Which Of These Was Most Likely To Avoid Service In Vietnam

In this photo taken March 17, 1966, heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay at the time, paused on the step and greeted a friend as he arrived at the Veterans building to appeal his 1A draft classification. Behind him, dark coat and hat, is his attorney, Edward Jocko of New York.

The death of Muhammad Ali elicited much praise for the sports and cultural icon, but it too resurrected an old charge: That Muhammad Ali was a typhoon dodger.

On social media and at some bourgeois outlets, Ali was attacked for his opposition to the Vietnam War and refusing to fight.

Simply Ali didn't "dodge" anything. As Rare'southward Tom Mullen explains: "Ali never dodged the draft; he opposed it, accepting the legal consequences without whatever attempt to evade them. He didn't flee to Canada or enroll in higher to obtain a deferment. From the moment he learned of his consecration, Ali stood firmly in the proud tradition of ceremonious disobedience, saying 'but take me to jail.'"

Ali even showed up for his draft choice to make an explicit statement that he would not exist taking function in information technology. "On April 28, 1967, Ali reported to the Military Entrance Processing Station in Houston," Hurry'due south Abby Johnston notes. "As officials called his name for induction to the Regular army to fight in the Vietnam War, he wouldn't step forward."

That's non running away. It was saying, "Here I am, I'k not fighting in your war, at present do with me what yous will."

Ali faced the music and accepted the consequences of his deportment.

Just are in that location others who could more accurately be accused of "dodging" the draft?

A 1967 Associated Press story reported on President Lyndon B. Johnson'due south attempts to "cease draft dodging" and described this every bit whatsoever methods by which immature men used to avoid service, from attending university to seeking deferments.

Neither of which Ali did or attempted to do.

Donald Trump never served and has avoided questions about information technology. Dick Cheney, who helped bring united states the Iraq War, got five deferments during Vietnam. George W. Bush's service record is a fleck shady — a former Texas politician claimed he helped Dubya avoid going to Vietnam at the asking of his family unit. Mitt Romney used his Mormon faith to stay out of Vietnam; Ali cited his Muslim faith.

These are simply a few Republican politicians.

Rush Limbaugh qualified to serve in Vietnam simply stayed out because he had a cyst on his butt. Chronic war supporter Bill Kristol about likely used a student deferment. Here's a fun one: John Wayne — a Vietnam War supporter — dodged the draft during Earth War Ii and then he could slumber with actress Marlene Dietrich.

One of the craziest draft dodger stories is that of rocker Ted Nugent. Here it is every bit described by Twisted Sister vocalizer Dee Snider: "Ted's always been a gun-toting conservative. But what gets me is that he was actually a draft dodger! I mean, to the point where he didn't bathe for a week, and vomited on himself to deliberately avoid the draft. I totally understand why he did that, only all of these Republicans who love Ted don't seem to know or remember that too well. It'due south crazy that he's become i of the voices of Conservative America even though he was a draft dodger. If you don't believe me, Google information technology."

I did Google it. Yikes.

In fact, if yous Google the names of Trump, Cheney, Bush-league, Romney, Limbaugh, Wayne or Nugent forth with "draft dodger," you volition detect people defending them, arguing that each man'south lack of service was somehow not really draft dodging. They effort to defend their accolade, presumably because they believe these are honorable men.

And so why not afford the same courtesy to Muhammad Ali?

Is it merely considering of his politics? Or because he was a blackness Muslim? Or considering he spoke out confronting the war?

During the 1992 election, I retrieve my father being bewildered by criticisms of Pecker Clinton every bit a draft dodger — and he was. My dad was non a Clinton supporter, but only noted that most guys he knew during the Vietnam era, particularly in the later years of the war, were trying to find any way they could to exit of the typhoon.

Who could arraign them?

This is no slight against the thousands of brave soldiers and their families who fought and died for their country. But it is recognition that a war about Americans today think was a mistake, was also viewed every bit such past so many immature men of that era — and especially those who were being forced by their government to go fight in it.

Can we really judge anyone who tried to avoid that?

So why then much ire toward Ali? 1 of the few famous men who faced the government head-on during that era and paid a cost for that disobedience?

Muhammad Ali was no draft dodger — but his critics seem to be dodging the true reasons backside their venom toward him.