The Popcorn Stand: Remembering Ali

When I worked at the Nevada Appeal in Carson City, Nev., I had the pleasure of getting to know and interviewing celebrity photographer Charles Adams, who lived in Carson City at the time.

Adams was also Muhammad Ali’s personal photographer. Today is the seventh anniversary of Ali’s death, who died at the age of 74 on June 3, 2016.

Adams sadly died two years ago at the age of 81. When I talked to him after Ali’s death he always made it a point that pretty much his biggest priority was to make sure Ali’s legacy would be remembered and I pretty much promised him I would help him do just that.

Shortly before the first anniversary of Ali’s death in 2017, Adams called me expressing concern that Ali’s legacy was already being forgotten. And for the next two years until I returned to Porterville, Adams would call me shortly before the anniversary of Ali’s death to remind me about the impact Ali had on his life.

So every year I would write a column in honor of Ali. And to keep my promise to Adams on the seventh anniversary of Ali’s death, I’m devoting this column to Ali.

Full disclosure I have a lot of respect for Ali while there are still those, well, maybe not so much, and I get that. The main reason why I respect Ali is Ali’s genuine love for children which is something Adams relayed to me.

Of course the term conscientious objector is a contentious one and Ali is well know for his stance as a conscientious objector when he refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army after being drafted. I do realize there are still those who prefer the term draft dodger as opposed to conscientious objector when describing Ali.

And let’s make no mistake about it I don’t look at Ali through rose-colored glasses. Let’s just say back in the 1960s Ali made Colin Kaepernick look like a choir boy.

And that’s why it’s pretty obvious to me since Ali was such a subversive character the U.S. Government singled him out to be drafted when quite honestly the general policy of the time was to allow professional athletes to enter into the National Guard and thus significantly reduce their chance of ever having to go to Vietnam.

And let’s be clear there was no way Ali was ever going to see combat in Vietnam. His stance as a conscientious objector was a symbolic one. And it definitely wasn’t the easy way out.

Ali could have come up with some kind of rationalization to go against his conviction when he was drafted and enter the military. He then would have been placed in the Special Services where he likely would have done boxing exhibitions for the troops.

And he probably would have actually been able to continue his boxing career and defend his title as the World Heavyweight Champion.

But Ali gave all that up to make his stand and the thinking was he was giving up boxing for good to make his stand since he was making his stand right in the middle of the prime of his career when his boxing skills were at their height.

While there are those who will point out Ali was able to take advantage of what this country offered him and made a lot of money, it should also be pointed out the four-year legal battle he had with the U.S. Government practically bankrupted him.

The point I would make is Ali used the due process of the law as set forth in the Constitution to defend himself. And in the end the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 in favor of Ali (Thurgood Marshall recused himself from the case due to being Solicitor General when the case began). Isn’t that the Constitutional principle those in service have fought for in the first place, for people like Ali to use the due process of the law as set forth in the Constitution to defend themselves?

Yes, it should be noted the Supreme Court found a technicality to eventually rule in favor of Ali as it didn’t want to set a precedent. And the Supreme Court originally came so close to convicting Ali by a 5-3 vote. But Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan had a change of heart and changed his vote, deadlocking the vote at 4-4, giving Ali a reprieve.

The case is brilliantly depicted in HBO’S “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” which I highly recommend.

Charles Adams had a lot of respect for Ali. And I have a lot of respect for Charles Adams. I will respect his wish when it comes to Ali’s legacy living on.