What Muhammad Ali could have taught Donald Trump about Humility!
Let’s start off by telling the truth. Muhammad Ali was neither a savior or a saint. His flaws as most people, were obvious but maybe just more public by being the most famous man on the planet. He was very much a product of his times yet way ahead of his generation. It could be said that Ali was the 1st rapper for the way he spit lyrics. Ali was a bully in many ways. All you need to do is to look at how he spoke about and to Smokin’ Joe Frazier calling him a “gorilla”. I am quite sure those were not the words he would have uttered years later as he crossed the globe being an evangelist for the needy, impoverished and hungry.
Yet there was something very intriguing about Ali’s stardom and fame. It never came at the expense of others that couldn’t hit him back. For as outlandish as it was to call Joe Frazier a gorilla, Ali gave Frazier three wildly famous opportunities to beat his brains out in the ring. Ali would never go after people that had no chance of hitting back. So when you hear Donald Trump espouse his hate for minorities or make fun of a writer with a disability or how he demeans women, you have to scratch your head and wonder if he would be so bold if a grown man standing in front of him? Would Trump do the same or would he cower as so many bullies before him?
I watched Trump live making fun of the journalist thinking how disgusting the discourse has become and how weak most of the media is because of ratings and ad dollars that he wasn’t buried right there at that moment. As I said, Ali wasn’t perfect and didn’t live in a 24/7 news cycle during his prime either. Clearly, he was married several times and I am sure each and everyone of those didn’t end as BFF’s.
Having said that, the core principal and guiding light of Ali was to always think of others before he thought of himself. As we load up for the Presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it is going to be ugly. It is going to reflect poorly on us as Americans. And if we stand for it, shame on us because a reputation is something you spend a lifetime building an one stupid quote from ruining. Ali provided so many tidbits on public behavior and how the focus should be on those that have so very little. Maybe if we go back to caring about our brothers and sisters more than ourselves, we can clean up the mess ole Donald Trump is making of our country and our global reputation.
