Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight Page #7

for religious training

and belief.

But, three,

we are not convinced

that he is conscientiously

opposed to all wars.

Therefore, he does not qualify

for conscientious

objector status.

Therefore, by a majority

of 5 votes to 3,

his conviction is upheld.

Kevin, I want you

to write the opinion.

Uh, no thank you, sir.

No thank you. Wait,

are you recusing yourself?

Uh, no, sir. I

- I don't want to be difficult,

but if it doesn't matter to you,

I wonder if I could switch with another.

I'd take any case.

Nelson, McGautha-

That's fine with me, sir.

I'm happy to take Ali.

No, I'd like Kevin

to write this,

and I want the opinion

on my desk

first thing tomorrow

morning, please.

We need to close this case.

That's all.

Sir.

Why? Why won't they accept him

as a conscientious objector?

He's a properly ordained

minister of the Nation of Islam.

His religion says he's

not supposed to fight.

What is the problem?

Why are we sending him to jail?

There's got to be some

precedent, some case-

Please, shut up.

Kevin,

I'm trying to finish

something here.

I'd like to go home.

Whew.

What time is it?

Hello?

I found it.

Kevin, will you

go home?

Get some sleep. Harlan's not gonna flip.

It's Sicurella.

Hang on, wait, wait.

The Jehovah's Witness case?

Yeah. 1955.

The Jehovah's Witnesses

were granted conscientious

objector status.

They don't have

to go to Vietnam.

Yeah? So?

Well, this is what

the Jehovah's Witnesses say.

If God commanded it,

they would fight.

And these are the words

from Ali's own statement:

"But the Quran do teach us

"we do not take part

in any war...

unless declared

by Allah himself. "

I mean, it's clear as day.

Ali, a Black Muslim,

a follower of

Elijah Muhammad,

is saying exactly

what the Jehovah's

Witnesses are saying.

He would only go to war

if his god commanded it.

His god. Allah.

Now, that's

not gonna happen.

That's the same as

the Jehovah's Witnesses.

How can Harlan

not buy that?

That's actually not bad.

Harlan is always

hammering us about

law, reason, precedent.

Well, Sicurella

is the precedent.

And how can he make a reasoned

distinction between

The Black Muslims

and the Jehovah's Witnesses?

He can't.

Ali is just the same

as the Jehovah's Witnesses,

effectively opposed

to all wars.

Yeah. But you're still

gonna have to find a way

to convince him to take

the Black Muslims

and their religious views

and how those views

relate to war seriously.

One more thing.

However you write it up,

don't give him any reason

to find a political agenda.

Otherwise, you're sunk.

Whoo!

You all right?

You all right, mate?

Primo Maui Wowee.

Oh, thank you. I got a

lot of work to do tonight.

Me, too.

Good night.

Good night is right.

Mrs. Paige?

Mr. Connolly, the Justice

would like to see you.

Good luck.

When he's finished

with you,

don't come crying

to us.

I gave clear direction

didn't I?

Yes, sir, you did.

I gave you detailed notes

on what was said by

the Justices in conference.

I referred you

to the precedents.

You're familiar

with the argument.

You know the outcome

of the vote.

But sir, the case

will not write.

The vote was

5 to 3.

But I can't get that

result in the writing, sir.

I can't

get that result

because there's

something else

that needs

to be addressed.

Mr. Connolly!

Citizens cannot

pick and choose

which war

they wish to fight

any more than they

can pick and choose

which laws

they wish to obey.

But sir, Ali for all

intense and purposes

is opposed to all wars.

It's right there in the

book in black and white.

No ambiguity. I've

marked it up for you, sir.

I tell you what I do.

When a case is over,

I pull the plug,

clear my head...

and make room

for the next one.

All right.

I give up.

I give up.

And I'll write it

your way, sir.

Is the Justice

in his office?

He's in

the basement, sir.

It's movie day.

Movie day?

Can I help you,

Mr. Justice?

Oh, I'm

just wondering

why 9 men, mostly

in their seventies,

should make judgments about sexuality.

I'm with you there, sir.

I couldn't agree more.

If I want to go to

a pornographic movie,

then I should

pay my money.

In my view, nothing

should be banned.

Hear, hear!

I've redone

my brief on Ali.

The Justice

is expecting it.

Good boy.

Oh, baby! I want to

make you feel better.

That's it.

I don't know what it is,

but I know it

when I see it.

Is that two males

and one female?

I can't quite

make it out.

It's 3 girls, John.

Oh, by Jove.

Are they...

Are they... is that

what I think it is?

Well, that's remarkable.

Of course, I know a lot of

people are wondering about this.

How about

the draft situation?

Oh, you mean the army.

Yeah, I mean...

They're cleaning out my

cell to take me to jail

'cause it's

better there fed

than in Vietnam dead.

Night, chaps.

Night, sir.

Sam, I realize that

Passover is approaching

during the holidays.

Please feel free

to leave the office

before sundown

if you wish.

Thank you, sir.

Oh, thank you, Paul.

Usual time

tomorrow, please.

Yes, sir.

Ethel?

Oh, my!

Where do you think

you're going, huh?

It's very late,

you know.

And very chilly.

Come on.

Let's go home.

Ahh.

Hiya, Johnny boy.

How you doing?

I have a little love note

for you this afternoon.

Ah. Ha.

Morning.

Morning, sir.

Morning, gentlemen.

Could you ask Kevin Connolly

to come in, please?

Uh, sit down.

Sir, I wanted

to try and explain.

Sit down.

Sir, when you hired me,

boy, I was just

over the moon.

And it's... it's an honor

and a privilege

to work

in your chambers,

but I'm starting

to feel like,

like I don't belong

here and...

Take this down, please.

You ready?

Uh... yes, sir.

Case 7-8-3,

Clay, a. k. a. Ali,

versus United States.

Dear Chief.

My original conference vote

was to affirm.

It is on that basis,

of course,

that you assigned

the opinion to me.

Subsequent work

on such an opinion

has brought me

serious misgivings.

I now understand

that Black Muslims

oppose all wars

on religious grounds.

You flipped.

Sir, are you

- are you changing your vote?

Ahem. Last night,

I took another look

at your

original briefing.

I read through

the Elijah Muhammad book

and yes, I'm changing

my vote.

Sir, there's

really no need

for you to read this.

I've-I've changed

my mind.

No.

No.

You've changed mine.

And I salute you.

All right.

Let's press on.

The religious doctrine

of Islam states,

"Our refusal

to go armed

is our proof

that we want peace. "

Sir! Sir.

Uh, "Elijah Muhammad

goes on.

"We felt that

we had no right

"to take part

in a war alongside

"non-believers

of Islam

"who have always denied us

justice and equal rights.

"We believe that we who

have declared ourselves

"to be

righteous Muslims

"should not participate

in any wars

which take the lives

of others. "

"In my opinion,

this passage proves

"that Black Muslims

are legitimately opposed

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