I was taking issue with your charge that he “shirked his duty.” In my way of looking at it, his obligation is defined by law, not by Dugger. Feel free to disagree, but in doing so, realize that you substitute your own judgment for the law when it comes to determining what constitutes a citizen’s “duty.”

My question about respect for the rule of law followed from that premise.

Dugger

But I do. I haven’t called for Ali’s millionaire b*tt to be thrown in jail. I acknowledge that he was able, via legal means, to avoid serving his country. But his not serving is enough in my book to warrant no national medals. Save it for somebody who served his country. Ali can salve his ‘moral’ wounds with his lucre – lucre he was able to win because, partially, the sons and daughters of others served when and where he didn’t.

Dugger

That being said, when ESPN did their list of the 100 greatest athletes, it is rather telling that one of the reasons he ranked as high as he did had a lot do with what he did out of the ring. Most boxing experts will tell you that, if they fought when both were in their primes, Joe Louis would’ve cleaned Ali’s clock.

The point being, people talk about how great Ali would’ve been had he not had to take that time out of the ring, and automatically bump as his stature as a result.

I don’t usually see Ted Williams being bumped up on all these “greatest” lists, even though he missed some prime years because he DID serve during WWII and Korea.

I acknowledge that he was able, via legal means, to avoid serving his country.

And you allege that he “shirked his duty.” What defines his duty? The law? Or Dugger’s proclamation?

Why didn’t Bush volunteer for Vietnam if he was such a great fighter pilot?

Bush was AWOL, disgraced the uniform and all those that wore it, but plenty of people voted for him anyway while smearing Kerry, a true American.

Just like they are trying to do to Murtha.

Bunch of candy asses.

When Ali s time came to do his duty he shirked it.

When Ali’s time came, he followed the law. He filed as a conscientious objector and when his application was denied, he filed an appeal.

The United States Department of Justice, however, singled him out to make an example of him. The DOJ sent a letter directly to Ali’s draft board, asking them to deny his appeal. They did so.

Ali took his appeal all the way to the Supreme Court which found unanimously in his favor.

Why don’t you respect the rule of law, Dugger?

Hope your blog is better than your reasoning here. Bush served in the Guard. Flew fighters. That is service period. They were rather dangerous fighters to just fly BTW. He easily could have been sent overseas. He did much, much more than Ali. But the topic was about Ali. Why didn’t you pick Clinton as an example of a president who ordred troops into combat and didn’t serve?

Dugger

This is a democracy. Everybody should serve and IMO, the individual should not be able to pick and choose which wars he will or won’t fight in. If I were God/president, everybody would serve 2 years in the military or four years of public service (military more dangerous, harder). Everybody. But then I would never get elected.

Dugger,

WE live in a democracy. When Ali’s time came to do his duty he shirked it.

the so – called religious beliefs of a  religion invented by an ex – convict in Detroit.

Isn’t that nice?

If I recall, all of Christianity devolves from the teachings of a “convict.”

He almost went to jail; only his celebrity saved him.

Do you tell these whoppers reflexively, or do you have to think about ‘em?

His celebrity and a unanimous Supreme Court decision allowed Mr. Ali to win conscientious objector status from his draft board. His application for objector status was initially denied because the United States Department of Justice intervened in his appeal to his draft board.

Why did the DOJ find his case to be worthy of intervention? I’d argue that it was because of his visibility as heavyweight champion and the celebrity that went with his achievements. In short, he didn’t escape prison because of his celebrity, he was sentenced because of it.

He almost went to jail; only his celebrity saved him. He had the opportunity to box in Special Services, but he refused that also. So he didn’t just refuse to “participate in what he believed was an immoral war,” he refused to enter the Armed Forces, because of the so – called religious beliefs of a “religion” invented by an ex – convict in Detroit.

Great boxer — yes. Inspirational sports figure — yes. Great American — not hardly.

I am against religious parties and would be very unhappy if the MB came to power here in Egypt but to equate them with Al Qaida is completely inane.

Dugger

They may be 3 psychotics, but they have tremendous support in the Muslim world. Just look at the polls coming out of the Middle East.