Jane Fonda = the Antichrist

Yeah- I've received a chain letter from my mother. All about how evil Jane is. People sure get worked up about Jane. I'm not old enough to remember what she did in the same way- I do know that there are plenty of urban myths about her actions- not all of the stories are accurate. More's the pity. It's a shame I think that she is being held so responsible for actions made when she was young, and certainly a dumb ass. I wonder why everyone else isn't held to that particular standard. I wonder if the guys who acted inproperly at My Lai are still remembered for their actions. I wonder if any of the other celebrity protesters are still remembered for their stances...I kinda think not. And it's a shame that despite her apologies, she cannot be forgiven. It's kind of like she's on the same level as Hitler. No amount of contrition will ever be enough. That makes me sad. I think, as a country, we can afford to be more charitable than that. Yes, her actions hurt. But she's still part of the family, so to speak. And despite the hurt she caused, if she is sorry, she should be forgiven.

I am very glad that I didn't do anything seriously fucked up when I was in my early 20s- I would hate to have that kind of thing hanging over me for the rest of my life. Especially if it was public. I think that 40 years is really long enough to punish someone. Many serious criminals don't do that much time in prison, and they are considered rehabilitated when they are released. And if they don't do anything else for the rest of their lives, they are thought to have paid their debts to society. So what is worse- someone who committed manslaughter, or someone who was used for treasonous propeganda? I dunno. I am not on that jury. I refuse to be that judge. It just makes me sad. I don't like to hear that kind of anger in my mother's voice. Especially towards a woman she'll never know, whose actions were ill-considered but not overtly illegal.