Um, white society was the militant separatist one already; Ali didn't have to do anything there. Womanizing, like Kennedy/s and Trump and ten thousand other celebrities, athletes and politicians?
As far as "coward!", the Supreme Court ruled that he was improperly denied his right to a deferment based on conscientious objector beliefs. So not a coward. Some athletes were genuine heroes to be sure. And *some* other athletes essentially performed PR and USO service--playing army baseball, shaking hands, posing for pictures, promoting war bonds), not exactly in the path of danger but looking good in their Class A's. Vietnam was a different beast to which a majority of the country had serious misgivings if not outright objection. Rightly so. You kind of had to be there (anywhere). Rocket City, red skies and JP-4, fish sauce and flop sweat. Clusterfck.
