• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Muhammad Ali was Right to Refuse Army Induction

Muhammad Ali was Right to Refuse Army Induction

  • For the Motion

    Votes: 21 67.7%
  • Against the Motion

    Votes: 10 32.3%

  • Total voters
    31

xMathFanx

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Messages
345
Reaction score
85
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Undisclosed
Muhammad Ali was Right to Refuse Army Induction

"On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali, a Muslim, cited religious reasons for his decision to forgo military service.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 14, 1942, the future three-time world champ changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam. He scored a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and made his professional boxing debut against Tunney Husaker on October 29, 1960, winning the bout in six rounds. On February 25, 1964, he defeated the heavily favored bruiser Sonny Liston in six rounds to become heavyweight champ.

On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career. On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft." -History.com

See this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/muhammad-ali-vietnam/485717/
Watch these videos of Ali:

A. Muhammad Ali Refuses Army Induction in 1967 Video - ABC News
B. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9aIamXjQI
C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeFMyrWlZ68
D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JDM4MY71G4
 
Muhammad Ali was Right to Refuse Army Induction

"On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali, a Muslim, cited religious reasons for his decision to forgo military service.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 14, 1942, the future three-time world champ changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam. He scored a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and made his professional boxing debut against Tunney Husaker on October 29, 1960, winning the bout in six rounds. On February 25, 1964, he defeated the heavily favored bruiser Sonny Liston in six rounds to become heavyweight champ.

On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career. On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft." -History.com

See this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/muhammad-ali-vietnam/485717/
Watch these videos of Ali:

A. Muhammad Ali Refuses Army Induction in 1967 Video - ABC News
B. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9aIamXjQI
C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeFMyrWlZ68
D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JDM4MY71G4

I do not understand the motion aspect of your poll, but I certainly support Ali's decision to say "No" to Vietnam.
 
I do not understand the motion aspect of your poll, but I certainly support Ali's decision to say "No" to Vietnam.

A standard format for formal debates is to create an unambiguous motion for which two competing sides argue both for and against (i.e. Motion: "X"-- For the Motion: I Agree with "X", Against the Motion: I Disagree with "X")
 
I don't believe military service should be forced on anyone.
 
Muhammad Ali was Right to Refuse Army Induction

"On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali, a Muslim, cited religious reasons for his decision to forgo military service.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 14, 1942, the future three-time world champ changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam. He scored a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and made his professional boxing debut against Tunney Husaker on October 29, 1960, winning the bout in six rounds. On February 25, 1964, he defeated the heavily favored bruiser Sonny Liston in six rounds to become heavyweight champ.

On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career. On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft." -History.com

See this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/muhammad-ali-vietnam/485717/
Watch these videos of Ali:

A. Muhammad Ali Refuses Army Induction in 1967 Video - ABC News
B. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9aIamXjQI
C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeFMyrWlZ68
D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JDM4MY71G4

Yes...at least, according to his personal convictions.

Let's just say that he didn't avoid the draft because he was some kind of long-haired hippy ***** who was afraid to fight.
 
Yep Ali was right. And this is what separates Ali from draft dodgers like bush and cheney. Those guys supported the war and still refused to go to vietnam. Ali did not support the war and accepted whatever consequences came his way.
 
Yes...at least, according to his personal convictions.

Let's just say that he didn't avoid the draft because he was some kind of long-haired hippy ***** who was afraid to fight.

Yeah, because it was sooooo much better recieved since he was a muslim and a black man saying he would not go to prop up a racist power structure. Meanwhile Romney was writing love letters to Miss Ann in the sand on a French beach.

The power structure figured this out during the Viet Nam debacle. The draft meant everyone was involved except for the usual ruling class wealthy guy provisions that allowed folks like Bill Clinton, Mitt Romney, GW Bush, Dickhead Cheney, Don Trump and the like to opt out as was the custom in american society from the beginning. Then there were uber gun nut “patriots” like Theodore Nugent who shat himself and lived in said shat until he showed up to report to get out of serving.

At any rate, the power structure learned that when they involve society at large in their endless wars of occupation and economic colonization of other lands, we the people may resist, as they/we did. No, better to have say ~1% or so of the population involved via “volunteering”. The arms dealers, war profiteers, Wall Street banksters and corporate state destabilizationists can still make their profit margin goals without the scrutiny that arises from mass societal involvement. Additionally, with the corporate state media machine now under the control of half a dozen multinational corporations thanks to Clinton’s deregulation of the FCC, all the public will ever hear is endless gushing over warring as in Brian Williams nutting himself on camera over the rocket’s red glare, the propaganda events masking as sporting events funded by the public and the maniacal hubris that accompanies all empires in decline.

