Posted on 04/02/2009 12:00:27 PM PDT by Borges
Lawmakers renewed a call Wednesday to pardon Jack Johnson, the Galveston native and boxing legend who was brought down outside the ring by a racially motivated conviction.
Dorothy Cross, great-niece of boxing legend Jack Johnson, speaks with John McCain, R-Ariz., after the senator introduced a resolution to pardon the boxer. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., introduced a resolution in Congress urging a posthumous presidential pardon to clear Johnson's name. The lawmakers, both lifelong boxing fans, have pushed for a pardon since 2004.
"We need to erase this act of racism that sent an American citizen to prison on a trumped-up charge because of the resentment that existed," McCain said.
Johnson won the world heavyweight championship in 1908. His victory prompted a search for the "Great White Hope" – a white fighter who could beat him.
Five years later, the prizefighter – known for breaking the racial boundaries of his time, including his marriages to three white women – was convicted for transporting a white woman across state lines for "immoral purposes" under the Mann Act, meant to target trafficking.
Johnson fled the country for a time but later spent a year in federal prison and never regained his title.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Juan’s a boxing fan?
Let’s change history!
there is some extreme nasty baddass guitar on Miles Davis’ record titled “Jack Johnson” by John McLaughlin.....good stuff! Right Off!
I am a multiple offender.
Especially if a guy’s railroaded because he slept with white women!
Reparations all around!
It would be nice if people stuck with the facts on this issue.
The prosecution was racially motivated. The conviction was entirely appropriate, as he was an admitted serial offender against the Mann Act. The race of the “transportee” was not relevant to the legal issues.
Whether the Mann Act should be a crime or not is debatable, but the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that prosecutions of individuals for violating it are legally valid. Most such prosecutions have been politically motivated in one way or another.
Regarding Johnson, he was wife beater. He sent one of his wives (or maybe his concubine) into the hospital she was so badly beaten. I don't see any need to give the guy a pardon.
“Gentleman” Jack Johnson
Teddy Atlas and McCain joined forces to try to make
boxers join the teamster union.
Knee cap anybody?
Seems to me Eliot Spitzer did the same thing, paid the woman for her services, and got off scott free. However, one would think that there are more pressing issues that McCain and King could be dealing with. And the guy was a Texas native. Aren't they a bit out of their territory? Isn't there some Texas Congress-critter to pick up the mantle for Johnson? These RINOS are really pi$$ing me off.
Petition France.
This one is about the US.
McCain and King evidently woke up yesterday morning, wondering how they could be ass-kissing, embarrassing white “dhimmis” for a day! They certainly did a splendid job!
No, there is nothing else for Congress to do. Come to Cal and read about the legislature discussing whether or not to outlaw the color black for certain purchases.
Sometimes a family will have an issue and approach a congress member. Or use the pardon process. I don't have a problem with that. I would do the same.
I did not know that. Ken Burns doesn’t bring it up in his generally excellent film about Johnson.
Not only pardoned, but reparations for their "unjust" convictions? If they want to do it for blacks, why not drug dealers? Afterall, they've got plans to provide monetary assistance for any Guantanamo detainee released in the U.S.
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