For years, the United States has conducted military operations in other countries. These operations seek to achieve a wide range of objectives. While some operations aim to spread American ideals others are intended to eliminate threats to America’s national security. Today, the country has troops in such nations as Afghanistan and Pakistan where the US is involved in an operation to tackle terrorism (Johnson & Sarbahi, 2016). The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial and important military operations that the US has ever conducted. This war caused sharp divisions among the American public. There is a group of Americans that expressed their full support for the war. On the other hand, there were liberals who opposed the war and challenged the US government to end its murderous campaign. Jane Foster served as the face of the latter group of Americans. She was a vocal opponent of the war. She went as far as posing for photos with Vietnamese soldiers. While her actions may have been noble, her decision to be photographed with Vietnamese soldiers amounts to an insult against the brave American soldiers who placed their lives on the line to secure their country.
Before examining how Fonda insulted the US and its soldiers, it is helpful to begin with an exploration of the anti-Vietnam War activism. As pointed out above, the Vietnam War divided the American public sharply. There were those opposed to the war staged protests as they called for the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam (Burgin, 2012). While the anti-Vietnam War movement received support from various sectors of the US population, students were in the forefront. For example, the Students for a Democratic Society is among the student organizations that led the anti-Vietnam War movement (Anderson, 2017). Students and other young Americans were also opposed to the conscription program that the US government had instituted to supply its forces with troops. Those behind the anti-war movement faced accusations that they were sympathetic to communist causes and that their behavior was un-American.
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The discussion above has revealed that the Vietnam War was a contentious issue. Fonda’s involvement in the war made it even more contentious. As noted earlier, he engaged in activities that suggested her opposition to the war and her support for Vietnamese soldiers. For one to fully understand why Fonda’s behavior indicates her lack of patriotism, it is helpful to consider the US government’s response to her actions. In her exploration of how various administrations have carried out surveillance, Julian Sanchez notes that the US government created a program to monitor such individuals as Fonda. The government considered Fonda to be dangerous and a threat to the country’s interests (Sanchez, 2015). While Sanchez argues that the government abused its powers when it set up the surveillance operations, she suggests that Fonda was so dangerous that the government felt the need to monitor her activities. For the government to monitor the activities of an individual, it must be that this individual poses a serious threat. Therefore, Fonda’s support for Vietnamese forces made her an enemy of the US and its people.
Fonda was a leading member of the anti-War movement. Apart from taking photos with Vietnamese soldiers, she also joined forces with political leaders who were also opposed to the Vietnam War. For example, Harry Farid (2016) describes a photo that Fonda took with Senator John Kerry. The two shared a common objective of pushing for the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam and the larger South East Asian region. Fonda’s alliance with political leaders makes her actions even more unpatriotic and dangerous. While movie starts have every right to push for causes that they care about, they need to understand that they have an obligation to their audiences. The American audience expects these stars to remain neutral. Fonda’s decision to align herself with Senator Kerry indicates that her actions had political motivations. This alliance also points to the bias in Hollywood. In the run up to the 2016 presidential elections, dozens of Hollywood stars expressed their opposition to Trump’s candidacy and urged the America people to vote for Hillary Clinton. The election of Trump suggests that American voters are independent thinkers who expect movie stars to remain impartial. Therefore, as she aligned herself with a politician, Fonda effectively made it clear that she was biased and that she did not share the views of the millions of Americans who supported the Vietnam War.
The views of the public allow one to determine the appropriateness of certain actions. While these views are not necessarily fair, they wield significant power. An individual who has suffered negative public perception may never regain their image. Following her decision to express opposition to the Vietnam War, Fonda faced a backlash from the American people. She was even labelled “Hanoi Jane” (Itkowitz, 2017). The backlash suggests that the American people did not endorse her actions. It is worth noting that there are millions who did not support Fonda’s actions, there are many who shared her opposition to the Vietnam War. Initially, the anti-war movement had little support. However, as the horrors that American forces were causing in Vietnam became public, more and more Americans voiced their opposition to the War (Anderson, 2017). The strong opposition to the war does not sanitize Fonda’s actions. Her actions remain unpatriotic and amount to a betrayal of her country and American troops.
