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News & ArtsTuesday, September 1, 2009
History His Roots
Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Muhammad Ali goes to the motherland, which for him is Ireland:
(Guardian) After Barack Obama and Tony Blair, Muhammad Ali today became the latest world celebrity to reclaim his Irish origins.God bless you, Muhammad Ali. God bless Ireland.The boxing legend became the first man to be given the freedom of Ennis, County Clare, for 600 years.
Ali visited the town, in the west of Ireland, to pay homage at the home of his Irish great-grandfather, Abe Grady.
Thousands turned out to honour him as he received the civic accolade.
The former world heavyweight champion also met four of his distant cousins during the closed ceremony, which was broadcast live on a giant screen into the middle of the town.
Ali, 67, then drove through Ennis, taking in the Turnpike Road area from which his great-grandfather came.
He attended a charitable function at Dromoland Castle before flying back to his home in Kentucky.
2
People like being Irish because as a country, we've never pissed anyone off.
And back in the day, we had so many children that it's not hard to find a link, tenuous as it may be.
And back in the day, we had so many children that it's not hard to find a link, tenuous as it may be.
3
@2:
>>People like being Irish because as a country, we've never pissed anyone off.
Umm... IRA anyone?
That said, it's a pure warm fuzzy to have Muhammad Ali part of the family.
This post brought to mind several scenes in the Commitments.
>>People like being Irish because as a country, we've never pissed anyone off.
Umm... IRA anyone?
That said, it's a pure warm fuzzy to have Muhammad Ali part of the family.
This post brought to mind several scenes in the Commitments.
5
HE CANT TALK OR MOVE NE MOR. THAT IS NOT ALI. THAT IS OLD SACK OF SKIN.
PS: FUN FAX TO KNOW IZ THAT IRELAND WAZ ONCE POPULATED BY MOORS (GUESS WHAT KARLES, DAT MEANS AFRICANS!!!)
ST PATRICK IZ ALLEGROY 4 DRIVING OUT OF MOORS, NUT DUMB BIBLICAL SNAKEZ.
PS: FUN FAX TO KNOW IZ THAT IRELAND WAZ ONCE POPULATED BY MOORS (GUESS WHAT KARLES, DAT MEANS AFRICANS!!!)
ST PATRICK IZ ALLEGROY 4 DRIVING OUT OF MOORS, NUT DUMB BIBLICAL SNAKEZ.
6
@4. You're right, he's a draft dodging coward, and a radical Muslim, trying to get young black men to hate their country and white people. He has always had a deep abiding for white people, and was a precursor to community activists and muckrackers like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Barack Hussein Obama.
7
He's such a graceful man with a great legacy who has given so much, his philanthropic efforts post career to make this world a better place speak more than all the titles and medals which he has rightfully won. The trolls might be trying to make a joke of it but God has indeed blessed this man and all who come to know him, and its my sincere wish that he continues to.
God bless you and your family Mr Ali for all the joy and kindness you have brought to the world throughout your life.
God bless you and your family Mr Ali for all the joy and kindness you have brought to the world throughout your life.
8
go watch "the thrilla in manilla" and tell me if you like the fucking idiot known as muhammad ali.
guy is a complete asshole fuckup and deserves his life of suffering via parkinsons.
guy is a complete asshole fuckup and deserves his life of suffering via parkinsons.
9
Yeah, yeah, but it IS cool that he's reconnecting with Irish roots. It shakes up the whole whiteness-by-default thing associated with Irish heritage. Love it!
10
I have to confess, I've always been a little confused as to why we're all supposed to regard Ali as an international hero, a quasi-saint. Did he cure somebody's cancer once or something?
11
@3
Unfortunatly, the Irish diaspora tends to have far too rosy a view of the IRA, because they 'only ever attacked the Brits' who have pissed off pretty much everyone at some point.
Unfortunatly, the Irish diaspora tends to have far too rosy a view of the IRA, because they 'only ever attacked the Brits' who have pissed off pretty much everyone at some point.
12
@10,
A long time ago, back when Ice-T was just a rapper, I think I heard him explain it this way:
For most of American history, black folks didn't say in public (white public) what was on their mind with no regard for how white people would receive it. As Ice T put it, white folks had never heard a "talking n*****" before. Oh, and of course, Ice T was chalking up his own problems with "controversy" ("Cop Killer" ) to this new era of saying what was on your mind.
Oh, also, Ali was exceptionally talented. People do tend to go gaga for athletes (from their country) that just dominate their sport worldwide against all comers for a long period of time. (Lance.)
So, at the time, it seemed radical & fun, and maybe like some other things of the 60's, in retrospect, Hey, what a jackass!
For every over-indulgent rebellion,perhaps we need to think of the long years of things-screwed-down-too-tight before it. (Again, the 60's.)
A long time ago, back when Ice-T was just a rapper, I think I heard him explain it this way:
For most of American history, black folks didn't say in public (white public) what was on their mind with no regard for how white people would receive it. As Ice T put it, white folks had never heard a "talking n*****" before. Oh, and of course, Ice T was chalking up his own problems with "controversy" ("Cop Killer" ) to this new era of saying what was on your mind.
Oh, also, Ali was exceptionally talented. People do tend to go gaga for athletes (from their country) that just dominate their sport worldwide against all comers for a long period of time. (Lance.)
So, at the time, it seemed radical & fun, and maybe like some other things of the 60's, in retrospect, Hey, what a jackass!
For every over-indulgent rebellion,perhaps we need to think of the long years of things-screwed-down-too-tight before it. (Again, the 60's.)
13
#4 and 8: Why can't you just come out and say you hate n*ggers. Why beat around the bush you stupid crackers?
14
Most of the black people I know have Irish ancestry. That's because most of the black people I know are from the East Coast, and are descended from slavery. Me included.
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