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Jane Fonda opponent won't show 'The Butler' at his Kentucky theater

By KATE STANTON, UPI.com
UPI/Jim Ruymen
UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo

Jane Fonda was famous for her anti-Vietnam War activism in the early 1970s -- one particular visit to Vietnam earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane" -- a past that doesn't sit well with Ike Boutwell, the owner of the Movie Palace in Elizabethtown, Ky.

Boutwell, a Korean War veteran who trained Vietnam War pilots, refuses to show "Lee Daniels' The Butler" at his theater because it stars the 75-year-old actress.

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“I trained hundreds of pilots to fly, many of whom Ms. Fonda clapped and cheered as they were shot down,” Boutwell told the News-Enterprise. “Our Constitution only mentions three crimes. Treason is one. That’s aid and comfort to the enemy.”

Boutwell also has a problem with Fonda's portrayal of former first lady Nancy Reagan.

“To add to this, I just really think it’s a slap in the face to have a person of treason portray a patriotic lady, Mrs. Reagan,” he said. “I just think that is throwing gas on the fire.”

Though some local residents are disappointed that their local theater isn't showing the star-studded film, others praised his stance on the cinema's Facebook page.

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"Respect for the decision not to display or support any movie in which Jane Fonda has a role. We will never forget," one supporter wrote.

Other veterans around the country are boycotting the film, including these protesters in New Orleans:

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