The arguments provided above point to the gravity of Fonda’s display of disrespect of American soldiers. However, for an even better understanding of how grave her mistakes were, it is necessary to consult her own confessions. When she was interviewed, Fonda admitted that taking a photo with Vietnamese soldiers was a mistake. She confessed that “it hurts me and it will to my grave that I made a huge mistake that made a lot of people think that I was against the soldiers” (Beaumont-Thomas, 2015). Fonda’s confession adds to the arguments raised above to paint her as a threat to America’s security and an enemy of American soldiers.
The discussion above has attempted to represent Fonda as an enemy of the American people. This charge is fair and the direct result of the assessment of her actions. However, for the sake of balance and even greater fairness, it is necessary to probe the role that she played in advocating for the welfare of the Vietnamese people. In her article, Mary Hershberger identifies some of the efforts that Fonda led to promote peace and bring an end to the Vietnam War. Fonda was involved in the establishment of the G.I Office (Hershberger, 2004). This organization received complaints from individuals who had suffered harassment for their opposition to the Vietnam War. Another role that Fonda played involved taunting US troops to end their campaign in Vietnam. Hershberger states that Fonda helped to set up the Free the Army Troupe. This group of artists would stage performances near military installation (Hershberger, 2004)s. Perhaps the greatest displays of support for American troops that Fonda demonstrated are the visits that she made to Hanoi. While in Hanoi, she met American pilots who had been imprisoned. She carried messages from these pilots. Most of the pilots shared Fonda’s anti-war sentiment (Hershberger, 2004). The numerous initiatives that Fonda pursued as part of her anti-Vietnam War campaign suggest that perhaps she is not the enemy of the country as many believe. While examining the positive endeavors that Fonda pursued, it is important not to forget her sins. Fonda is a woman who forgot that her loyalty should always lie with her country. When she posed for photos with the Vietnamese soldiers, she essentially aligned herself with the enemy. Therefore, her actions of generosity do little to erase her sins.
Celebrities wield immense influence. They are able to shape public opinion on a wide range of issues. Given the influence that they have, celebrities need to remember that they must remain objective. Fonda’s actions indicate that she does not recognize the value of objectivity and impartiality. She was reckless in her response to the Vietnam War. As pointed out earlier, this War caused deep divisions among the American public and it proved controversial. If she understood the great responsibility that her celebrity status came with, Fonda would have been more careful. She has the right to express her opinion on such matters as America’s military campaigns abroad. However, even as she shares her opinions, she must not neglect her responsibility to the public.
In conclusion, the strength of any nation hinges on the level of support that it receives from its citizens. A country whose citizens are deeply patriotic is more likely to achieve success on the international stage. On the other hand, when citizens refuse or fail to support their countries, they are essentially setting their countries up for failure. The need for patriotism can be seen in the Vietnam War. The US failed to make any meaningful progress in this war due to low levels of support from its people. Such individuals as Jane Fonda are to blame for the lack of public support for the Vietnam War. In addition to explicitly stating her opposition to the war, Fonda also joined forces with Vietnamese soldiers. Her actions represent the height of treason and lack of patriotism. It is indeed encouraging that Fonda recognizes that her behavior was wrong. Her blunders should challenge others to remain loyal to their countries and fully support the initiatives of their governments.
References
Anderson, T. H. (2017). Expanding the Anti-Vietnam War Movement. The Sixties, 10 (2),
250-252.
Beaumont-Thomas, B. (2015, January 20). Jane Fonda: Hanoi Jane Photo was a ‘Huge Mistake’.
Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/20/jane-fonda-hanoi-jane-photo-was-a-huge-mistake
Burgin, S. (2012). Understanding Antiwar Activism as a Gendering Activity: A Look at the
U.S.’s Anti-Vietnam War Movement. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 13 (6),
18-31.
Farid, S. (2016). Photo Forensics. MIT Press.
Hershberger, M. (2004). Peace Work, War Myths: Jane Fonda and the Antiwar Movement.
Peace & Change, 29 (3-4), 549-579.
Itkowitz, C. (2017). How Jane Fonda’s 1972 Trip to North Vietnam Earned her the
Nickname ‘Hanoi Jane’. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/09/18/how-jane-fondas-1972-trip-to-north-vietnam-earned-her-the-nickname-hanoi-jane/?utm_term=.a3f4c1eed586
Johnson, P. B. & Sarbahi, A. K. (2016). The Impact of US Drone Strikes on Terrorism in
Pakistan. International Studies Quarterly, 60 (2), 203-219.
Sanchez, J. (2015). Government Discretion in the Age of Data Collection: An Inadequate
Limitation? Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, 38 (1), 23-35.
