Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight Page #6

Lighter on his feet.

He's gonna dance around

Frazier and wear him down.

The heavyweight

champion of the world,

Joe Frazier.

Round 11.

Again, Ali

appearing to be quite weary.

Frazier looking much stronger.

Frazier throwing

many more punches.

...Frazier throwing punches.

That one hurt.

Look at that.

Muhammad Ali staggers.

Muhammad Ali was rocked.

He's holding on desperately.

Bill, one more.

You're up, Connolly.

Right, this is

the final round of the fight

and what a fight it's been!

This is

the final round!

Referee Arthur

Mercante has them touch gloves.

Something they've

been doing all night.

Muhammad Ali

has gotta go box him.

Joe Frazier

against Muhammad Ali.

...he is up. He got up

immediately on the count of two.

The referee

Arthur Mercante scores it

8.6-1 even for Frazier.

One vote for Joe Frazier.

Artie Aidala 9-6 for Frazier.

Frazier is the winner!

Ali's history.

Heavyweight champion

of the world, Joe Frazier!

Joe Frazier!

For the first time

in his career.

Muhammad Ali was beaten!

Docket number 7-8-3.

Clay, a. k. a. Ali,

versus United States.

Mr. Eskridge, you may

proceed whenever you are ready.

Mr. Chief Justice

and may it please

the Court.

On February 16, 1966,

my client wrote a letter

to his local draft board

alleging facts

which he claimed

entitled him

according to the law

to conscientious

objector status.

In his handwriting,

he wrote,

"Muslim means peace,

"total submission

to the will of Allah;

do not take the lives

of anyone. "

His request was denied.

The Appeal Board

referred the matter

to the United States

Justice Department.

The Justice Department

appointed a hearing

officer-Judge Grauman.

Judge Grauman heard

several witnesses.

He also had in front of

him, the record shows,

Elijah Muhammad's book

"Message to the

Blackman in America. "

Judge Grauman found

that Ali was sincere

in his objections to

participation in war

in any form.

The government

rejected this finding,

stating that

Mr. Muhammad Ali

would fight "tomorrow,"

quote unquote,

in a defensive war

on behalf of Muslims.

Mr. Eskridge,

when you say

"fight in a defensive war

on behalf of Muslims,"

that is what is known as

participating in

a holy war,

is it not?

It is, Mr. Justice, yes.

And that is

in the Quran.

Yes, sir.

It's also referenced

in Elijah Muhammad's

book.

So, he would fight?

Uh, ahem.

Sir, Black Muslims

have taken some of their

beliefs from the Quran

and fashioned them

to the black man's

experience in

the United States.

In this

holy war,

who would your client

be fighting?

Sir, nowhere

in the record

has my client ever said

that he would

fight with weapons

against anybody.

Mr. Griswold,

the Hearing Officer,

Judge Grauman,

recommended that

Mr. Ali's

conscientious objector

status be sustained.

Why did the government choose

to ignore his findings?

As your honors know,

the government is not

represented at

such hearings.

Well, what I'm

interested in learning

is why

the government determined

that Ali's beliefs were

not religiously rooted.

We accept

that his beliefs

are religiously

rooted.

You accept that his beliefs

are religiously rooted?

Yes, Your Honor, we do.

But you question

his sincerity.

We do not question

his sincerity.

You don't

question his sincerity?

No, Mr. Justice,

we do not.

Mr. Griswold, what is

the government's objection?

Sir, the only question

before the Court now

is that his objection

was selective.

It is not enough for his

objection to be religious;

it must also

be an objection

to participation

in wars in any form.

The Petitioner

just doesn't want

to fight

the white man's wars,

and I can

understand that.

At the same time,

he has no

religious or conscientious

scruples against

participation in wars

which would defend

the black man's

interests.

In this summary

of the first hearing,

"Clay objects to being

in service because

he has no quarrel

with the Vietcong. "

In his own words, quote,

"No Vietcong ever called

me n*gger," unquote.

Since Mr. Ali would

participate in a holy war,

he is not a true

conscientious objector.

Mr. Eskridge,

people have always

fought wars for

religious reasons,

and then would defend them

as being holy wars,

"just" as opposed

to "unjust. "

Like the Crusades.

So, your client would

fight a holy war but-

and I'm quoting

you here-

"wouldn't fight with weapons

against anybody. "

I'm sorry.

I'm confused.

How do you

stand now with

the possibility of

going to jail?

Oh, I don't know. I'm

just waiting any day now.

Do you think

about that, though?

Do you ever think

what you'll do

or if you do go?

Why, yes, you think about it at

nights when you're in the bed.

You think about, you know,

if I went this way,

what could have happened,

if I went this way,

and I've figured it

all out.

But whenever people want

to really make progress,

some have to sacrifice

a lot,

and I like to say

white America right now

spending $30 million

a day in Asia,

black and white boys are

dying unjustly for nothing

just to free somebody else.

So, why should I worry about

going to little old jail

to free my poor people

who's been

catching all hell

for 400 years.

Gentlemen, let's

take the vote. John?

I uphold his conviction.

Uphold.

Free the man.

Uphold.

Oh, let's free the man,

for God's sake.

Potter:

I'm with Bill and Bill.

Go free.

Harry?

Uphold.

I vote to uphold.

That's decided.

As the senior Justice

on the majority side,

to write the opinion

I assign...

5 to 3 against Ali. Yes!

John Harlan's been

assigned the opinion.

Come on, boys,

let's go to lunch.

We can drown

our sorrows.

You're welcome

to join us. Yeah.

I recommended to a fellow

trustee at the Smithsonian

that unemployed blacks

be trained

to work as gardeners

at the Mall.

I think they'd

be wonderful.

They have such

a lovely sense of color.

Teddy,

Cutty Sark, please.

Sam, James.

Thank you, sir.

Kevin.

Sir?

Didn't he just

get married again?

That won't

stop him.

Never does.

Well... gloomy Guses all.

Just bring

the whiskey, please.

I'm sorry you're

retiring, John.

I'm going to miss you

on the Court.

Oh, you'll

get by, Warren.

Won't be the same. You've

been a good friend to me.

I can always

depend on you.

Yeah, well, you're very good

at looking after yourself.

You'll find new friends.

Big fight ahead of us.

Roe v. Wade.

Sir, your table is

just being prepared.

Thank you, Jacques.

With you gone,

I'll probably

write that opinion myself,

or maybe I'll give it

to Harry Blackmun.

Sir,

please follow me.

Go ahead, John.

Well, let's not

get despondent.

We have Roe v. Wade

coming up.

It's got all

the ingredients.

Sexism. Right-wing fanaticism.

Misogyny. Race.

It's a blockbuster,

boys. Ha ha ha!

Michelle!

One, Ali is sincere

in his objections.

Two, his position as

a Minister of Islam

gives him the

appropriate credentials

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