Brewed Musings

Brewed Beverage of Choice:  A Pint of Fullers ESB

Yesterday I was listening to the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio as I always do around noon each day because it is my 3 hour zen meditation.  He allows my brain to shut off and listen to someone else talking for a while.  Plus he does a full hour with Keith Olbermann, his former partner on Sportscenter.  It was during this show that Keith and Dan waxed poetically on the impact of Muhammad Ali on both the world of boxing and the world of American culture.  The talk was inspiring and interesting as they talked of the time they actually met the “Champ.”  I was in full Ali enlightenment, that is until yet another American sports fan opened his ill-informed mouth and destroyed the moment with ignorance.

This listener emailed the show deriding Dan and Keith for praising Ali because, in his words, Ali was a racist (huh?), a draft dodger for Ali’s conscientious objection of the Viet Nam war, - and this is where he should have just shut his mouth - and then the listener condemned Ali for converting to Islam, a religion that supports violence and killing in the name of Islam.  The last was an obvious jab - no pun intended - at Bin Laden and what is going on in Iraq right now.

I can understand the second criticism because it was a tenuous situation back then and is still a tenuous situation now.  The two sides will never come to terms.  I do not agree with that stance, but I understand it.  But, racist???  I have never heard Ali say he would not fight someone because of the colour of their skin as some heavyweights have done in the past.  And if you listen to any stories about Ali, racist is the LAST word one would think of to describe him.  Practical joker?  Definitely.  It is widely known that Ali liked a good joke.  Great fighter?  Most certainly.  In my opinion he was the best…and I am not a boxing fan.  Loudmouth?  Sure.  He used his mouth as his second best asset.  He was not a racist.

What got my gourd was this listener, who obviously knows nothing about Islam, makes this wide-sweeping generalization about the religion and then condemned a man for his conversion.  I will be the first to admit that I know NOTHING about Islam and feel quite bad about that.  But I am not going to take down a whole religion because of some sects that promote violence.  Apparently this particular listener has completely and conveniently forgotten about the Spanish Inquisition.  Or how about the hundreds of thousands of Native Americans that were killed in the name of Manifest Destiny.  If this person thinks that Christians have not killed in the name of religion, I have a bridge I would like to sell him.

It was hard to put this ignorant listener’s comments behind me and celebrate the man that is Muhammad Ali.  Perhaps this listener can take a page out of Ali’s book.  That would be not opening your mouth unless you have some idea of what you are talking about, an ideal Ali is not given enough credit for.  And now I will shut my mouth, for I have no idea what I am talking about.

Happy Birthday Su!

Prost!

the unknowing confucian brewer