Kerry/Fonda Photo is doctored?

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Dreadsox

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1971 Photo of Kerry Doctored




By Michael Rothfeld
Staff Writer

As a 20-year-old photographer documenting the country's struggle over the Vietnam War, Ken Light snapped the picture of John Kerry at a peace rally in Mineola. It captured the future senator alone at a podium, squinting into the sun.

Light did not photograph Jane Fonda on that warm June Sunday in 1971. The actress, who is reviled by many Vietnam veterans for her vocal stance against the war, did not even attend.

But when opponents of the Democratic presidential hopeful began e-mailing Light's picture to one another four days ago, it depicted Fonda standing by Kerry's side. The photo had been doctored.

"I'm horrified," said Light, 52, who grew up in East Meadow and now heads the graduate photojournalism program at the University of California at Berkeley. "I think this kind of alteration is probably one of the scariest forms of trickery, particularly when it's done against a political candidate."

Dag Vega, a spokesman for Kerry's campaign, said, "The smear tactics have started already."

Kerry, who co-founded Vietnam Veterans Against the War, spoke at the Register for Peace Rally on June 13, 1971, when thousands gathered for "the largest anti-war demonstration ever held on Long Island," according to a story in Newsday the next day. Light recalled Long Islanders of all ages sprawled across the State Supreme Court mall in Mineola, with American flags and peace symbols. Former members of Congress who attended included Bella Abzug, Allard Lowenstein and Lester Wolff. Folk singer Peter Yarrow entertained, and the rally ended with a burst of thunder and lightning.

Light, a student in Ohio at the time, took the picture of Kerry but never published it, and it sat in his files until two weeks ago when he shipped it to Corbis, his Seattle-based agent, which placed it in its online archives.

That is apparently where someone found it, and attempted to capitalize on the attention garnered by an authentic photo of Kerry and Fonda at a Vietnam-era rally -- seated some distance apart -- posted early this month on a Web site called www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com. The Web site's creator, Ted Sampley, a Vietnam veteran from North Carolina, said he received the doctored photo by e-mail on Wednesday from a woman in Richmond, Va.

"Thought you might want to include this pic on your site," said the note from Loree Siemek, with an attachment called "HanoiJohn.jpg," a takeoff on "Hanoi Jane," the derisive nickname given to Fonda by her critics during the Vietnam era. It is made to look like a newspaper clipping, headlined "Fonda Speaks to Vietnam Veterans at Anti- War Rally," with an Associated Press photo credit. Sampley said he was immediately skeptical, and e-mailed it to some friends who concluded it was faked. He did not post it.

"I looked at it and it didn't feel right," Sampley said in an interview. "It just looked too good."

Siemek, 34, reached by phone, said she found the picture on a conservative Internet message board and had no idea it was phony.
 
this is going to get ugly. I think I know why. Historically, negative campaigns keep turnout low. Tim Ruseert on Meet the Press this mornign said that he believes that this will be one of the highest turnouts in history. That would be bad for Bush.

Thaqtis my 2 pence worth.
 
Maybe I am missing something, but what exactly is the problem with Kerry attending anti-war protests?

Does he not, better than almost any other American except those who served with him, have an idea of what went on in Vietnam? How many times was he injured in combat? Something like 2 or 3? So if he spent years in the Navy and he fought in the war and fulfilled his duty, why can't he then come to the conclusion the war was misguided?

Hell, the rest of the world always thought Vietnam was an American shame, so why can't Kerry protest? Against Napalm and AGent Orange and whatever else atrocities were committed there against not just soldiers from both sides, but innocent civilians. It boggles the mind that this somehow makes him less of a man, or less capable of leading a country.
 
It has more to do with the belief that A) Jane Fonda betrayed her country....and B) that the war protests somehow caused the war to last longer......
 
anitram said:
Maybe I am missing something, but what exactly is the problem with Kerry attending anti-war protests?

Does he not, better than almost any other American except those who served with him, have an idea of what went on in Vietnam? How many times was he injured in combat? Something like 2 or 3? So if he spent years in the Navy and he fought in the war and fulfilled his duty, why can't he then come to the conclusion the war was misguided?

Hell, the rest of the world always thought Vietnam was an American shame, so why can't Kerry protest? Against Napalm and AGent Orange and whatever else atrocities were committed there against not just soldiers from both sides, but innocent civilians. It boggles the mind that this somehow makes him less of a man, or less capable of leading a country.


The Vietnam War was the most divisive war in United States history since the Civil War. Hundreds Of Thousands of Vererans if not Millions have a very different view of the war than John Kerry. They resent the Anti-War movements tactics during that time as well as the mistreatment they received at the hands of misguided US citizens who spit on them and harassed them every where they would go once they came home from the war.

It is sad that America gets blamed for a war that was the result of Communist aggression against people who prefered a different system of Government. It is sad that the people of Vietnam have been under a Communist Dictatorship for the past 30 years. One looks at the prosperity and freedom of South Korea and wonders what could have been for Vietnam.
 
STING2 said:
It is sad that America gets blamed for a war that was the result of Communist aggression against people who prefered a different system of Government. It is sad that the people of Vietnam have been under a Communist Dictatorship for the past 30 years. One looks at the prosperity and freedom of South Korea and wonders what could have been for Vietnam.

The irony, though, is that Vietnam was going to have elections in the 1950s for unification. However, as Ho Chi Minh was widely expected to win the election, the South Vietnamese dictatorship balked, and, of course, in line with the policy of containment, we went along with it.

So, really, it was a choice between an elected communist dictatorship and an American-imposed non-communist dictatorship. "Freedom and prosperity" were probably at the bottom of the agenda.

Melon
 
melon,

Democracy takes time to develop and early on it was the question of the lesser of two evils. I would not call South Korea a full fledged Democracy in the late 1950s after the war. But by defeating the Communist forces that tried to bring its control, the benefits can easily be seen today. South Korea today is a strong democracy with a Standard of living as good as most West European countries. South Vietnam unfortunately has spent the past 30 years under Communist dictatorship. Just take a look at the Standard of living in Vietnam compared to South Korea today.
 
STING2 said:
The Vietnam War was the most divisive war in United States history since the Civil War. Hundreds Of Thousands of Vererans if not Millions have a very different view of the war than John Kerry. They resent the Anti-War movements tactics during that time as well as the mistreatment they received at the hands of misguided US citizens who spit on them and harassed them every where they would go once they came home from the war.

Well, I think they have a right to feel slighted by people spitting on them - that's disturbing and wrong on every level.

But why is it wrong for Kerry to feel the way he does? So, some people agree with him, some disagree. So what? Isn't he entitled to his opinion? Did he not serve his country honourably?
 
Seabird said:
My paper published a pic of him with John Lennon at an antiwar rally in 1970. Was that doctored too?

I doubt it....LOL That would make more vote for him I think.

We are entering an age where we are not going to be able to believe what we see anymore.
 
Dreadsox said:
this is going to get ugly. I think I know why. Historically, negative campaigns keep turnout low. Tim Ruseert on Meet the Press this mornign said that he believes that this will be one of the highest turnouts in history. That would be bad for Bush.

Thaqtis my 2 pence worth.

I think you're right. This is going to be one nasty campaign. Ugh. I think I'm going to enjoy the heck out of my RenFaire parties this year, it's a nice way to get your mind off of politics. I despise mudslinging. I think I'd better get some mud boots all the same.
 
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