What makes a hero in today's world? Muhammad Ali's humanitarian ideals

Receiving the 2012 Liberty Medal National Constitution Center Philadelphia, PA 9/13/12

It was not boxing that makes Muhammad Ali a hero to many people.  Nor was it his objection to serving in the military in Vietnam.  It was his ability to stand up for his beliefs and to do so in an honest and direct way, that landed him in jail because of his refusal to be drafted into military service, to do so and remain on American soil and take the hard knocks for it as well.  He is also a hero because of his humanitarian ideals and service and his ability to stand up to Parkinson's disease, an illness that has caused serious disabilities that have not ended his ability to work for those ideals.

When people speak of football heroes, it is largely because of their prowess on the field of football or another sports activity..  However, most of these people have little that makes them outstanding except in sports, and how are sports a heroic venture?  But when people are able to make a contribution by their lives in educating about issues that impact all of us, and to do so proudly and with an eye to the needs of others, is when we stand and applaud those efforts as special.

 Ali won many fights, but his fight with Parkinson has been the one that has taken him down a lengthy road where he has had to suffer greatly, just as others with his illness have done.  He has, however, spoken out for treatment, has given to the cause of helping others and has demonstrated by his own behavior that he is not just a former boxing champion, but a champion of doing the right thing in the right way.

At a time when people are losing confidence in government, the media and even in their faith, sometimes it makes all people grow a little taller by knowing there are special people who make a difference with their lives.  And Muhammad Ali's life has made a difference.

A reader responded to the question asked about Ali's charitable work and said this:  Ali has also been a long-time supporter of research efforts to end Parkinson's disease, a disease he has battled with since the age of 42. To further this goal, he formed the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, A.Z., which provides treatment, research, and education for patients and families affected by Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders regardless of ability to pay."

Ali's website details what is said to be the six core principles guiding his humanitarian work.  These include, as stated to be:

Confidence:  Belief in oneself, one's abilities and one's future
Conviction:  A firm belief that gives one the courage to stand behind that belief, despite pressure to do otherwise
Dedication:  The act of devoting all of one's energy, effort and abilities to a certain task
Giving:  To present voluntarily without expecting something in return
Respect:  Esteem for, or a sense of the worth or excellence of oneself and others
Spirituality:  A sense of awe, reverence and inner peace inspired by a connection to all of creation and/or that which is greater than oneself


Ali is said by his brother to be too ill to attend a film about his life, as this article is written, I Am Ali, due to failing health.  His illness has robbed him of the ability to walk unaided or to speak intelligibly, as occurs with many people with Parkinson's disease, especially in its later stages.

For those of a certain age, who remembered the man and the major fight against Floyd Patternson  that brought Ali his original notoriety as a boxer and his poetic recitations of his prowess, watching the man deal with his mortality in a fashion that has grace and stature reminds one of what it takes to be special, to be a hero.  It means that sacrifice for others and the ability to deal with a threatening illness, looking into the face of disability and possibly death as a real champion, as Ali was those years ago in boxing and is now, at a time people refer to as their golden years,  pure gold.