Viet Nam
Why is Cassius Clay considered a great man since he evaded the draft during Viet Nam?
Many of us had religious beliefs or reasons for going to Nam and risking our lives but you know what that did not matter to Unce Sam. In Clays case he played the religious card and race card at the same time. i think he is a disgusting individual who chickened out. Its one thing to get into a ring with a less worthy opponent but another thing to confront an armed enemy in the jungle. Hate to burst your bubble on this charactor.
Actually your looking at the situation from the wrong perspective. Ali wasn’t afraid of dying. In fact, by the time of the Vietnam war, Ali had already gained stardom. If he did go, he would have been shielded from combat. His role would be to improve the moral of those actually dying. Ali knew this.
His refusal to fight was not based solely on religious belief. It is true that he was a conscientious objector; however, he also was extremely pissed about the inequalities within the military.
Martin Luther King Jr. describes the war best when he said, “its a white man’s war, but a black man’s fight”. The draft placed a disproportionate amount of minorities and poor in harms way. The unfavorable college and occupational deferments protected the upper-middle and upper classes. ML K’s quote actually should be changed from “white” and “black” to rich and poor.
That is not to say racism was not a serious problem. At the beginning of the war, African-Americans were dying in large numbers; much higher proportions to that of whites. This FACT is what Ali decided to combat. How can you blame him for using his celebrity to help his own people as opposed to Uncle Sam. If it had been my brothers being sent to slaughter, I would be fighting, but not the Vietnamese.
Viet Nam Unseen War (History Channel)
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