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 Jason Atkinson, on Fri Apr 22, 2011 at 12:45 PM ET
Homer Simpson has three phrases that work in every political situation:
“Cover me.”
”You’re right that is a good idea”; and
“It was like that when I got here.”
Brilliant! Gone are the quotes of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, and stage right steps America’s three-fingered yellow skinned, balding “herald to the masses,” keeper of pop-language. Roll over Danny Webster.
Cover me!
A great phrase used liberally in the western United States in close association with “Hey, hold my beer; I want to try something.” It is not as used too much today across party lines and is more used safely inside the bounds of a politician’s registration; however in days past, I would find rural and urban legislators from different parities “covering” each other just to insure the process keep moving.
“Cover me” can be viewed as a phrase over cards in the smoky back room, but I think cover me is more of loyalty in friendship over partisan. “Cover me” — used between politicians, mostly for the good.
“You’re right, that is a good idea”
This is perhaps the ultimate way to defuse hostility. Since politics is the anvil and our words are the hammer, this Homerism works in nearly all situations. I’ve been teaching my eight-year-old son how to be a conversationalist, which I believe begins with being a good listener. While no one would claim Homer in the same breath as Mark Twain or Shelby Foote, the phrase does work if we first listen.
“It was like that when I got here.“
Lastly comes the great one. The phrase used by politicos ranging from Obama to freshly elected city counselors. The universal deflection in which a politician keeps their status, deflects criticism, and champions all reform: “It was like that when I got here.” It worked as children standing in a messy room; it worked in junior high when the bunsen burner caught fire; it performed brilliantly on Saturday morning chores with younger siblings; and does it ever work in politics! It’s pass-the-buck-plus.
After I thought about it a while, I can’t use it without laughing, blowing my already tissue-thin cover, but for our RP readers, lovers words, students of political survivors, listen for it in our public discourse and smile yourself.
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Fri Apr 22, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Want to play doctor? The New York Times’ Wellness blog gives readers the chance to solve a real-life medical mystery. [New York Times]
IMS Health’s annual report on U.S. prescription spending reveals that in 2010, the top 10 most popular medications were generics for the first time. [Time Healthland]
Those tiresome pop-up ads for the acai berry will finally be off our computer screens, thanks to FTC intervention. [Huffington Post]
Feeling down? Blame it on the pollen… it could be linked to your seasonal allergies. [CNN]
Now get that mood back up with a funny YouTube video. This ticklish penguin at the Cincinnati Zoo is quickly becoming an Internet sensation: [YouTube]
The RP recently looked at changes in American attitudes towards interracial and intercultural marriages and asked, “Will the idea of gay marriage being illegal in most parts of the U.S. seem absolutely unbelievable in 50 years? Yes.” According to this poll, a majority of Americans think it’s unbelievable now. [CNN]
In fact, one church in Louisville, Kentucky, has taken the matter into their own hands, refusing to sign heterosexual marriage licenses until “same-sex couples are afforded equal marriage rights.” As a Louisvillian and a neighbor of the Douglas Boulevard Christian Church, your correspondent says, “bravo.” [ThinkProgress]
Gay marriage, of course, also means gay divorce. With another royal wedding coming up, the RP advises against anyone performing their nuptials at Westminster Abbey. The odds are clearly against you. [Robot Celeb]
And in the end, love is real, real is love—no matter who you love and who loves you. Celebrate it. [Love]
By Andrei Cherny, on Fri Apr 22, 2011 at 8:30 AM ET
Among the dozens of hats that he wears, Contributing RP Andrei Cherny edits Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. His post this month reflects on his status as a recovering politician. But even more, it makes a passionate case for progressive economics in an era that seems to be focused on selfish materialism and me-first politics
Here is an excerpt — the full link is below:
Candidates for office, it has been said, will show up for the opening of an envelope. This is especially true for those seeking an office like state treasurer. So it was that in early October of last year I found myself waiting for my turn to speak at the Yavapai County Tea Party forum. By then it was clear that as a Democrat campaigning statewide in Arizona in 2010, the effort I was engaged in could be reasonably called an “uphill climb” only if the hill in question was named Everest. Nevertheless, I was hopeful, though not blindly optimistic, that there was a path to victory—one that, at least partially, would run through convincing audiences like this one that, though a Democrat, I was the candidate who was more attuned to their concerns.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was one avenue that was closed off. Before it was time for my opponent and me to take the stage, I sat listening to the candidates for Congress debate. Like the audience at an old-time Saturday morning cliff-hanger, the crowd cheered the hero Republican and hissed at the villain Democrat. I turned to my campaign staffer and whispered through a tight smile, “Pull the car around when I get up there. We may have to make a run for it.”
