NEWS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW
John Wayne’s name on California airport faces new scrutiny
By Amy Taxin
(AP Photo, File) In the latest move to change U.S. place names tied to racist groups and ideas, leaders of Orange County’s Democratic Party are pushing to drop film legend John Wayne’s name from the county’s airport because of his racist and bigoted comments.
The Democratic Party of Orange County adopted a resolution last week condemning Wayne’s “racist and bigoted statements” in a 1971 interview and called on the county’s board of supervisors to drop his “name and likeness” from the airport. The resolution asked the board to restore the name to Orange County Airport.
The push to oust Wayne, a longtime county resident who died in 1979, from the airport’s name, has a lengthy history, and his bigoted statements against Black people, Native Americans and the LGBTQ community in a 1971 Playboy magazine interview are often cited as the reason it’s ill-suited to welcome visitors to the diverse Southern California county widely known for its scenic beaches and as the home to Disneyland.
In the interview, Wayne is quoted saying, “I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don’t believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.” He also said he felt no remorse for the subjugation of Native Americans and called movies such as “Easy Rider” and “Midnight Cowboy” perverted.
Dallas women sue city, county over Texas’ anti-rioting law
DALLAS (AP) — Three women arrested amid protests against racism and police violence sued the city of Dallas and Dallas County on Tuesday in a challenge to the Texas anti-rioting law.
Yolanda Dobbins, 55, Lily Godinez, 20, and Megan Nordyke, 35, filed suit in federal court, contending their constitutional rights were violated when they were arrested during protests over the police killing of George Floyd. He died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck even after he said he couldn’t breathe and stopped moving. His death sparked global demonstrations.
The women were highlighted in a Dallas Morning News story among hundreds of people who police arrested during protests last month but later declined to charge.
Their class action suit claims police selectively enforced Texas’ anti-rioting law in a way that targeted activities protected by the First Amendment. It seeks to have the law ruled unconstitutional, as well as discipline for some officers and further training on the use of force and de-escalation for the whole department. The women also request unspecified other “relief.”
The Dallas city attorney and the Dallas County judge’s offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
