The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Shot_Liberty_Valance
Lyrics: https://genius.com/Gene-pitney-the-man-who-shot-liberty-valance-lyrics
Gene Pitney's hit song (Audio with static pics, YewwToob) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDN4L7cAQf0
LMAO. my guess is No one in 1962 or now, thought 'liberty' was bad because the bad guy had that name. My point is, IF John Wayne had thought that, the movie would not have been made because he was One of US.
I actually SAW the movie in the 60's and have the song on my iPhone, and have to say that since the beginning I felt the name "Liberty" for the bad guy was a toe in the door, propaganda-wise. But that's just me.
LMAO. Nonsense. At 71 years old i have seen it 10 to 20 times. The Hero was always the Armed American and still is.
Yes, the HERO was an armed American. But the BAD GUY is also an armed American, and a murderous criminal, NAMED LIBERTY. You're missing the entire point: The movie uses the cookie-cutter American Western, full of American values, to subtly push the idea that Liberty (by name) has to be killed off.
EDIT: Why not name the Bad Guy something else? ANYTHING else other than "Liberty?"