauded - not cursed-them.

Stop over-vilifying a national treasure - Jane Fonda.