Man spits tobacco juice in Jane Fondas face

[mayfly]

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- A man spit tobacco juice into the face of Jane Fonda after waiting in line to have her sign her new memoir.

Capt. Rich Lockhart of the Kansas City Police Department said Michael A. Smith, 54, was arrested Tuesday night on a municipal charge of disorderly conduct. He was released on bond and is due to appear in court on May 27.

Fonda covers a wide range of topics in "My Life So Far," including her 1972 visit to Hanoi to protest the Vietnam War, during which she was photographed on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. She has apologized for the photo, but not for opposing the war.

Smith, a Vietnam veteran, told The Kansas City Star Wednesday that Fonda was a "traitor" and that her protests against the Vietnam War were unforgivable. He said he doesn't chew tobacco but did so Tuesday solely to spit juice on the actress.

"I consider it a debt of honor," he told The Star for a story on its Web site. "She spit in our faces for 37 years. It was absolutely worth it. There are a lot of veterans who would love to do what I did."

Fonda, who flew to Minneapolis Wednesday for another appearance on her book tour, issued a statement through Jynne Martin of Random House.

"In spite of the incident, my experience in Kansas City was wonderful and I thank all the warm and supportive people, including so many veterans, who came to welcome me last night," she said.

Fonda drew a crowd of about 900 at Unity Temple, said Vivian Jennings, whose Rainy Day Books of suburban Fairway, Kansas, sponsored the event.

Jennings said the 67-year-old actress never got up from her seat and continued autographing books after the tobacco juice was wiped off.

"The important thing is that she was so calm and so gracious about it," Jennings said. "She was wonderful."

[YorkieLover]

I saw a little bit of Jane Fonda on Larry King Live the other day. She seems to have settled down a bit and seemed more introspective. She apologized for some things that she did, but not for opposing the war. That's disgusting, though, to have someone spit tobacco juice in your face - disgusting stuff. There are better ways to not agree with someone. Ewwww.

[crazytimes]

That's pretty rude.

[rk24]

yeah he should not have spit in her face. he should have slapped her off of her feet.

[whitequeen96]

Just because someone opposes a war does not make them a traitor to their country. (My family believed in the war, but events have proven that we probably made a mistake going to Vietnam.)

I know it really enraged a lot of people that she posed for the photos, but I never understood why. She was just an actress, not the Secretary of State, so if you disagree, who cares what she does? People acted as if her actions were responsible for the deaths of some of our boys, but she was/is not magic, so I don't see how that could be true.

[Jaxxie]

She made life **** for a lot of vietnam vets. Imagine you are over there fighting, seeing your men being killed and injured. And here comes this actress with a huge last name, very famous father and she is posing for pictures with the enemy. I am truly surprised she was never shot. I understand now she has apologized numerous times and attributes some of her actions to being young. But alot of these men will never forgive her.
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I disagree with what Jane Fonda did during the Vietnam War. My husband is a Vietnam War Helicopter pilot who was shot down 5 times and lived. Now, given that I think that she is a wonderful actress. She was just stupid to do what she did. She can't say she is sorry, because none of these guys, believe she is sincere. As for the guy that spit in her face, that is not to be excused. That is the most horrific thing that anyone can do to another person. Spitting in ones face is a sick act. Most Veterans are silent about their feelings after the war. Maybe he could have written a book about how mad he was at her actions. As much as I disapprove of what she did during the Vietnam War, I disapprove of his actions even more.

[telos2000]

Okay, spit washes off, but treason is in a person's character. I suppose ya'll would be mad if a 9/11 victim's family spit tobacoo juice in the face of Osama Ben Laden?

I agree the man's social graces need improvement, but at least he didn't pull an Uzi out and spray her with lead.

I am moving this to Religion and Politics.

[crazytimes]

To be honest, the school year always ended before we got to the Vietnam War. I honestly have no idea why the Vietnam War happened or what we gained from it. I think it was about Communism, but I'm not really sure. Never learned about it; we always focused more on WWII.

[hmsram]

I agree she was 100% wrong , but if we all went around spitting on other who did wrong things and stupid things this world would be an uglier place than what it already is...

I have 2 uncles who served in Vietnam and I know all to well the pain these guys suffered mentally and physically and still do till today...My uncles will not even talk about it and I never asked until a few months ago and only a few words were said and he changed the subject...So I know it was bad...

[prism68]

Originally Posted by whitequeen96

Just because someone opposes a war does not make them a traitor to their country ...
I know it really enraged a lot of people that she posed for the photos, but I never understood why.

She is a traitor not because she disagreed with the war, nor for simply 'posing for a photo'. Her radio addresses (ten, at least) spoke horribly of our own young men over there while praising the Vietnamese. She brought lies back home that our men were ashamed of themselves for participating in the war. When our men returned home, she encouraged the American public not to 'hail them as heroes' because they were hypocrites and liars- in regards to our P.O.W.'s!!

She goes on, but I don't have the stomach to. My dad was only 19 when he went; she deserves no honors, ever.

[mayfly]

What she did was wrong, and there were huge consquences for it. I have heard that she made it even harder for our P.O.W's. But she was pretty young at the time also, thinking she knew everything. In my opinion the guy who spit on her brought himself down to her level, But.... it was a level that she has admitted was wrong and apologized for. If people can't apologize, then we are all in a world of hurt. We have all done things that we regret, I think. At least most of us have. And there are consequences for our actions. She has suffered, what, 30 years of consquences? Is the debt never paid?

[King Guiness]

Jane Fonda has become a born again Christian. She was not wrong to protest the war but she was wrong in her political views of the time. She was a hero of the hard left including the SDSers and the Weather Underground. If Im not mistaken she dated a well known Commie Tom Hayden. But that was 35 years ago and people need to get over it. If that man is a Christian then he is a hypocrite. Where are the well known Christians that should be rushing to her defense? They are nowhere to be found because Robertson, Falwell, ect are all a bunch of frauds. If you are a Republican and a Christian they will roll out the red carpet for you. If you claim to be a Christian and still have left views they dont agree with, you will be ignored.

[prism68]

Originally Posted by mayfly

What she did was wrong, and there were huge consquences for it. I have heard that she made it even harder for our P.O.W's. But she was pretty young at the time also, thinking she knew everything. In my opinion the guy who spit on her brought himself down to her level, But.... it was a level that she has admitted was wrong and apologized for. If people can't apologize, then we are all in a world of hurt. We have all done things that we regret, I think. At least most of us have. And there are consequences for our actions. She has suffered, what, 30 years of consquences? Is the debt never paid?

Mayfly, I get that she was young; I DON'T get that her apology was anything more than a publicity stunt when she was being picketed by veterans.

As far as I am concerned, she shouldn't be honored EVER because of her un-honorable actions on the global front. Her debt was paid 2000 yrs ago if she is a Christian; her CONSEQUENCES maybe not.

Heck, I am still paying consequences for choices I made when I was 16- that's how life works. I am forgiven, but I still pay dues. And trust me, if I was ever put up for an 'honor' like that, I am sure I know some folks who would come out of the woodwork to protest. We all pay for mistakes all of our lives, in one way or another.

[chippers21]

The really sad thing is that someone that young and stupid could have the public eye and thus have so much negative influence.
I have always felt terrible for her. She was a fool.