With ~1% of the population involved and everyone else at the mall pretending to support the troops, the empire is able to expand its global occupation efforts unabated, indefinitely, while sodomizing the societal economy at home to keep up the illusion. War is a wonderful distraction for the masses and we have really gotten mesmerized into endless warfare to benefit the substantial people that we will never pay for while they urge even more austerity for the public. We have become the very thing we say North Korea is all about relative to their own people. Yeah our people go without education and healthcare, but boy howdy have you seen our weaponry! Have you seen how we carpet bomb anyone at the behest of the corporate state!

Serve this idiocy? Pffffffffffffffffffft.
 
Yeah, because it was sooooo much better recieved since he was a muslim and a black man saying he would not go to prop up a racist power structure. Meanwhile Romney was writing love letters to Miss Ann in the sand on a French beach.

The power structure figured this out during the Viet Nam debacle. The draft meant everyone was involved except for the usual ruling class wealthy guy provisions that allowed folks like Bill Clinton, Mitt Romney, GW Bush, Dickhead Cheney, Don Trump and the like to opt out as was the custom in american society from the beginning. Then there were uber gun nut “patriots” like Theodore Nugent who shat himself and lived in said shat until he showed up to report to get out of serving.

At any rate, the power structure learned that when they involve society at large in their endless wars of occupation and economic colonization of other lands, we the people may resist, as they/we did. No, better to have say ~1% or so of the population involved via “volunteering”. The arms dealers, war profiteers, Wall Street banksters and corporate state destabilizationists can still make their profit margin goals without the scrutiny that arises from mass societal involvement. Additionally, with the corporate state media machine now under the control of half a dozen multinational corporations thanks to Clinton’s deregulation of the FCC, all the public will ever hear is endless gushing over warring as in Brian Williams nutting himself on camera over the rocket’s red glare, the propaganda events masking as sporting events funded by the public and the maniacal hubris that accompanies all empires in decline.

With ~1% of the population involved and everyone else at the mall pretending to support the troops, the empire is able to expand its global occupation efforts unabated, indefinitely, while sodomizing the societal economy at home to keep up the illusion. War is a wonderful distraction for the masses and we have really gotten mesmerized into endless warfare to benefit the substantial people that we will never pay for while they urge even more austerity for the public. We have become the very thing we say North Korea is all about relative to their own people. Yeah our people go without education and healthcare, but boy howdy have you seen our weaponry! Have you seen how we carpet bomb anyone at the behest of the corporate state!

Serve this idiocy? Pffffffffffffffffffft.

Why on earth are you ranting at me?

Talk to me about something relevant to my post or leave me alone, okay?
 
Why on earth are you ranting at me?

Talk to me about something relevant to my post or leave me alone, okay?

You're on a chat board, if you took that personally, you might want to dig into why you did.
 
You're on a chat board, if you took that personally, you might want to dig into why you did.

This isn't a "chat board". It's a discussion board.

If you are going to respond to one of my comments, at least try to make your response relevant to my comment.
 
This isn't a "chat board". It's a discussion board.

If you are going to respond to one of my comments, at least try to make your response relevant to my comment.

I like it, it stands.
 
Muhammad Ali was Right to Refuse Army Induction

"On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali, a Muslim, cited religious reasons for his decision to forgo military service.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 14, 1942, the future three-time world champ changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam. He scored a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and made his professional boxing debut against Tunney Husaker on October 29, 1960, winning the bout in six rounds. On February 25, 1964, he defeated the heavily favored bruiser Sonny Liston in six rounds to become heavyweight champ.

On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career. On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft." -History.com

See this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/muhammad-ali-vietnam/485717/
Watch these videos of Ali:

A. Muhammad Ali Refuses Army Induction in 1967 Video - ABC News
B. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9aIamXjQI
C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeFMyrWlZ68
D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JDM4MY71G4



It was five decades ago....so of course Americans are still arguing about it.

Say "thank you" for the contribution Mr. Ali made in ending the middle ages draft, and move on
 
Yeah, because it was sooooo much better recieved since he was a muslim and a black man saying he would not go to prop up a racist power structure. Meanwhile Romney was writing love letters to Miss Ann in the sand on a French beach.

The power structure figured this out during the Viet Nam debacle. The draft meant everyone was involved except for the usual ruling class wealthy guy provisions that allowed folks like Bill Clinton, Mitt Romney, GW Bush, Dickhead Cheney, Don Trump and the like to opt out as was the custom in american society from the beginning. Then there were uber gun nut “patriots” like Theodore Nugent who shat himself and lived in said shat until he showed up to report to get out of serving.

