History Thank God
posted by on January 17 at 21:05 PM
Man. I was perusing the Slog, killing time earlier today as I was waiting for Governor Gregoire to emerge from her 2 hour and 40 minute Viaduct meeting, and Bradley’s Muhammad Ali post came up… and before I could actually focus on what it said, my throat caught, and I thought…
And man, I almost started bawling right there in the Governor’s office.
Here—from memory (so I may have it wrong)—is that Amiri Baraka poem I referenced yesterday. The one I was lucky enough to come across while doing detention after school in my high school library:
Note to America
You cannot hurt Muhammad Ali
and stay alive.
yes, let's all admire a man for his talent for violence. sheesh.
He was also a super good bragger.
Visionary—really.
Yeah, Chris...
or instead, let's admire him for standing up against the Vietnam war and turning MLK's otherwordly anti-war rap into a populist stance that resonated with joe average sports fans. Sheeesh to you.
anywhere to find the full text of "Note to America"?
Ben,
I think it's in a LeRoi Jones/Baraka collection called Black Magic: Poetry 1963-1969 ... ????
I looked for the poem on-line. Can't find it.
c'mon, who are you kidding. you love him for the boxing. he ain't talking in that video.
Any Ali doubter/hater just needs to watch When We Were Kings. I think his prowess in the ring just enhances his courage on social issues like Vietnam and Civil Rights.
"I done wrasseled with an aligator; i done tussled with a whale. I handcuffed lightning, throwed Thunder in jail!"
Vive Ali!
I saw "When We Were Kings". it's a good movie, and ali's a hoot, and he gets credit for being on the right side of issue on vietnam. that doesn't make him a saint.
There are no true Saints. Ali was a man, just a man, but damn... what a mighty good man.
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