Please sign the petition below to remove the statue of Jefferson Davis currently in Kentucky’s Capitol Rotunda, and replace it with a tribute to Muhammad Ali, “the Louisville Lip” and “the Greatest of All Time.”
I just heard from the Ali family: It is the Champ’s belief that Islam prohibits three-dimensional representations of living Muslims. Accordingly, I have adjusted the petition to call for a two-dimensional representation of Ali (a portrait, picture or mural) in lieu of a statue.
UPDATE (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)
In this interview with WHAS-TV’s Joe Arnold, Governor Steve Beshear endorses the idea of honoring Muhammad Ali in the State Capitol (although he disagrees with removing Davis). Arnold explores the idea further on his weekly show, “The Powers that Be.”
Click here to check out WDRB-TV’s Lawrence Smith’s coverage of the story.
And here’s my op-ed in Ali’s hometown paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal.
UPDATE (Saturday, June 4, 2016)
In the wake of the 2015 Charlestown tragedy, in which a Confederate flag-waving murderer united the nation against racism, all of the most powerful Kentucky policymakers — U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, Governor Matt Bevin, Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo — called for the removal of the Davis statue from the Rotunda. Today, as we commemorate last night’s passing of Muhammad Ali, there is no better moment to replace the symbol of Kentucky’s worst era with a tribute to The Greatest of All Time.
UPDATE (Wednesday, June 8, 2016):
Great piece by Lawrence Smith of WDRB-TV in Louisville on the petition drive to replace Jefferson Davis’ statue in the Capitol Rotunda with a tribute to Muhammad Ali.
UPDATE (Thursday, June 9, 2016):
Excellent piece on the petition drive by Jack Brammer that was featured on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Highlight of the article:
Miller said he has received a few “angry comments” on his call to honor Ali.
“One of them encouraged me to kill myself,” he said. “You can quote me that I have decided not to take their advice.”
UPDATE (Friday, June 10, 2016)
The petition drives continues to show the Big Mo(hammed): check out these stories from WKYU-FM public radio in Bowling Green and WKYT-TV, Channel 27 in Lexington:
UPDATE (Saturday, June 11, 2016):
Still not convinced? Check out this excerpt from today’s New York Times:
Interestingly, Hajnal and Lee don’t view it as distressing. They speculate that there is actually a virtue in this kind of politics, in that it would supplant the alternative of one racialized party matched against one white, homogeneous one. It is also striking that they describe their approach of “tightly packaged appeals to targeted [minority] electorates” as a strategic novelty, when it is anything but: even a cursory glance of modern politics yields, on the right, Richard Nixon’s cultivation of Catholics and white ethics, George W. Bush’s deploying of an anti gay marriage initiative to shift black votes in Ohio in 2004; and of course, what Hajnal and Lee describe is a fair rendition of the current Democratic pattern of wedge politics from the left: courting Hispanics with opposition to restrictive local immigration laws, blacks with protective rhetoric about voter ID requirements and, increasingly, with defenses of affirmative action in higher education (an issue the conservative dominated Supreme Court has committed to revisit in the next term).
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I can cite any number of arguments from both ends of the spectrum why more of the above is hardly a political panacea. From the liberal perspective, there is a quality of cheap symbolism that is really studied avoidance of more contentious ground like African American poverty or citizenship status for illegal immigrants. On the right, policy minded conservatives might lament that the temptation for the GOP to wield gay marriage and perhaps abortion to offset the Democrats’ advantage with blacks and Latinos is at the expense of more substantive initiatives on education and entrepreneurship.
My gut reaction is that the two authors end up in such a curious place—treating old fashioned racial interest group politics as cutting edge and prescribing more of it despite the obvious costs—because they are trying to make sense of a not widely known phenomenon that their research uncovered: the surprisingly high levels of disengagement from among ethnic minorities from both parties. Their data suggests, for example, that among Asian Americans and Latinos, a majority don’t vote, and almost sixty percent of both groups are independent or don’t identify with either party; even within the monolithically Democratic black community, roughly a third express reservations that their interests are not adequately articulated by Democrats or Republicans.
Read the rest of… Artur Davis: Two Visions of the Multi-Racial Future
This is the most lucid explanation I’ve read of the absurdity of politics these days, from Mark Barabak of the Los Angeles Times:
Comes now the startling news that in 1996, Barack Obama, then a candidate for the Illinois state Senate, became a card-carrying Socialist.
The so-called proof was offered Thursday by the Washington Times, which linked to a National Review Online account involving the community organization ACORN, the Wisconsin Historical Society and something called the New Party.
This, on top of previous “revelations” that Obama is not a natural-born American citizen, is secretly gay and a closet Muslim will surely ensure his defeat in November.
Except none of those statements are true and few, save Donald Trump and the rabid Obama haters of the world, pay much attention to rumors that have eddied for years in the dark, dank corners of the Internet and other gathering holes of the conspiracy-minded.