At any rate, the power structure learned that when they involve society at large in their endless wars of occupation and economic colonization of other lands, we the people may resist, as they/we did. No, better to have say ~1% or so of the population involved via “volunteering”. The arms dealers, war profiteers, Wall Street banksters and corporate state destabilizationists can still make their profit margin goals without the scrutiny that arises from mass societal involvement. Additionally, with the corporate state media machine now under the control of half a dozen multinational corporations thanks to Clinton’s deregulation of the FCC, all the public will ever hear is endless gushing over warring as in Brian Williams nutting himself on camera over the rocket’s red glare, the propaganda events masking as sporting events funded by the public and the maniacal hubris that accompanies all empires in decline.

With ~1% of the population involved and everyone else at the mall pretending to support the troops, the empire is able to expand its global occupation efforts unabated, indefinitely, while sodomizing the societal economy at home to keep up the illusion. War is a wonderful distraction for the masses and we have really gotten mesmerized into endless warfare to benefit the substantial people that we will never pay for while they urge even more austerity for the public. We have become the very thing we say North Korea is all about relative to their own people. Yeah our people go without education and healthcare, but boy howdy have you seen our weaponry! Have you seen how we carpet bomb anyone at the behest of the corporate state!

Serve this idiocy? Pffffffffffffffffffft.




Save yourself some time and hassle...get a copy of Credence Clearwater Revival's "Senator's Son" and you have the whole history
 
Muhammad Ali was Right to Refuse Army Induction

"On April 28, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army and is immediately stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali, a Muslim, cited religious reasons for his decision to forgo military service.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 14, 1942, the future three-time world champ changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam. He scored a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and made his professional boxing debut against Tunney Husaker on October 29, 1960, winning the bout in six rounds. On February 25, 1964, he defeated the heavily favored bruiser Sonny Liston in six rounds to become heavyweight champ.

On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.” On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career. On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft." -History.com

See this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/muhammad-ali-vietnam/485717/
Watch these videos of Ali:

A. Muhammad Ali Refuses Army Induction in 1967 Video - ABC News
B. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9aIamXjQI
C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeFMyrWlZ68
D. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JDM4MY71G4

Had it been conscious objection it would have been great. But “I ain’t got no quarrel...” was not a legal nor was it a sufficient reason to refuse service, when others went and died. His punishment should have been the maximum permissible.
 
I do not understand the motion aspect of your poll, but I certainly support Ali's decision to say "No" to Vietnam.

And Ali accepted the consequences of his decision.
 
It was five decades ago....so of course Americans are still arguing about it.

Say "thank you" for the contribution Mr. Ali made in ending the middle ages draft, and move on

No question that the draft is not a good way to requisition soldiers in peaceful times. Also it might be argued that the Vietnamese embroglio was a poor idea. But even so it is not rule of law to apply the law selectively.
 
Had it been conscious objection it would have been great. But “I ain’t got no quarrel...” was not a legal nor was it a sufficient reason to refuse service, when others went and died. His punishment should have been the maximum permissible.

Oh I'm sure they tried, but he was was right and the nation knew it. And anyone who would refuse to go now, is right. The corporate state can send their own.
 
I do not understand the motion aspect of your poll, but I certainly support Ali's decision to say "No" to Vietnam.

That is one thing. And an interesting topic in its own right. Should citizens break the law, if they disagree with it?

The question here I understood to be whether or not rule of law should be upheld or we should condone breaking the law.
 
Oh I'm sure they tried, but he was was right and the nation knew it. And anyone who would refuse to go now, is right. The corporate state can send their own.

If you condone breaking the law, it would soon be only the persons making up “the corporate state” would be safe, because they could pay for it. Unless a law is criminal, we should never allow government to selectively apply the law. If one wants, the law can be changed.
 
If you condone breaking the law, it would soon be only the persons making up “the corporate state” would be safe, because they could pay for it. Unless a law is criminal, we should never allow government to selectively apply the law.

If only we were not already there.

Militarized police depts are able to murder citizens in the streets - even when unarmed - with impunity. So can wannabe cops if they target the "right" demographic. Corporate for profit private prisons lease out convict labor returning the US to a time in which profiteering from bondage is accepted as a growth industry. Americans are THE most heavily surveilled and incarcerated population the planet has ever witnessed. And the guarantee of Habeas corpus has been withdrawn plopping the masses squarely into a legal concept pre 1100's.

And the corporate state is imminently safe from all of it.
 
That is one thing. And an interesting topic in its own right. Should citizens break the law, if they disagree with it?

The question here I understood to be whether or not rule of law should be upheld or we should condone breaking the law.

We can't systemically condone breaking the law, but we can allow jury nullification. As least such is my opinion on the matter.
 
Back
Top Bottom