Ali was no progressive.

• Author: Deslippe, Dennis
• Position: WE HEAR YOU - Letter to the editor

Dave Zirin's effort to portray Muhammad Ali as a progressive in "The Ali We Need Today," (February issue) ignores the late fighter's social and political views. Ali popularized "trash talk," treated many of his children and former wives in an unconscionable manner, advocated the death penalty for interracial dating (1975 Playboy interview), and embraced religious fundamentalism. Ali refused the draft but did so on the direction of his...