JANE'S AFFLICTION:
It was the spit heard 'round the world. Michael Smith-a Vietnam veteran from Missouri-waited in line for 90 minutes at an April 19 book signing in Kansas City for the opportunity to hawk a thick stream of tobacco juice in Jane Fonda's face.
Yummy. But the incident-which coincided with the release of Fonda's memoir My Life So Far-has become the Iwo Jima of loogies to millions of veterans and political conservatives. GI Smith has been heralded by right-wingers as a real American hero and his errant spittle has heightened vitriolic fervor that has been percolating since Fonda's infamous visit with the Viet Cong in Hanoi more than 30 years ago.
The detractors of "Hanoi Jane" have painted a bull's eye on subsequent stops on Fonda's book tour. And now Santa Fe's own Garcia Street Books is in the cross hairs. The July 23 appearance was not a scheduled stop on the tour but came, Garcia Street Books owner Edward Borins says, at the request of Fonda, who owns a ranch in Rowe.
"What a generous offer," Borins says. "She really had a feeling for the people of Santa Fe to want to do this."
Not everybody is so gracious. Borins says he has received thinly veiled threats to cancel the event, one from a Vietnam veteran from Albuquerque and another from an anonymous caller who promised to organize a boycott of Garcia Street Books if the appearance wasn't scrapped.
There also has been significant Web chatter on sites like
(which bills itself as "the premier online gathering place for independent, grassroots conservatism on the Web" advocating protests of Fonda appearances. In a lengthy forum thread-accessed using key words like "TraitorBitch" and "CommieSlut"-at least one "FReeper," as the site's devotees call themselves, hailing from New Mexico, put out the call for a Santa Fe protest. "I would be willing to meet up with other FReepers there," a person using the screen name "Army Air Corps" wrote. "This gradstanding [sic] harpy from the bowels of Hades needs to have her arse handed to her on a silver platter."
Borins is unfazed. He says the appearance will go on as scheduled with a contingent of off-duty police officers on hand to provide security.
"Controversial ideas will inevitably alienate some people," Borins says. "While we don't want to offend anyone, we will not allow anyone to censor either the books we sell or the authors we host." (ND)
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