Bernie Sanders praises Muhammad Ali’s ‘incredibly courageous’ opposition to the Vietnam War

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Sun Jun 5, 2016, 12:30 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: W Post

By Robert Costa

LOS ANGELES — Bernie Sanders on Saturday called Muhammad Ali not only a sports icon, but a “man of conviction and enormous courage” for his refusal to be inducted into the military during the Vietnam War.

“Clearly, Ali was one of the great heavyweight champs of all time, a beautiful boxer and a great athlete,” Sanders said at a news conference. “But the reason that Ali struck a chord in the hearts of so many Americans was not just his great boxing skill. It was his incredible courage. At a time when it was not popular to do so, Ali stood up and said, ‘I am opposed to the war in Vietnam, and I’m not going to fight in that war.’ ”

Ali, who died Friday night in Scottsdale, Ariz., famously refused to be drafted in April 1967. Months later, he was convicted of draft evasion and was temporarily banned from boxing.

Sanders, 74, calling himself a “bit of a boxing fan,” wistfully recalled that volatile moment in U.S. history as he stood at a lectern at a DoubleTree hotel here.

FULL story at link.


Bernie Sanders waves to supporters last month during a rally at a high school football field in Santa Monica, Calif. (Ringo Chiu/AFP/Getty Images)

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/04/bernie-sanders-praises-muhammad-alis-incredibly-courageous-opposition-to-the-vietnam-war/

[rhett o rick]

1. And some posters here wanted to lament the great Ali. And I do think he was great.

He stood up to the Establishment unlike some here that pretend they love him. He was against war, unlike Clinton and her minions. You can't appreciate the Greatest Ali and also support war mongers. He was against everything that Clinton stands for.

[MrMickeysMom]

2. I think he would have stood up to the oligarchs now and voted for Bernie...

We'll never know, but I have little doubt.

[underthematrix]

4. Muhammad Ali would never vote for Bernie

His disdain for President Obama. His envy and jealousy of the President is so obvious. Muhammad Ali was what made President Obama possible and he was Black on purpose and for real. He would have seen Bernie for what he was. He would have supported HRC and voted for her. Bill and Hillary ACTUALLY knew Muhammad Ali.

[MrMickeysMom]

6. He was "black on purpose"???

Are YOU kidding?

Derp

[underthematrix]

8. This is just one quote but there are 100s of them

JohnDingell tweeted this:

Muhammad Ali didn't transcend race.

He was Black. Powerful. Confident.

He was everything that hateful people feared.

He was the Greatest.

This is some of what it means to be Black on purpose

[JI7]

3. Ali was a friend of Bill Clinton and asked Clinton to speak at his Funeral

what you said to Bravenak would apply to Ali also .

[rhett o rick]

12. The hypocrisy gets to me. HRC does not stand for peace. Ali stood for peace.

Those that think HRC stands for peace are in denial.

[jwirr]

10. And I respect the reason he was against war. Our wars have

almost always been against POC - Ali stated plainly that he refused to kill his brown brothers and sisters.

For those who are now supporting our wars - that is still true.

[rhett o rick]

13. The status quo locks up a disproportional number of POC in prisons for profits and send

them to die for corporate profits. The fact that some Democrats can ignore those facts could be considered immoral.

The status quo brings us 21 vets committing suicide every fracking day. A vote for the status quo is a vote to put corporate profits over human lives.

[jwirr]

15. Exactly. Nothing has really changed for the good - we have

gotten worse. We fight wars for profit and that is the bottom line. Don't worry about what it means to the people in these wars.

[Jnclr89]

5. I Love Bernie,

but this makes me want to projectile vomit. Using the Ali death to further your campaign? Are you serious?

[MrMickeysMom]

7. That is simply not true...

I see I've hit a nerve of uber-sensitive people where one must not mention the tribute given to Ali during yesterday's event. It was simply brief, sincere and nothing more.

You made it more, and obviously anyone would ruffle your feathers to say that, based on my feeling that Ali and all that he did for years was exactly in line with a Bernie Sanders presidency.

Carry on that projectile vomit of love, now.

[underthematrix]

9. You bring to mind the Temptation's song

Just my Imagination

[jwirr]

11. Ali's refusal to go to war was one of the basis for many of us

when we rejected war ever since Vietnam. That statement is not making it political - it is just true.

[rhett o rick]

14. You love Bernie but....

Wow, where do you guys come from? Don't bother responding I won't see it. #88