She’s not shy about political activism | Photo: Facebook/Jane Fonda
Actor and activist Jane Fonda said she doesn’t hate Donald Trump, and that we must have ’empathy’ for him.
‘I hate what he stands for, what he does, what he says,’ she said on Politico’s Women Rule podcast. Despite these feelings, she also said Americans should have ‘radical kinship’ for him and his supporters.
During the conversation, she expressed having an understanding for both the President and those that support him.
‘You have to have empathy for him,’ she said. ‘And I think that that has to also transfer to the people who voted for him.’
Fonda did clarify this does not extend to those who are white supremacists, because they’re ‘so far off the spectrum, for their own traumatic reasons, probably’.
For the rest of his supporters, though, she recommends opening our hearts to them and understanding ‘why they voted the way they did’.
She also defended Trump’s behavior by making perceived comments about his childhood.
‘I feel that I understand a little bit — this is a man who was traumatized as a child by his father, who had a mother that didn’t protect him. The behavior is the language of the wounded.’
So how should people do this?
Fonda uses her own experience with activism in recommending how to have empathy. Her advice to people, especially celebrities, came from her time protesting the Vietnam War.
‘You want to tell people things they don’t know,’ she said.
‘Just like what changed and saved my life was being told things I didn’t know by American soldiers. We have to reach out and listen and then respond in a way that’s meaningful.’
She also said she would never run for public office.
‘It’s important to know what your weaknesses are and what your strengths are. Being a politician would not play to my strengths, that’s for sure.’
Ouch
People are not impressed with Fonda’s statements.
…Jane was gonna break my heart sooner or later LMFAO… https://t.co/Tck28HYlxj
— Clarkisha Kent: Bisexual Woman of Diversity (@IWriteAllDay_) September 26, 2018
No. NO. You do not get to justify an abusive, manipulative, narcissistic, greedy fucking pig by pulling the “childhood trauma” card.
Millions of us are traumatized. Millions of us do not go on to create more victims. That is a CHOICE that we make.
He has the same choices.
— Amber Victoria (@thecursedempath) September 26, 2018
Many didn’t disagree with having empathy, but simply not having empathy for his choices as President.
Sure, fine! I can have empathy for the “wounded”. I understand that the person has issues that maybe some psychotherapist can help.
I just don’t want that “wounded” person to lead the world, nominate people to life term appointments, change peoples lives.
— I❤️RBG (@jsongha) September 26, 2018
This is probably true—those are indeed the family environments that help create a narcissist. But it shouldn’t be the nation’s responsibility to heal him or bear the brunt of his illness. He should be in a therapist’s chair, not on the world stage.
— Laura Mae (@oonaspet) September 26, 2018
Others recommended having empathy for the people he’s hurt with his policies, and not him.
He’s wounding others. Not cool. He also has the means to get help and he doesn’t. Spare the kinship for people who really need it, like those children separated from their families and sitting in concentration camps.
— Erica B. (@SaneDaysFan) September 26, 2018
HBO has a new documentary out about Fonda’s life, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, directed by Susan Lucy.
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