MUHAMMED ALI CELEBRATED HIS 65TH BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK. FOR THOSE OF US THAT FIT INTO THAT "CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC"..WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY CN BE TERMED "PREACHING TO THE CHOIR".
SO LET ME SPEAK TO A YOUNGER GENERATION FOR WHOM MUHAMMED ALI IS MERELY A DISTANT LEGEND. ALI WAS A BRILLIANT ORATOR; A SELF PROMOTER; ABSOLUTELY SURE OF HIS CONVICTIONS WHICH INCLUDED A CONVERSION TO THE MUSLIM RELIGION, A NAME CHANGE AND HIS REFUSAL TO BE DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY TO FIGHT IN VIETNAM FOR WHICH HE PAID DEARLY. HE LOST MILLIONS AFTER COMMISSIONS ILLEGALLY CANCELLED HIS BOXING LICENCE. . MUHAMMED WAS VILLIFIED BY BOTH THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT IN WHITE AMERICA... IN MOST OF THE REST OF THE WORLD HE WAS A HERO..
ALI WAS CHAMPION OF THE WORLD AT A TIME WHEN THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION WAS RICH WITH TALENT INCLUDING JOE FRAZIER AND GEORGE FOREMAN. TODAY THERE ARE THE LOUDMOUTHS LIKE TERRELL OWENS; COMPLETELY DEVOID OF SOCIAL CONSCIENCE AND WEDDED ONLY TO THEIR PAYCHECKS AND SELF INTEREST.
JUST ONE EXAMPLE...
AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN DEMOCRAT IN THE CHICAGO AREA ONCE ASKED MICHAEL JORDAN IF HE WOULD ENDORSE HIS CANDIDACY. JORDAN'S REPLY IN REFUSING WAS "BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WEAR MY SHOES"..IN THE DAY, YOU EITHER LOVED MUHAMMED ALI OR YOU HATED HIM. HISTORY HAS DECIDED HE WAS IN FACT HERO WHO TOOK ON A GOVERNMENT THAT WAS PROSECUTING AN IMMORAL WAR AND WON..
AT A SEVERE PERSONAL COST. BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY....
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