Posted on 11/09/2005 1:43:43 PM PST by george76
Ailing boxing legend Muhammad Ali swapped wisecracks with President George W. Bush in his first public appearance in five months which dispelled recent fears over his health.
Ali, 63, went to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, from Bush.
He appeared weak from his longstanding battle against Parkinson's Disease but attentive throughout the ceremony in the East Room of the White House, applauding each recipient.
Ali's first public appearance in five months
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Ali was a Conscientuous Objector, and was ruled so by the Supreme Court. There's a difference between that and running away to Canada.
It was Abraham Lincoln who introduced conscription. An asinine idea more suited to Prussia than the land of the free.
Get off your high horse, don't lecture me with your very apt name, hillbilly. And I don't give a damn about your background.
Military conscription is UNAMERICAN!
The draft is slavery. Military service is honorable, but compulsory service is very different.
AMEN! My grandfathers VOLUNTEERED to serve in the Army and Navy and I am damn proud of their service, indeed of all the men and women of our armed services. The draft, on the other hand, is deplorable and hopefully will not come back.
A-phucking-men!
Cassius Clay is a draft DODGING, racist, POS.
He has earned the scorn of all thinking Americans.
But of course he is held up now as some sort of superior person.
Because of his RACE he is "untouchable".
Our BROTHERS died while he posed.
You can forget, but I never will.
If you find my comments offensive...KMA, what are you going to do? Send me to Vietnam?
"Medal of Freedom" my Royal Irish A$$.
Yes, hillbilly is a term that ignorant people have used in describing residents of the home state of both Cassus Clay and me. Both of us were born and raised in Kentucky.
I happen to use the screen name of billhilly, but that is probably too difficult for you to understand.
You give conservatism a bad name. Don't bother to answer. l I don't want to hear your drivel anymore.
Laconic indeed.
So "ignorant people" use the term "hillbilly"? I didn't use it, you did so I guess that makes you ignorant.
He is getting this medal because he is a prominent moslem and the government is keen to show how much we appreciate the contribution of moslems to American society.
Now excuse me while I go and be sick.
First of all many Freepers might have last hard feelings against Ali for him objecting to going to Vietnam, but Ali has done great work in his fight against his Parkisons and has serviced quietly as its spokemen for years and one thing about Ali he has not turned his sickness into a matter to have a national pity party or called for using the unborn for junk science research unlike some others we know, for that alone I think I could look past his lack of going to Vietnam and Ali has made several trips in the past to visit wounded and sick trips from what I have heard, I think he visited Walter Reed about a year ago if I remember correctly.
As far as I'm concerned his was a valid act of civil disobedience, and I never heard him complain about the consequences.
That's why I called him a draft "resister" instead of a draft "dodger." He didn't flee the country, he took a stand, didn't back down, accepted the consequences for it, and dealt with it. I don't agree with him, but I respect the way he handled it, unlike so many others (liberals especially). I can respect how he handled it even if I don't really respect the beliefs that caused him to do it.
But I still don't understand why he deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Yes, he was an electrifying athlete, a cultural icon, a spokesman for Parkinson's victims. But what did he do for America to deserve such a high civilian honor, besides give us some memorable sports highlights?
Maybe I'm just misinterpreting exactly what one has to do to get the Presidential Medal of Freedom. *shrug* I don't begrudge Ali receiving the praise he's received over the years, I just don't get why he's getting this one particular honor.
}:-)4
He did his time. I respect that. The scum who fled to Canada will never have my respect.
In which prison was Ali incarcerated, and for how long?
It depends what you worship SF, as well as how committed you are to it. Manson's "family" sure had conviction. So did those who followed Pol Pot and Ernst Rohm.
Islam is a cult, and a horrific one at that. There is only one God, and allah is not his name.
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