It was the kind of gallows humor on which campaigns thrive, and despite receiving my own share of jeers while speaking, the people there were as friendly to me personally as they were completely uninterested in voting for me. But something bigger was at play that Saturday evening in Prescott than Tea Party politics and the ruminations of a doomed candidate for an obscure office.
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 5:00 PM ET
Thank Goodness It’s Almost Friday…
Friday at 8:30 AM, means it is another debut of a contributing recovering politician. Tomorrow’s writer secured his party’s nomination for a statewide office, and almost won the general election against a tidal wave election for the opposite party. He also happens to be a published author of an outstanding book on one of the greatest moments in American history — the Berlin Airlift. You will enjoy his well-considered thoughts on today’s economic battles.
Contributing RP Jason Atkinson also makes his return, in two guises: You will hear his musings on one of his favorite avocations — competitive cycling — and watch an old video of a speech he delivered on the Oregon State Senate floor, dressed up as a much more famous fellow Republican.
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
Jimmie Johnson
In this week’s NASCAR Power Rankings Jimmie Johnson takes the top spot away from Carl Edwards after winning the Sprint Cup race at Talladega this weekend. [ESPN]
Ed Hinton writes that if you didn’t like the Talladega race this weekend, then NASCAR just isn’t for you. [ESPN]
Amazingly, Junior is not the most mentioned name during race telecasts. Any guess on who is? [Yahoo! Sports]
Ferrarri is worth a lot of money. Have you ever wondered how much? The Italian auto-maker was recently valued at around $7.3 billion. [AutoBlog]
Lastly, check out the British stunt driver that completes a 360° loop in a Fiat 500. [AutoBlog]
How does a liberal doctor, beekeeper and naturalist become the force behind an anti-immigration movement that includes members who refer to the President of the United States as “the undocumented worker” in the White House? A fascinating glimpse into the world of anti-immigrant groups and “the most influential unknown man in America.” [New York Times]
And as with most things in life, the topic of immigration is not black and white—not even in immigrant communities. [Pew Hispanic Center]
Last week, The RP reported on the difficulty of quantifying the number of people that cross the U.S.-Mexico border each year. One thing is for sure: the number of arrests by border patrol agents have dropped by two-thirds over the last decade. The result? An epidemic of boredom among officers. [Los Angeles Times]
Boycott or engagement? Arizona’s anti-immigration legislation has left a dearth of live concerts available to music loving Arizonans—and plenty of critics on both sides. [Salon]
On a lighter note (and sticking with music), The RP has been looking for an opportunity to post this for a while. A band at the height of their powers, prowess and fame. Ahh, the 70s. [Immigrant Song]
Below is a picture of The RP with his gorgeous posse (Mrs. RP and the RP-ettes). For a hint about the location, take a careful look at what is protruding in the back center of the photo.
The first person to guess the correct location in the comments section below this piece wins. (Close friends and family are disqualified — but they already have a signed copy of the book anyway.)
By Grant Smith, RP Staff, on Thu Apr 21, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
The Politics of Fame
Be sure to stop at McDonald’s before you go. That’s right, the Queen is only serving canapes at the royal wedding. [New York Times]
Who needs Hillary or Kissinger as diplomats, when you have Pauly D, Snooki and the Situation? Season 4 of Jersey Shore goes international. America’s finest hour of diplomacy is at hand. [TMZ]
Because his first show wasn’t funny enough as it was, Glenn Beck now wants to make his own version of the Daily Show. [LA Times]
And then there was one: Charlie Sheen temporarily loses one of his goddesses. Insert your best “Winning!” joke here. [TMZ]
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