Rename John Wayne Airport????
In airport news, some are questioning whether Orange County's John Wayne Airport should get a new name; Austin-Bergstrom cuts the ribbon on an expansion; Pittsburgh International reveals the design for its new terminal; Atlanta travelers endure long TSA lines; Charlotte reopens an Admirals Club; and Istanbul's new international airport is delayed once again.
Sometimes things from the past can come back to haunt you even after you're dead. That's the case for legendary actor John Wayne, whose name was applied to California's Orange County Airport in 1979. This month, someone dug up an interview that Wayne did with Playboy magazine in 1971, and his comments range from politically incorrect to grossly offensive by contemporary standards. That led the Los Angeles Times to run an editorial urging that Orange County officials rename their airport, claiming that the 1971 interview shows Wayne to be "an outspoken racist and homophobe." Here's one sample of The Duke's thoughts on native Americans: "I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them ... There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves." And that's mild compared to his comments on African Americans and gays. The LA Times editorial (read it here) includes a link to the original interview.
Sometimes things from the past can come back to haunt you even after you're dead. That's the case for legendary actor John Wayne, whose name was applied to California's Orange County Airport in 1979. This month, someone dug up an interview that Wayne did with Playboy magazine in 1971, and his comments range from politically incorrect to grossly offensive by contemporary standards. That led the Los Angeles Times to run an editorial urging that Orange County officials rename their airport, claiming that the 1971 interview shows Wayne to be "an outspoken racist and homophobe." Here's one sample of The Duke's thoughts on native Americans: "I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them ... There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves." And that's mild compared to his comments on African Americans and gays. The LA Times editorial (read it here) includes a link to the original interview.
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