Was it morally wrong for Fonda to make that visit to North Vietnam during war time and speak out as she did? Or, is there something morally questionable in still believing she is a traitor?
Poor Jane Fonda. She was a used young woman. She suffered much: the death of her mother at an early age, eating disorders, three failed marriages, addiction to medication and was used by the communists to further their cause.
In 1972 she went to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and regrets being photographed sitting on an enemy anti-aircraft gun but does not seem to regret going on an enemy radio to spew out their propaganda, earning the name Hanoi Jane. She, like Tokyo Rose and Axis Sally — Americans who went on enemy radio to encourage our boys to desert, were traitors. Technically she, unlike the other two, avoided the crime of treason because we had not formally declared war against Vietnam. Whether Jane Fonda was morally wrong only God can judge, but objectively speaking, she did grave damage to our prisoners of war who were tortured by the Viet Cong.
When these prisoners came home and testified to that fact, she said they were liars, deceived by their own racial bigotry. I pray that Fonda has come to realize that communism is not the way to build the earthly city but that Jesus is, as he said, "the way, the truth and the life".
THE REV. GENE FRILOT
Pastor Emeritus
Incarnation Catholic Church
Glendale
Our blessed country guarantees every citizen the right to voice their opinion. At the same time, common sense — and U.S. law — require that we guarantee this value by not undermining our nation and its armed forces during time of war.
Jane Fonda clearly had a right to speak out against the Vietnam War and voice her displeasure at what she deemed an unjust conflict. Had she stated that she felt the United States had no business getting militarily involved in far-off Vietnam, that might be understandable.
