John Wayne Day in US cancelled because the actor was RACIST

JOHN WAYNE DAY will not go ahead after politicians cited shocking racist comments made by the legendary Westerns star during his lifetime.

"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."

These coments by the iconic cowboy star in 1971 were cited as evidence that John Wayne did not deserve a US public holiday in his name.

The actor died in 1979, aged 72 and was famous for a string on Westerns including The Searchers, Rio Bravo and True Grit, for which he won an Oscar in 1969. Throughout his life, he was regarded as a symbol of all-American masculine values but his strong views on minorities have been deemed highly offensive by politicians today.

As well as his comments about the black community, he also made some shockingly inappropriate remarks about how Native Americans had no right to hold on to their land.

"Our so-called stealing of this country from them (Native America Indians) was just a matter of survival," Wayne said.

The Indians were selfish trying to keep America for themselves

John Wayne
"There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves."

Plans to declare 26 May as John Wayne Day in California were proposed by Republican State Assemblyman Matthew Harper, but have been rejected due to Wayne's "disturbing views towards race".

Delegates in the State Assembly voted 35-20 against the resolution.

Race issues are a hot topic in US politics. Last week it was announced that the face of former US president and slave owner Andrew Jackson would be removed from the front of the US $20 bill and be replaced by freed slave and anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman.

Wayne's iconic lines from his films have become some of the most quoted in all film history but one quote from The Duke actually reflects how his views have become unacceptably outdated.

"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday," he said, and it has come to pass at the cost of his own cherished beliefs.

Even so, many of the politicians who voted in favour of John Wayne Day continued to champion the actor's legitacy as a symbol of modern America.

"Opposing the John Wayne Day resolution is like opposing apple pie, fireworks, baseball, the Free Enterprise system and the Fourth of July," Harper said.

Wayne remains a potent icon for Republicans, even in the current presidential race.

Donald Trump has been endorsed by the right-wing actor's family and said that it "meant so much to me."

John Wayne was drawn into politics during his long and hugely successful career.

He was involved in the notorious anti-communist House Un-American Activities Committee witch hunt in Hollywood in the 1960's, as well as the far right John Birch Society.

Mr Harper slammed the defeat of his resolution tihs week as "the orthodoxy of political correctness."