Kim Davis has been jailed for following the Kentucky constitution to which she took an oath to uphold. An appointed judge said she had no right to defy the Supreme Court’s ruling, a ruling that did not nullify the Kentucky constitution on the subject of same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, and something that is becoming all too familiar, the governor gave up Kentucky’s sovereign rights under the Constitution’s Tenth Amendment.

The court issued an opinion. Five of its members did not have the authority to make a universal law:

Read more: “Is an Opinion of the Supreme Court the ‘Law of the Land’? Let’s ask Thomas Jefferson. . .“

“The founders and framers delegated most powers of the general government to the legislature. It was done so intentionally, as one house was closely aligned with the interests of the people (The House of Representatives), while the other was representative of the sovereignty of the states (The Senate). When the courts act to create de-facto law rather than by rendering of opinion, they violate the intentional separation of powers doctrine used to diffuse powers not only between separate branches of the general government, but also the paradigm of the general government and the states. When a group of nine judges attempt to make law for a populace of 310 million and settle constitutional questions for all time, they are acting against the interests of the compact of the Constitution. Such a situation is demonstrative of an oligarchy, not a republic.”

Many readers of Godfather Politics may not know much about Muhammad Ali and how he became a liberal icon. He is one of the most famous living Americans of all time according to a TIME magazine list.

How did a boxer become so popular?

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Clay. He was called the “Louisville Lip” because he was from Kentucky and said a lot of controversial things in a loud and defiant way. He was also the heavyweight world champ. In 1964, he professed that he had become a member of the Nation of Islam and declared himself to be Muhammad Ali.

“Many Americans now denounced the brash boxer as a radical, and he was even more widely vilified when he refused to join the Army as the Vietnam War escalated. ‘I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong’ he memorably declared. He was found guilty of refusing induction into the service in 1967, and the boxing commission quickly revoked his license to fight; the U.S. Supreme Court reversed that decision in 1971.”

For his defiance, Ali became a liberal icon. Granted, Ali was not a government employee like Kim Davis, but he defied a government law for refusing induction into the military because he believed the Vietnam War was unjust based on his personal and religious views.

Here’s how David Remnick, author of King of the World, describes Ali’s significance and legacy:

“Ali is an American myth ‘who has come to mean many things to many people: a symbol of faith, a symbol of conviction and defiance, a symbol of beauty and skill and courage, a symbol of racial pride, of wit and love.”

Note the mix of religion (faith) and defiance. Defiance against what? Defiance against the federal government and its laws.

“Ali stated that ‘War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. I’m not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don’t take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers.’

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“He appeared for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces in Houston on April 28. As expected, Ali refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. An officer warned him he was committing a felony punishable by five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Once more, Ali refused to budge when his name was called.”

Ali played a heavy price for his defiance, but in the end, the Supreme Court backed him in an 8-0 decision (Thurgood Marshall abstained due to his previous involvement in the case as a Justice department official) in Clay v. United States, 403 U.S. 698 (1971), and liberals everywhere praise him for his defiance.

Then there’s Kim Davis, a clerk who decided that she would follow her convictions and the oath she took to follow the Kentucky constitution that prohibits same-sex marriages. She doesn’t have the standing of Muhammad Ali, his presence, or the backing of a high profile legal team and a sympathetic media, but she is following a similar path.

The Vietnam War was supported and funded by Congress. It was the law of the land. Who was Muhammad Ali to oppose it based on his personal and religious beliefs? It was protests like his that made the Vietnam War increasingly unpopular.

If millions of Christians would get behind Kim Davis, there might be a change in opinion on the civilization-destroying effects that redefining marriage will bring on our nation.