Jane Fonda’s Hanoi Trip/Jimmy Carter’s Peace Mission

Jane Fonda was hated by pro-war patriots and veterans in 1972 when she went to what was then North Vietnam and sat at an anti aircraft gun emplacement in the capitol, Hanoi. She was loved by anti-war patriots, whose crowd was growing as Richard Nixon’s ‘round the clock, carpet bombing policies were stepping up in that third world country. But there was a dichotomy in her placement behind a gun, if she was there to represent peace. She was used by North Vietnam as a propaganda tool; but her message was peace.

Recently, former president, Jimmie Carter went to Palestine to discuss peace with representatives of the elected party, Hamas. Although his representation should carry a little more weight than a celebrity, like Fonda, (and he does in the political arena) the general population of the U.S.A. seems to be more likely to remember the activities of someone in the movies or on t.v. than what a respected, old diplomat will say or do. Whatever criticism Carter might draw, his efforts are for peace too. The harshest criticism seems to come from those who would like to continue destruction.

Perhaps then, we should send Opra Winfry to speak to Al Quieda.

Click here For Carter’s interview with Charlie

--Dan Gerstenlauer