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:
Let’s begin with what “The Ides of March” won’t be: it will contend for no Oscars, it does not threaten the exclusive club status of “All the President’s Men” or “Primary Colors”, and it lacks the camp appeal of “W.” It is, however, the latest cinematic attempt to demonstrate that the past-time of people like us is actually kind of watchable, and interesting, and if we selfishly want to see more of our dreamworld being glamorized, our kind should care if this sort of thing still makes good movies.
Hollywood, by the way, senses that politics usually does not sell, and it makes its accommodations to this reality. This spring’s “Adjustment Bureau” shunned its political story-line in its own advertising, and another momentary flash in the pan, Bradley Copper’s “Limitless”, tacks on a political sub-plot only in the final ten minutes (it works as well as trying to work a fender bender in the studio parking lot into the action.) Even a film that is unambiguously about a political figure, the upcoming “J. Edgar”, exists more because of the tangled webs that apparently existed in Hoover’s private life, than because he blithely abused the prerogatives of federal law enforcement through the terms of eight presidents.
So, when the big screen goes there anyway, and tries to make cash out of politics, its strategy is to bet on the best and most charismatic talent it can get. “J. Edgar” has DiCaprio, and the “Ides” has George Clooney–this generation’s successor to Robert Redford as the man progressives wish were as politically ambitious as he is politically active. Clooney is excellent for the usual reasons–the effortlessness, the cool, the sense that being him is a pretty good, unfair for the rest-of us deal. Ryan Gosling, at this stage in his stardom, has a charisma rooted more in a look than a persona, and he is neither strikingly good nor appallingly bad here. Then there is the wickedly brilliant Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who is superb, and continues his gift for making warped personalities likable–no accident that he pulls off one of the movie’s few surprise turns, doing a slimy thing for the most high-minded of reasons, and making a pretty good speech about it!
Read the rest of… Artur Davis: “The Ides of March”
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Thu Oct 13, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Tech
Dennis Ritchie, the creator of Unix and C has died at the age of 70. [OS News]
This is a super cool video that demonstrates Photoshop managing to “unblur” images by mapping the trajectory of the camera while the photo was being taken. [9to5Mac]
Following the death of Steve Jobs last week: “What Everyone Is Too Polite to Say About Steve Jobs” [Gawker]
More on the legacy of Steve Jobs, a thought-provoking article in the New York Times labeling Jobs the “Enemy of Nostalgia.” [New York Times]
Netflix has decided to abandon its plans to separate its streaming service with its DVD service. They have also thrown out the name Qwikster, leaving them with only Netflix once again. This announcement comes after fan and customer uproar and push-back. [Media Decoder blog, NYT]
College life today is radically different from the experience of past generations. There are certain resources now available to the college-age population that have drastically altered lifestyles both in and outside of the classroom. See here for a list of twenty examples that have potentially changed higher learning for good, including cell phones, red bull, and google. [College Happenings]
One of the clearest signs of change in the college world is the constant increases in tuition costs. See here for a list of the most expensive colleges in the country for 2011-2012, as well as the most expensive school’s (Sarah Lawrence College) justification. [Campus Grotto][CNBC]
The ways in which college students spend their money is indicative of the priorities of today’s university scene. See here for a study on how spending habits of college students have changed, looking at an emphasis on food, technology, and entertainment. [Bright Hub]
The significant increase in awareness of for-profit colleges demonstrates how it is not only traditional universities that are changing the educational world. In fact, these colleges are experiencing higher growth rates than traditional schools and will potentially have a significant impact in our country. [The Chronicle]
The RP is back on the air this week — interviewed for 20 minutes by Abigail Romaine of “Center: Uncensored” for WNZF Radio, serving Central Florida. The RP discusses The Recovering Politician and the No Labels national grassroots organization which he co-founded to promote civility and bi-partisan action on the nation’s critical issues.
If you are new to the site — introduced to The Recovering Politician by today’s NPR/”Q” broadcast of an interview with contributing recovering politician Jeff Smith — welcome!
Here are some handy links to Jeff’s most popular pieces:
To learn more about Jeff Smith’s fascinating path from rising political star to federal prisoner to hopeful redemption, read his critically acclaimed piece, “The Long and Winding Journey to My Second Act.“
You may also like to read our most popular pieces, all written by former politicians gone good:
For media requests and individuals interested in contacting Jeff to be made aware of future book events and speaking engagements, please email jeffsmith2006@gmail.com. To follow him on twitter, go to twitter.com/JeffSmithMO
By Sandra Moon, RP Staff, on Thu Oct 13, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
The Politics of Food
Population growth and increased use of biofuels will keep food prices high in the coming years, leading to greater worldwide food insecurity. [Financial Times]
Pot Pops
In China, Hairy Crabs are a prized delicacy that have spawned a counterfeit crab industry. [NPR]
A Pennsylvania-based candy company creates controversy with Pot Pops–a lollipop in the shape of a marijuana leaf. [LA Times]
By Chris Schulz, RP Staff, on Thu Oct 13, 2011 at 8:30 AM ET
Dear Mr. Buffett,
In the news recently, you, along with other millionaires, advocated for the raising of taxes among the rich–you demanded this action from President Obama as part of a solution to achieve a balanced budget. As one of the world’s richest men, you certainly have plenty of money to spare and you should do with that money as you please. However, you made your money in a free-market. You were able to identify undervalued and underperforming firms, purchase them and then turn them around into solid investments. No one on this planet has a better idea of return on investment (ROI) than you do. You have made a career of identifying the most efficient uses of your money and then you decided where your dollars would have the greatest return and invested there. In the free market environment that allowed you to make your billions, shouldn’t consumers decide where their money goes?
I would prefer to take my money and go out to eat at a local restaurant. This allows the chef to make a living, pay rent on a building, hire employees, get locally sourced foods from farms and local artisans, which then allows the farmers to live and pay their bills. Or I could donate my money to a charity, one that spends little on administrative expenses and instead gives most of the money back to those it means to help. These charities allow homeless people to get off the streets and find jobs, provide access to college for the underprivileged, provide clean water to third world countries, or fund research on various diseases. Another alternative is to donate my money to the Federal Government. I could decide that the Federal Agencies need $16 muffins, or I may think that nominal public officials need to spend public money on excessive bodyguards, or to tear-up and re-build perfectly good roads in a Keynesian attempt to improve the economy.
Read the rest of… Chris Schulz: An Open Letter to Warren Buffet
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed Oct 12, 2011 at 3:30 PM ET
Amber Miller was 39 weeks pregnant when she completed the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, giving birth hours later. How’s that for dedication? [Chicago Tribune]
Looks like you can outsmart heart disease. New research reveals that people at higher risk for heart problems show no increased heart risk when they eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables. [Time]
Can you guess what’s in this school lunch… and why these meals need to change? [CNN]
Policy makers in three dozen states this year proposed drug testing for people receiving benefits like welfare, unemployment assistance, job training, food stamps and public housing. How will this impact society? [NY Times]
Get the scoop behind the vocal cord injury affecting singer Adele. [Wall Street Journal]
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