Oh No! Political Correctness Comes to The Duke!

My favorite Saturday afternoon movies were cowboy pictures and of course, John Wayne was a major star in the western genre.  He was born Marion Robert Morrison in Iowa but the family moved to California.  The Duke was a strong American coming out against Communism and is continually listed as one of America's greatest male stars.  So why has this great icon come under the Political Correctness Police?

Watching movies now on American Movie Classics helps me to re-connect with my younger days.  They often feature John Wayne movies which even though I can almost quote the dialogue, I watch over and over again.  One movie, El Dorado, featuring John Wayne includes greats like Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Ed Asner and Christopher George, and is a great character study of two friends on opposite sides of the law working together to face a man seeking to steal water rights from a family. 

Recently one of the scenes I have noticed edited out of the film features James Caan trying to sneak up to the enemy guarding the back door of a saloon being used by Christopher George and his gang.  John Wayne will keep them busy in the front while Mitchem, Caan, and a grizzly looking Arthur Hunnicutt come in the back.  Caan, quickly puts on a blanket and the bottom of a flower pot trying to sound and look like a "Chinaman" to fool the foe. 

We have the right of free speech in the United States but I cannot find the right not to be offended.  In the movies of the past as well as today, someone can be offended.  I hate the language and violence in today's movies.  We do not go to anything higher than PG and even then something can slip into the film.  Do we need a "police" to determine what we should see?  I always thought it was my right and responsibility to choose!

Do you find this kind of censorship offensive?  Years ago, school began with the reading of the Bible, a prayer, and the Pledge of Allegience and many of these are no longer done in schools because it might offend someone.  Will  it happen to my family one day in a restaurant when the manager comes to our table and asks us to leave because we prayed before eating our meal and someone was offended by our right to pray?

I like watching the AMC channel which stands for American Movies Classics.  Maybe now it should be called Altered Movie Classics.  Sorry John.  You are now politically correct postumously.  At least you finally made it.