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:
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Mon Jan 9, 2012 at 9:15 AM ET
If a total stranger asks for your help, how likely are you to assist them? New behavioral research shows that a person’s humility is a major factor in determining if they will help others. [Time]
John Y.’s provocative piece had me ruminating for hours. Probably as much as when I first watched that particular episode of The Sopranos — one reason why it’s my favorite television series of all time.
Then, in a telling irony (Mrs. RP assures me that there are no coincidences), I clicked on an email from my rabbi who was sharing with his congregants his thoughts about this week’s Haftorah portion (readings from the Prophets that amplify the Torah portion from that particular week).
To quote Rabbi Klein directly:
This final Torah portion [from the Book of Genesis] deals with the end of the patriarchy and creation of a nation. This final Haftarah seems to tell the same tale in a different generation, but its subtle and difficult side message cannot go unnoticed and unexamined.
On his death bed, the wise and beloved King David admonishes his son Solomon (whose ascension to the throne was not intended), to make killing all of David’s enemies his first royal act. “I go the way of all the earth; you shall be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man (1 Kings 2:2). To show himself a man, Solomon must remember the people who wronged David and kill them. And the descriptions of these deaths are violent. “And you shall do according to your wisdom, and do not let his hoary head go down to the grave in peace (2:6).
The very same message — from King David to Tony Soprano. Literally, from the sacred to the profane.
And certainly, it was a lesson taught many millions of years before Biblical times. Among the animal kingdom in the wild, the survival of the fittest is not merely a metaphor. The alpha dog (or lion, or dinosaur, yadda, yadda, yadda) is the one who demonstrates the greatest strength, often at the expense of the weaker members of the tribe. Even in today’s modern culture, our evolutionary instincts remain ever-present.
Read the rest of… The RPs Debate Presidential Leadership: The RP Rebuts
By John Y. Brown III, on Mon Jan 9, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET
Today, we launch a new feature at The Recovering Politician: The RPs Debate. In this format, one of our contributors will make a provocative post, and others will jump in with their responses. We will publish a new response every half hour. If you like it, we’ll try it again soon. If not, at least some of us had a fun weekend arguing.
When women kiss it always reminds me of prize fighters shaking hands. — HL Mencken.
I thought of this quote watching the Iowa presidential primary returns last week. I was thinking about the basic competitiveness among the men and women–with their own sex.
That quote made me laugh when I read if for the first time as a college student because, as a guy, I was just starting to notice that women were often more competitive than they seemed. Of course, women know this all along but young men– who tend only to notice round objects that can be thrown or resemble the shape of a sandwich or remote control — often miss subtler body language.
Fast forward another 20 years, and I begin to notice the subtler competitiveness among men. Oh, I suppose I always sensed it but never paid full attention to it — until recently. The put down, the standing slightly taller, the one upsmanship stories, the sarcastic joke that makes you a bad sport if you don’t laugh at yourself But there is another level…that is more concerning and more important among men. Fear of being replaced by a younger man….that mixes envy and fear and pride. The mature man becomes generative….a mentor. He accepts his new role with gusto and doesn’t try anymore to win foot races against younger men but to help coach him and teach him not only how to run faster but to be a better man, husband and father. Women, of course, experience this too but I’ve been thinking more about the male reaction to this pressure and it’s significance — to individuals, to families, and even to nations.
So, what does it look like in it’s most basic form? Like this (watch clip below)
Read the rest of… The RPs Debate: Presidential Leadership — John Y Provokes
I was at a political rally in Somerset at the National Guard Armory.
It was the governor’s race in which Martha Wilkinson started but dropped out. Ms. Wilkinson provided a potted plant for a door prize.
As luck would have it, Gatewood won the plant. He was outside and rushed in to accept the plant.
Someone yelled from the crowd, “Why don’t you give away one of your plants Gatewood?”, to which he promptly replied, “Mine are too expensive to give away.”
I remember Gatewood attending a Transportation Forum in either 1995 or 1999 in Lexington and speaking to a large crowd of contractors, Transportation Cabinet employees and others.
He said that he had a clear Transportation plan: for someone who had been ran out of towns in Kentucky as often as he had, he had better know every way out of town there was.
I will always remember Mr Galbraith with respect and admiration.
I first met him when I was an undergraduate at the University of Kentucky in the late 1970s, and we met again in 2010 when I was an expert witness in a trial during which he cross-examined me. He was thorough, incisive, of good humor, and a gentleman.
I will miss him and his particular brand of insights and the way he expressed them.
Gatewood was an author friend of mine and we had some good laughs together. I will miss him.
One time my daughter and I arrived in Dallas, Texas at our hotel. When finding out that we were from Kentucky, the doorman asked if we knew Gatewood.
“He’s a wonderful friend of mine,” the door man said.
