My friend Matt often reminds people that while Martin Luther King Jr is almost universally remembered as a civil rights pioneer, far fewer people are aware of his activism against the Vietnam War. Muhammad Ali is another who has gone from outspoken anti-Vietnam protester to warm and fuzzy grandfatherly type.
Long before he was a generic hero to mainstream America, Muhammed Ali was one of the more hated men in the country. First, he converted to Islam and adopted a Muslim name. But what got raised people's ire is Ali's decision to go to prison rather than fight in Vietnam. Many people considered him a traitor, but Ali remained defiant. "I Ain't Got No Quarrel With The VietCong," he said. "No VietCong Ever Called Me Nigger."
I'm not quite how he went from being so reviled to being widely loved (Jane Fonda still arouses much bile to this day), but that's what happened.
He's become such a universally admired figure that he was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Though it is pleasantly surprising to see President Bush lauding a courageous individual rather than rewarding incompetence, the award is a bit odd.
I wonder if the president realizes the irony of honoring a man who preferred to go to jail rather than fight in an immoral war.
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