On
April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be
inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those
Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to
five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He
stayed out of prison as his case was appealed…. On June 28 [1971], the U.S.
Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft.
I didn't
want to submit to the army and then, on the day of judgment, have God say
to me, 'Why did you do that?' This life is a trial, and you realize that what
you do is going to be written down for Judgment Day.
My conscience won't let
me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in
the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me
nigger, they never lynched me, they didn't put no dogs on me, they didn't rob
me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father. ... Shoot them for
what? How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail.
There are many things to remember regarding the legacy of
Muhammad Ali – not always agreeable to all.
However, for this, I consider him a champion.
A truly great man. And the only white media figure to stand up for him was, of all people, Howard Cosell.
ReplyDeleteHe tinkled in the eyes of the establishment at every turn. We look at Donald Trump as a wonderful novelty for what he says - yet what Trump says might be 5% of Ali. It shows how far - in many ways - society has fallen.
DeleteAli was a hero for standing up to Leviathan. He defied the United States Government. That took courage - far more courage than it takes to don Caesar's uniform and murder little boys and girls.
ReplyDeleteIt is fitting that Ali passed twenty-seven years to the day that the world witnessed another hero in action - the kid in front of the tank in Tianemen Square.
Anon Lawyer