He took his phone from his pocket and said,”Do you want to say hello to him?” I talked to Gatewood a few minutes. That made for wonderful service from this hotel while we were there.
Betty and the bus' driver
Gatewood’s bus was fully equipped with beds, table and chairs, bathroom and home site living.
Many times Gatewood would jump out of his bus in the middle of town, shake hands with onlookers and supporters.
Gatewood had asked me to run as his Lt Gov back in 2007, and for several weeks we had a great relationship and laughed and shared ideas but ultimately I couldn’t make it happen.
I felt terrible when I had to tell him, but Gatewood just smiled and said, “no problem brother”.
Needless to say, I have several great stories about Gatewood that I can share with you. But the one theme they all have is the constant love Gatewood had for people and Kentucky.
The first time I got to meet Gatewood was at Fancy Farm years back around 2006? He had a table set up on the Democrats’ side and had a pile of his autobiography books lying on the table.
I walked up and asked “how much for your book Gatewood?” He quickly spouted off something like “do you believe in the freedom of and that Government shouldn’t and constitution this..,” he spoke so fast that I couldn’t tell you exactly what he said but I liked the words that stood out the most so I simply replied, “Damn Right”! He stopped and looked at me and said “they’re free, take one and let me sign it for you, brother”.
We talked for some time about Wille Nelson, and I shared with him the times I hung out on the movie set with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, during the remake of the classic movie “Stage Coach.” (My father was Waylon’s double.) I could tell he was skeptical at first, until I told him how Willie was very funny and comical, and you don’t see that when he plays music. During one scene where Willie (Doc Holliday’s character) has to deliver the baby that the pregnant Lisa Crosby’s character (Yes, she had recently shot JR on Dallas) is having, he says: “I have to take a look down there now,” and as he reaches between her legs, he suddenly pulls a rabbit out of his sleeve and holds it up and declares, “I believe it’s a boy.” Even the director was rolling on the floor.
We talked about how tough it is win an election without money, and that was why he decided to finally write his autobiography and to give it to anyone in the political arena so they would get to know the real Gatewood, not just some legalize marijuana caricature.
He really had a good idea to promote himself and much better than just some 30 second commercial. About that time a preppy fellow walked over and as he was eyeing the books there was something about his demeanor and when he asked Gatewood “how much for your book”, dryly Gatewood replied, “Fifteen Bucks”! Gatewood sure could call them!
During Governor Beshear’s 1st inauguration, Gatewood and I sat together, and as the Governor was being sworn in, I asked Gatewood what it would feel like to him to be up there instead. Gatewood started beaming with that Gatewood grin and said, “Marksberry, if I ever win the lottery, look out”!
We miss you brother and we promise to keep your spirit alive!
I knew Gatewood for many years and always enjoyed running into him, wherever it might be.
He was always upbeat and had something interesting to say. He was the kind of person who could make your day a little brighter just by speaking with him briefly.
His eternal optimism was always refreshing. You have to admire a man who stood up for what he believed was right (not a trait of a lot of politicians) and had no hesitation in expressing to you his opinion.
I remember running into him at Good Foods Co-Op on Southland Drive during the 2007 gubernatorial race, and he gave me an autographed copy of his book. I asked him how his campaign was going, and he said “we’re going to win this thing.”
I remember seeing him during prior campaigns standing on Versailles Road after the races at Keeneland with his campaign sign in hand, waving to everyone, as all of the traffic was going by, and I remember thinking it was a shame he was unable to raise more money so he would have a real shot.
I remember seeing him at Keeneland in October of last year, and I asked him how the campaign was going, and he said it was going well. “We’re going to beat Williams.”
I for one will miss seeing Gatewood, and I am sorry he never won one of his races. I believe he would have done a good job in public office, and he certainly would have “stirred the pot.” I also wish he had lived to run at least one more time.
I did not know Gatewood well, but I do have a story about him.
While in private practice, I was with a firm that maintained office space in the same building as Gatewood. I remember I first saw him in the parking lot after his run. A gangling man in his fifties, sweating profusely and wearing nothing more than a very small pair of running shorts and shoes. It was not the kind of sight that goes easily unnoticed, nor was his periodic tai-chi routine.
Always a very likeable man, I once offered to buy him a drink at Lynagh’s. He slowly turned to me with his characteristically big smile shaded by the brim of his trademark fedora and responded boisterously, “Buddy, I haven’t had a drink for over 20 years…it messes with my buzz too much.”
I also watched as he explained to his friend Willie Nelson, why he chose an office across the street from the police department… “so we can keep an eye on each other.”
Gatewood was a very bright and witty man who was very comfortable in his skin and not afraid to stand up for everything he believed in. For this (and for my brief elevator ride with Willie Nelson) I admired him very much. The world will definitely be a little less pleasant without him.
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