Rubin "Hurricane" Carter has passed away

Discussion in 'Boxing' started by aaradia, Apr 20, 2014.

  1. Johnno

    Johnno Valued Member

    That account may or may not be true. It's hearsay, so who knows. Either way it has absolutely zero relevance to the case for which he was shown to have been falsely tried.

    There's no doubt that he did do some bad things in his life. He wasn't the first young man to give up a life of crime to become a boxer, and he wasn't the last. Personally I find it satisfying to know that a martial art like boxing can help to turn young men back onto the straight and narrow.
     
  2. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Where is this coming from? I've seen you at odds with other people before. But not like this. I don't get it. Ero asked what I'm now wondering. What's going on?
     
  3. Saved_in_Blood

    Saved_in_Blood Valued Member

    I never said I liked Floyd outside of the ring, nor did I say I would mourn for him either... but thanks for your pathetic attempt to sound witty for someone you think I look up to.
     
  4. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    SiB, you're an angry young man, but please, calm down with the aggressive posting.
     
  5. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    Saved in Blood has been given a 3 day time out, so can people let the issue drop and he can come back with a clean slate.
     
  6. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Although I know this is not something you will read for three days, I was not trying to be witty or funny - your "don't care" approach to a notable figure within pugilistic history on the back of a Domestic violence allegation was something I found incogrouous as you will discuss Floyd quite happily.

    Nowhere did I say you admired Floyd, nor did I say you would mourn for him - but then the OP did not say anything about mourning or RIP on Carter, merely that a figure of interest in the boxing community had died. Sorry if you took that way, but it was most assuredly not a snipe or a dig
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2014
  7. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    Yes, I am undecided what to think about Carter. When I first saw the movie, I thought it was a clear cut story of racism and a guy overcoming overwhelming odds against him. And coming out of that without bitterness, which impressed me.

    But when I read up more about him, I can't decide 100% if he was guilty or not anymore. I tend to lean towards the "martial arts turned a punk around into a good guy" angle. But a small part of me wonders if having famous people sing about him and rally around him got him a pass. He had a history of violent criminal behavior. It does lend some bit of doubt as to his innocence in my mind.

    He was a martial artist. And his story covers issues besides martial arts. He was an interesting historical figure.

    I think his passing was worthy of mentioning here.
     
  8. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    I don't think Carter's story could be a more obvious example of institutional racism and police corruption.

    Some people think the movie exaggerated the prejudice against him, but if anything it didn't show just how widespread and deep-rooted the bad mojo was.

    The most important facet in Carter's character was, in my opinion, that he was a reformed convict. People focus on his criminal past but ignore how he's a pretty good example of offender rehabilitation. Going from being a violent thug to a man who worked tirelessly for wrongly convicted persons is something to celebrate and admire, IMO.
     
  9. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    :topic:

    I don't mean to take away from Carter as the subject, but I had to comment on this. I am a HUGE Denzel Washington fan. I think he is a brilliant actor.

    I would be hard pressed to list his best acting job. He was great in this film about Carter's life. But to pick that over his portrayal of Malcom X or his character in Glory? Just too hard to decide............

    Honorable mention also to "Remember the Titans" - I love that film.
    (I think I need to MAP search if there have been any discussions about the Tai Chi in that film.:p )

    Hmmm, just realized all these films portray (to some extent) real events.
     
  10. belltoller

    belltoller OffTopic MonstreOrdinaire Supporter

    Well, to be perfectly honest, I didn't know who he was till I saw the posts and later the news stories. Shame on me.

    But boxing's story is very much populated by individuals whose lives were spent, as the Robert Johnson song went, "at the crossroads" - one road's path was dire poverty, incarceration, hopelessness - the other road - something good, a way out of the slums or the share-croppers lot; which I think is what, in part, the lure of boxing was in those days.
     
  11. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    I think we do know.Read Ring magazine's reviews of Carter before he was arrested and charged.He was on a downward spiral as regards his career.Dylan's line is one of those examples of poetic license stretched to the breaking point.Not quite as outlandish as "The Haughs o' Cromdale" but......
    Because historically his boxing career is no big deal.Was a good fighter,for a while.

    By the by,you ever read what Carter thought of boxing after his career? I don't mean the business,I mean the activity itself? I think the term "dehumanizing" stood out the most.Not an activity he really recommended for young people.Or anyone.


    Anyway,as to the straight and narrow part-

    Like many people my age for years I thought Carter was innocent. After reading quite a bit about the whole thing over the years I feel that yes,the trial was "not conducted properly".To put it mildly.

    But I also no longer feel he was innocent.Was either perp or accomplice. If you delve into this it's seems rather difficult to avoid that conclusion.It's also difficult for people to retain their objectivity and exercise a view separating the way the trial was conducted from whether he was guilty or not. We had a thing some years back where the troopers falsified evidence against people in various crimes.Were the people innocent? No,no,no,no,no. But the trials were unjust from the legal perspective due to the tampering.

    Y'know,much as I condemned Tyson to the hole as did everyone else I had to revise my view after later finding out about all the inexplicably suppressed evidence and other odd things about the whole Washington trial. In the same manner I had to revise my decades long beliefs about Carter.I try to be objective-doesn't always taste good.
     

Share This Page