Muhammed Ali Says

Mickey Z. has the following quote from Muhammad Ali:

Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality…If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.

Emphasis Mine

I post this in response to those pro-war types who say that the battle for freedom is in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. However, the real enemy of freedom is right at home when Terror law clauses seal the deal

"We have agreed today on unusual laws for Australia, we have done that because we live in unusual circumstances," [PM John Howard] told reporters.

"In other circumstances I would never have sought these additional powers, I would never have asked the premiers of the Australian states to support me in enacting these laws.

"But we do live in very dangerous and different and threatening circumstances and a strong and comprehensive response is needed."

Emphasis Mine

I agree with the PM on the last paragraph even though we disagree on who the enemy of freedom is.