By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Jun 13, 2012 at 1:00 PM ET
(ORLANDO) Yesterday, my daughter tried out and made the first round of auditions for American Idol at Disney. And decided to stop before continuing. But not before making me promise to audition today–with her joining me at the audition.
Maggie and I went in a small room with a really friendlye auditioner who asked us a lot of very friendly questions.
I was a liltte nervous and explained I was Oliver in the play named, well, Oliver, at camp when I was 12 and choked when signing “Where is Love,” and that today–37 years later–was my chance to vindicate myself. The auditioner lady, Katie, told me to stand on the star and sing for 30 seconds acapello.
My daughter nudged me toward the star. I cleared my throat and bagan. My voice quivered at first, but I immediately broke out and was nailing the song –just like I did practicing it at age 12. But the finale approached and I swung for the fences but missed the final note. I didn’t think I missed it too badly and hoped that the auditioner didn’t notice. Even though my daughter was laughing uncontrollably just a few feet away.
Katie complemented me and my musical ear and asked if I played any instruments. I answered her, but mostly just wanted to know if I had made it to the second round.
I explained that my daughter –the one laughing really hard–made it to the second round yesterday. Hinting that we had the same genes, so, you know….that should count for something.
And I mentioned again that I’d been waiting for 37 years to make this right.
A pic of me at Disney today. Hanging my head in shame after failing to make it past the first audition at American Idol.
Katie asked me my name and began writing. I was hopeful.
It was a Disney button with my name on it. A consolation prize for not making the second round. The equivalent of a giant loser button you can wear for the rest of the rrip so people will know you didn’t make it past the first round at the American Idol audition.
As she handed it to me I imagined Chuck Berry gonging me from the old Gong Show and saying someting insulting.
I took the button and threw it away as soon as I was outside– as I munbled “Bitch” under my breath 15 minutes later my daughter is still laughing.
It was a magical experience, still. Becuase I learned that when I choked at age 12 and refused to sing “Where is Love” solo in the play Oliver, I made the right decision. Today vindicated me.
By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Jun 13, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
On airplane Tarmac about to take off. And for a moment was so preoccjpied I couldn’t recall where I was going. And for those few seconds, it was exciting. Anything was possible…
I propose a “Big and Tall” airline for non-anorexics people over 5 ft tall…
I support TSA security measures to combat terrorist threats. And I applaud airlines role in discouraging planes for terrorist purposes by offering cramped seating, delays, and poor service. You are patriots!…
On a plane flight today I noticed the woman next to me doing needlepoint the entire flight. She was an older lady but her hands moved like a precise and steady machine repeating stitch after stitch after stitch. I watched with almost hypnotized interest…it had a calming effect and got me to thinking about more profound things that her knitting represented. In life, we often believe we are the hands doing the frantic and laborious knitting. In fact, I believe we are more like the design waiting for the Divine Knitter to use us in His pattern as we patiently discover how can be most useful to the world.
At least, that’s my hope…
Traveling again today and feel compelled to share TSA humorous interaction of the day. Got selected for a pat down. Yes! That’s right! Me….who never wins anything.
A large male official patted me down and told me to “move ahead” -all clear. A female official came up next with a wand. I whispered, “I’m not sure he really had his heart into it. You may want to do a once over on me to make sure.” She laughed!! Yay!!
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Jun 13, 2012 at 10:00 AM ET
The Politics of Love
The picture at the left of two Israel Defense Forces soldiers walking hand in hand at a Tel Aviv gay pride rally has caused a sensation on the Internet tubes. The reaction in Israel? Meh. What’s the big deal? Happens all the time! [JTA]
American Idol champ and country music superstar Carrie Underwood came out last week for gay marriage, citing…wait for it…her Christian values. Love it! [Huffington Post]
Want another excuse to love the Miami Heat as they play for the NBA Championship? Check out this article on the controversial owner of the Oklahoma City Thunder. [Financial Post]
By Krystal Ball, on Wed Jun 13, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET
Women’s health and birth control access have sparked a contentious political firestorm in American politics as Republicans have unleashed a barrage of restrictive and damaging legislation. As we fight back against these historic attempts to undermine women’s health and family planning access here in the US, let’s not lose sight of our sisters around the world. Access to family planning education and contraception is one of the global keys to improving health, economic development, and security.
While fertility rates have declined dramatically in most of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia have resisted the trend toward fewer lifetime births per mother. From 1950 to 2000, the average fertility rate in developing countries was cut in half, from 6 to 3.
Fertility rates, however, in many African countries have remained stubbornly high. In Nigeria, the rate is 5.5, in Chad and Uganda it’s over 6. With a fertility rate over 7, Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of childbirth in the world. The fact that it is also poor, uneducated and prone to extremist movements is no accident.
