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Skriven 2005-04-20 20:45:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Jane
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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050420/ap_en_ot/fonda_spit
ter

Missouri Man Spits on Jane Fonda 

Wed Apr 20, 3:26 PM ET  

TIM CURRAN, Associated Press Writer 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man spit tobacco juice into the face of actress 
Jane Fonda after waiting in line to have her sign her new book, police 
said. 


Fonda has been on tour and doing interviews to promote her just-
published memoir, "My Life So Far." The thrice-married, two-time Academy 
Award winner covers a wide array of topics, including her 1972 visit to 
Hanoi to protest the Vietnam War, during which she was photographed on a 
North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. She has apologized for that photo, 
but not for opposing the war. 


Capt. Rich Lockhart of the Kansas City Police Department said that 
although Fonda did not want to press charges against Michael A. Smith, 
54, of Kansas City, he was arrested on a municipal charge of disorderly 
conduct after off-duty officers caught him just outside Unity Temple, 
where Fonda was signing books. 


Lockhart said Smith was released on bond late Tuesday night and is due 
to appear in municipal court on May 27. 


Smith, a Vietnam veteran, told The Kansas City Star on Wednesday that 
Fonda was a "traitor" and that her protests against the war were 
unforgivable. He said he normally does not chew tobacco but did so 
Tuesday solely to spit juice on the actress. 


"I consider it a debt of honor," he told The Star for a story on its Web 
site, www.kansascity.com. "She spit in our faces for 37 years. It was 
absolutely worth it. There are a lot of veterans who would love to do 
what I did." 


Fonda drew a crowd of about 900 for her appearance, said Vivian 
Jennings, whose Rainy Day Books of suburban Fairway, Kan., sponsored the 
event at Unity Temple in Kansas City. Fonda, 67, spoke for about 15 
minutes, answered questions for another 15, then began signing copies of 
her book. 


Jennings said Fonda received a standing ovation when she came out and 
when she finished speaking. Alan Tilson, one of those who had his book 
signed but left before the incident, said the crowd was very "warm and 
supportive" to Fonda and he was surprised to learn what had happened. 


Jennings said the actress never got up from her seat and continued 
autographing books after the tobacco juice was wiped off. 


"The important thing is that she was so calm and so gracious about it," 
Jennings said of Fonda. "She was wonderful." 


Jennings said that the man had a book to which the name "Jody" had been 
affixed as he approached to have it autographed. She said that when 
Fonda got the book, she looked up and said, "You're not Jody." 


"At that moment, he turned his head quickly and spit a trail of tobacco 
juice," Jennings said. "He immediately jumped off the stage and started 
running down the aisle." 


Fonda, who flew to Minneapolis Wednesday for another appearance on the 
book tour she began April 5, issued a statement through Jynne Martin of 
Random House, which published her book. 


"In spite of the incident, my experience in Kansas City was wonderful 
and I thank all the warm and supportive people, including so many 
veterans, who came to welcome me last night," Fonda said.


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