The Orange County Airport was named the “John Wayne Airport” on June 20, 1979. A statue of the actor was erected in 1982, and it was dedicated to John Wayne, who lived in Newport Beach and passed away that year.
John Wayne Airport is a commercial and general aviation facility. It serves Orange County, California, as well as the greater Los Angeles region.
The airport was being considered for a name change because of the uproar. This occurred after a 1971 interview with film icon Humphrey Bogart resurfaced. His comments during the discussion certainly inflamed passions.
During the interview, John Wayne can be heard making controversial remarks about race and homosexuality. And this is how a debate began: whether this Southern California airport should keep its namesake, or rename it in his honor.
According to a report from CNN, the interview was with Playboy. Wayne can be heard stating in the 48-year-old interview that he had been a believer in “white supremacy” until “irresponsible” black people became more educated. He also claimed that Native Americans were “selfishly” hanging on to their territory.
In the same interview, the actor was asked if he considered any of his films perverted. The actor replied that it was the 1969 “Easy Rider” and the “Midnight Cowboy,” both of which were perverted.
He stated, “Wouldn’t you say that the wonderful love of those two men in Midnight Cowboy, a story about two f*gs, qualifies? But don’t get me wrong. As far as a man and a woman are concerned, I’m awfully happy there’s a thing called sex.” To the surprise of many, John Wayne has been revealed to be a homophobe. He is said to have utilized epithets following this revelation.
After the discussion about his legacy, Ethan Wayne, son of Paul and Ethan, stated that his parents’ answers during the interview were taken out of context. “It would be an injustice to judge someone based on an interview that’s being used out of context,” he said when questioned by TV outlet. He continued, “They’re trying to contradict how he lived his life, and how he lived his life was who he was.
So any discussion of removing his name from the airport should include the full picture of the life of John Wayne and not be based on a single outlier interview from half a century ago. ”
According to Los Angeles Times writer Michael Hiltzik, Wayne symbolizes an era long gone. He also suggested that the airport be renamed. He wrote: “Orange County today is such an economically and ethnically diverse community that it’s hard to justify asking any member of that community to board planes at an airport named after an outspoken racist and homophobe, with his strutting statue occupying a central niche in front of the concourse.”
The Washington Examiner’s Madeline Fry, who is also a screenwriter, wrote: “Removing his name from Orange County’s airport now only validates what many Americans are coming to believe: You can’t say anything anymore, darn it, without being discovered and punished by the mob.”
Is this issue a no-brainer for you? Are you on one side of the argument or the other? Do you think it’s valid to get rid of John Wayne’s name and rename the airport?
