The Orange County Airport is currently named after John Wayne. In a lengthy, famous 1971 interview, John Wayne spoke very candidly and made it extremely clear how he felt about Homosexuals, Native Americans, and People of Color, even after the Civil Rights Movment was in full motion. His views and words were hateful, appalling, and shameful.

Although his family tries to excuse the comments rather than apologize for them, there has never been any evidence that John Wayne ever changed his views at anytime before his death. These views are clearly not in line with the current climate and ideas of Orange County or the State of California.

While the naming of the airport in his honor was negotiated in 1979 and agreed to by the Board, it is time we keep in line with California’s current ideas on diversity, and remove this hateful man’s name/statues off the county’s airport. Many monuments, roads and buildings across the country were named after men with deplorable ideas and practices. Much of the country has had the right idea and changed the names belonging to such structures, removing anything that could confuse people on the city/state’s true views on inclusion. I propose that Orange County, Santa Ana, and SNA airport be the next follow suit.