Part 3 of
True
Strength in a Man
with a discussion
about Muhammad Ali
Now
officially known as Muhammad Ali, he was
about to face a greater fight than the one
in the ring. He was furious at what
America was doing in Vietnam--the slaughter
of innocent men, women, and children.
He said:
I had seen a series of
pictures in a magazine showing mangled
bodies of dead Viet Cong laid out along the
highway like rows of logs... The only enemy
alive was a little naked girl, searching
among the bodies, her eyes wide,
frightened. I clipped out the picture
and the face has never quite left my mind.
Because of his deep ethical objection, which
I respect tremendously, Ali said he would
not serve in the Army. He was
threatened, called "unAmerican and a
traitor" by the press and boxing
establishment. He was offered deals of
special treatment in the Army. Ali did
not waver. He refused induction and
was convicted and sentenced to five years in
jail. His title was taken away and he
was barred from boxing. Eli Siegel,
who courageously opposed the Vietnam war
from its beginning, composed this poem about
Ali in May, 1967, titled "Correction":
Jail
LBJ
Not Cassius Clay
Let's all rally
For Muhammad Ali.
Despite the unjust action taken against him,
Ali remained strong because he was fighting
for the well-being of people. He said:
"I felt better than when I beat the 8 to 1
odds and won the title from Liston."
I regret tremendously that during the 1960's
I was not against the Vietnam War. I
wanted my comfort and what I saw as my right
as an American to be superior to
people. I felt Ali was reckless,
stirring up people needlessly, and rooted
against him. I didn't think about
justice and I loathed myself for this.
In an Aesthetic Realism Class of 1974, I
asked Mr. Siegel about a dream which had
troubled me. It was about Muhammad Ali
and his upcoming second fight with Joe
Frazier. Mr. Siegel, with great
kindness, showed how the dream commented
centrally on where I was against
myself. He asked me: "Do you identify
with both of them?" I replied, "More with
Frazier, Ali brags too much."
He should brag even
more. I can't think of a nicer
heavyweight. Do you think he has
sincere religious feelings?
"Yes," I answered.
Said Mr. Siegel, "He's a muscular and
intellectual heavyweight."
I
told Mr. Siegel that Ali lost the fight in
my dream. He asked:
Are you sad about the
result? Don't you think you had a
preference? Who is more external, who
doesn't care more for his deeper feelings?
And he continued:
You're like most
people who don't want to think they have any
inner life. It's annoying and a
nuisance.... Do you think the purpose
of life is to put on a good show?
Public and private, inner and outer,
do you want to take care of both of them?
Mr. Siegel then asked me:
Was there a depth that got
you to be born? Would you like the
deep to explain the superficial or the
superficial to make fun of the deep?
As soon as you explain the superficial, you
have to be deep.
True
Strength in a Man in How He Sees
Love
Muhammad Ali, like
many men, has had pain in love. He has
been married four times. Yet I am
moved by how he wanted to see the mistakes
he made with his first wife, Sonji.
They had been divorced for several years,
but he interviewed her on tape for his
autobiography, wanting her side of what
happened in their marriage to be in
it. He said he wanted to know:
What had really happened to
us? Who had been right, who was
wrong? What had living with me been
like for her? How much had gone
unsaid? Maybe she could say now what
she had never said before? ... maybe I could
listen to her as I had never done.
Later as they spoke, Ali expressed regret to
her for not wanting to understand her.
This was true strength and shows how hungry
he was, and is, to know how to have good
will for women.
In
an Aesthetic Realism Class taught by Ellen
Reiss, I heard questions about what good
will includes, which brought out the best in
me. They are now published in The
Right of Aesthetic Realism to Be Known,
issue 900 under the title "Good Will For Any
Person." I had asked what good will
would be for the woman I love, Lynette Abel,
who, I am glad to say is now my wife, and
Ms. Reiss presented these questions.
They read in part:
The first thing in good will
for Lynette Abel is to ask: Who is Lynette
Abel? What does she say about the whole
world, and what does the whole world say
about her? With that, and arising from it,
is: What would it mean for Lynette Abel to
be all she can be? What does it mean (and
this is a synonym) for Lynette Abel to be as
strong as she can be?; as good as she can
be?; as beautiful as she can be? What can be
the means to encourage that — including,
Where could I, Michael Palmer, be a means of
encouraging that to be?
Studying these questions together with
Lynette, I understand her more deeply, see
more keenly her relation to the world and
what she is hoping for. I like
thinking about what will strengthen her and
acting upon it. I feel stronger,
kinder, and have greater respect, and there
is new, exciting feeling between us. I
thank Ellen Reiss for her kind imagination,
her knowledge, and good will.
A
Man Must Know What Will Make Him
Strong
After being banned for
three-and-a-half years, Muhammad Ali was
able to return to boxing and regain the
title in 1974, but he was not the fighter he
once was.
In 1984, three years after his last bout,
Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's
Syndrome. Despite his illness, he
continued all his life to speak out against
injustice in the world. He has
received the United Nations special
"Messenger of Peace" citation. In
1990, prior to the Persian Gulf War he went
to Baghdad, Iraq and gained the release of
hostages. He spoke movingly of
Baghdad, saying:
This is the land of the
Garden of Eden, and the land where Abraham
was born. How could it be bombed.
This stands for the best
thing in a man — which I'm glad to be
learning about--the desire to be kind and
just.
Editor's note: Michael
Palmer, who had 36 years of experience in
radio broadcasting, news and sports, is an
Aesthetic Realism associate. He has
written important articles — including about
racism in sports — which have been published
in cities across America.
To
return
to Part 1, click here
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