Short Term Consequences Of Muhammad Ali And The Vietnam War

Meanwhile, another major event that happened during this time period, was the Vietnam War. America went to war with the Communist North Vietnam to prevent their takeover of South Vietnam (Ross 1). About two-thirds of American troops in the war were volunteers and the rest were selected from the draft (Bia 1). The Vietnam War also, had the highest amount of black people serving than in any other war America has ever fought (Combat 1). Throughout this time, Muhammad Ali was at the peak of his career and was the undisputed heavyweight champion (Gregory 1). But since Ali was drafted into the Vietnam War and the consequences he had from evading it, his career was at the risk of being destroyed. Unquestionably, this time period was very phenomenal and impacting on Muhammad Ali and his bravery. Muhammad Ali proved to be a courageous man when he stood up for his religious and personal

His actions left a great mark on the world. For example, Ali had short term effects, such as promoting anti-war ideas, which affected many individuals. Due to Ali's response to the consequences of his draft evasion, many Americans were able to look beyond certain differences and change their perspective on the Vietnam War. As well as promoting anti-war ideas, he united the anti-war movement and the Civil Rights movement. Also, Ali had numerous long term effects. Ali is now considered a hero and respected by the public for standing up for his beliefs. However, when he first stood up for his beliefs and evaded the draft, he was disliked. Moreover, famous figures such as the former heavyweight champion, Floyd Patterson criticized Ali and believed he should of been punished for evading the draft (Patterson 1). Additionally to Ali’s long term effects, he was the Sportsman of the Year in 1974 and the only person to be named Sportsman of the 20th Century (SI Dedicates 1). In general, Muhammad Ali left a great impact on the world and on numerous