When is an apology acceptable? When someone betrays her country and then apologizes for the misdeed, is the apology acceptable? Now that UCLA has invited Jane Fonda to speak at commencement, according to Fox News today (June 3), the whole issue of her alleged lack of patriotism comes into focus – again.
For those of you who do not remember, Jane, who was opposed to the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, went to Hanoi during the war, giving aid and comfort to the Viet Cong, and was seen having her photograph taken while manning a Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. She earned the sobriquet “Hanoi Jane” for her anti-American behavior and betrayal of American interests, a name to which she is still linked in many quarters, perhaps permanently.
But many years later Jane apologized for her anti-American behavior during the war. Does this apology wash away her traitorous conduct? Apparently some are willing to forgive and forget, others not so willing.
On a different issue, I am quite unsure of what her accomplishments are in life are that justifies her role as a commencement speaker. Certainly making a movie or two is not what I would call justification. In the same vein, the University of Pennsylvania once had Jodie Foster as a commencement speaker. On the other hand, Condoleeza Rice, who withdrew her name from consideration as commencement speaker at Rutgers University in the face of opposition to her from a small group of misguided students and professors, would have much more to offer. Recall that she is on the faculty at Stanford University as well as having been Secretary of State and National Security Adviser under President George W. Bush.
Copyright 2014. Arnold G. Regardie. All rights reserved.
