I never understood why people thought he was a hero for ducking the war.

OK, he was a Muslim, the war was against his religion and his principles, and he chose not to go. FINE.

But to compare him to people like Ghandi and Martin Luther King? Ghandi and King fought to better situations for others, they had a collective group of people in mind. King basically said "I'm going to break this law because it is an unjust law. I'm not going to hide it, I'm going to do it in the open and I'll take whatever consequences that follow." When Muhammad Ali knew he wasn't involved because of a test which IMO he intentionally failed, he didn't give two shits about the war. Christians, Jews, and even other Muslims were being forced to fight but yet he never said anything about it. But suddenly he gets reclassified and suddenly its "why me??" Now that he has been forced into the situation and he is one of the victims, NOW suddenly he cares. So he plays the race card and tries to save his own ass. Its easy to be a hero when you are fighting to save your own ass, the real heros (like Ghandi and King) fought even when it wasn't their asses on the line.

Don't get me wrong, he chose not to go to war and paid the price, I just don't see why he should be commended for it. He tried to save his own ass just like anyone else would have done, only he had more power and influence than the average draftdodging Joe.