Pardon sought for boxing legend, Galveston native Jack Johnson

Dallas Morning News ^ | 04/02/09 | LAURA ISENSEE

[spunkets]

Juan’s a boxing fan?

[ozzymandus]

Let’s change history!

[stormer]

Yes, let's.

[sfvgto]

there is some extreme nasty baddass guitar on Miles Davis’ record titled “Jack Johnson” by John McLaughlin.....good stuff! Right Off!

[nufsed]

transporting a white woman across state lines for "immoral purposes"

I am a multiple offender.

[cydcharisse]

Especially if a guy’s railroaded because he slept with white women!

[Sig Sauer P220]

Reparations all around!

[Sherman Logan]

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.

[MBB1984]

John McCain always spot on the pressing issues of the world. /s

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.

[Dixie Yooper]

“Gentleman” Jack Johnson

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Teddy Atlas and McCain joined forces to try to make
boxers join the teamster union.

Knee cap anybody?

[Freepmanchew]

Johnson may have been railroaded, but one needs to ask if we will posthumously pardon all the whiskey runners who went to prison during prohibition? Or how about any number of laws that changed which makes what one did before hand legal now. Imagine all the drug dealers who should be pardoned if we change the drug laws?

Just sayings is all, because inquiring minds really want to know. After all what seemed OK in 1908 is looked upon as real bad now, regardless of the morality of it.

We do after all live in a society that teaches moral relativity right? So if we change laws we will eventually be aghast that anyone ever spent time in prison for drug dealing. Right?

[mass55th]

"transporting a white woman across state lines for "immoral purposes"

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.

[BGHater]

Petition France.

This one is about the US.

[Oldpuppymax]

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!

[stormer]

Fine.

[nufsed]

Spitzer did not transport across state lines as far as I know. And the ladies in question in my case and I believe JJ were not professional prostitutes.

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.

[Borges]

I did not know that. Ken Burns doesn’t bring it up in his generally excellent film about Johnson.

[mass55th]

"Or how about any number of laws that changed which makes what one did before hand legal now. Imagine all the drug dealers who should be pardoned if we change the drug laws?"

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.