Take a look at this list of countries by fertility rate. A quick glance confirms that poor countries tend to have high rates and rich countries tend to have low rates. Is this simple correlation or causation? In other words, which comes first, the economic development or the declining fertility rate? It’s probably some of both but there’s good reason to believe that access to contraception, even in a poor country, can decrease fertility rates and improve economic development.
Researchers in Bangladesh studied the impact of access to birth control, in Matlab district, over the course of 20 years. They found that in villages with family planning, every measure of well-being, including health, earnings and assets, improved. While cultural preferences for large families remain, an increasing amount of research also shows that couples in developing countries desire fewer children. Marie Stopes International surveyed Afghan families and found that the ideal size for most Afghan families was 4 or 5 children, in other words, 2 or 3 children less than their current fertility rate would dictate. Afghan couples also seemed to understand the benefits of limiting family size. One man commented that: “Three to five (children) is perfect in order to feed and educate them well.” Another study found that more African women said they wanted contraception but had no access than said that they actually use contraception. Most poignant however was the reaction of one woman, a mother of 17, upon receiving birth control for the first time. The woman was reportedly so delighted that she “hugged and kissed Aziza (the provider), ripped open a package and swallowed a pill with a gulp of water.”
Increased access to contraception is not just good for families, it also contributes to a stable and sustainable world. While the link between poverty and terrorism has been difficult to tease out, the growth for example of the deadly Boko Haram terrorist group in Nigeria appears directly tied to grievances about poverty and inequality, economic stress that is worsened by large families.
All of this is to say nothing of the burden that climate change puts on our world and the strain and conflict it creates. The Department of Defense calls climate change an “accelerant of instability” that exacerbates volatile situations.
Warmer temperatures and increased incidences of severe weather lead to more natural disasters, dislocation, and disease. This stress and hardship in turn fuels extremism. Smaller families consuming fewer resources can be a step on the road to lessening the impact of extreme weather events on global security.
Read the rest of… Krystal Ball: Women’s Health is Key to Global Health, Economic Development, Security
By Jonathan Miller, on Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 3:00 PM ET
On June 26th, there will be an election in Brooklyn between Hakeem Jeffries, a New York State Assemblyman and New York City Councilman, Charles Barron. While the Daily News this week endorsed Jeffries in the Democratic Primary (which will essentially be the election in this heavily-Democratic district), the retiring Member of Congress Ed Towns, and the Amsterdam News, have endorsed Barron. This race is neck in neck and the turnout will be lowimmediately.
Barron has questioned the legitimacy of Israel’s existence, calling the Israeli government “the biggest terrorist in the world.” In 2009, hejoined former anti-Israel congresswoman Cynthia McKinney on a Viva Palestine convoy to undermine the Israeli blockade of Hamas-controlled Gaza, which he has compared to a “concentration death camp.” He said, “There’s too many children and women and innocent men of Gaza dying because you’re isolating them and not allowing anything in. It’s like having a concentration death camp.”
At a 2002 rally in support of reparations for slavery, Barron said: “I want to go up to the closest white person and say, ‘You can’t understand this, it’s a black thing’ and then slap him, just for my mental health.”
For a compilation of Barron’s statements, click here:
And be sure to watch this stunning video:
If any of this makes you want to jump to action, click here to support Barron’s primary opponent, Hakeem Jeffries.
By Patrick Derocher, on Tue Jun 12, 2012 at 12:30 PM ET
Florida has run afoul of the US DoJ for at least the second time under governor Rick Scott, this time for the purgation of some 100,000 Floridians from voting rolls.
Florida finds itself in hot water with the US Justice Department yet again after purging some 100,000 names from its voting rolls. Although states re allowed to remove ineligible voters from the roll, DoJ has said that Florida did not comply with legal standards, citing “critical imperfections, which lead to errors that harm and confuse eligible voters.” Moreover, some are arguing that the purge targeted minorities and other Democratic-leaning voters ahead of what is sure to be a very tight presidential race in Florida this November. [CNN]
It’s not just Wisconsin. California is entertaining the possibility of a regulation that would ban corporations and labor unions from contributing directly to campaigns. Additionally, it would stop paycheck reductions from being used for political purposes. Unions, who use paycheck deductions to fund the majority of their political endeavors, would see their influence slashed dramatically, and all this on the heels of the Wisconsin recall vote that was seen by many as an affirmation of unions’ diminishing power. [Sacramento Bee]
Illinois politicians’ struggles with the law are well known. It is, after all, the state with not one but two former governors in jail. What is less well known is the bipartisan pair of State Representatives who have been sitting on ethics panels together. After presiding over the investigation into former governor Rod Blagojevich, Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat, and Jim Durkin, a Republican from suburban Cook County, will investigate ethics charges being brought against Derrick Smith, also a Chicago Democrat. [State Register-Journal]
Rick Perry may not even belong in Texas at this point. The governor and former Presidential candidate was booed at the state convention last week after declaring his support for Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, who is running for US Senate in a run-off with Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz. [CBS Houston]
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