John McCain announces resolution to pardon Jack Johnson

[JazMerkin]

Think this is really good, and establishes why I actually really like McCain, and think that he's a decent person for a politician, just had the misfortune to go up against Obama.

Reproduced from Michael Rosenthal's piece here McCain to announce resolution to pardon Jack Johnson at Ring Online.

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has called a news conference for Wednesday to announce a resolution to posthumously pardon boxer Jack Johnson. Johnson’s great niece, Linda Haywood, will join McCain and Representative Peter King (R-N.Y.) for the event in Washington D.C.

The U.S. House of Representatives recommended in October that Johnson receive the pardon because he was “wronged by a racially motivated conviction prompted by his success in the boxing ring and his relationships with white women,” the House resolution stated.

Johnson, heavyweight champion from 1908 to 1915, was convicted in 1913 on trumped up charges of violating the Mann Act, an obscure law prohibiting the transportation of women across state lines for immoral purposes. Federal authorities based their case on the fact he helped a former lover by wiring her money for train fare from Pittsburgh to Chicago and helping her set up a brothel.

Even then, many doubted the legitimacy of Johnson’s 1913 conviction.

“It was a silly piece of legislation aimed at commercialized vice,” historian and Johnson biographer Randy Roberts said in October. “The (U.S.) attorney general even said this wasn’t what the law was meant to do, but it was the only thing they could get him on, so he said go ahead and do it. It was an absolute injustice that came down to racism.”

Before he could be taken into custody, Johnson fled the United States and lived the next seven years in Europe and Mexico. It was during that period, in 1915, that he lost his title to Jess Willard in Havana, Cuba.

In 1920, apparently homesick, he surrendered to American authorities and served a year in prison. Johnson lived another 26 years, continuing to fight occasionally into his 50s and once when he was 60. He also maintained contact with the family he sorely missed during his exile.

[HattonTheHammer]

why the hell is die hard being allowed to make important decisions like this??

I know he saved a plane full of people and foiled german terrorists.......but c`mon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fan johnny]

I did vote for McCain and still would, but this is suspect! Why would he do this now? Why only Jack Johnson? Why wouldn't he address the issue rather than only the victim? Solicitation comes in many forms.... don't ya think?

[JazMerkin]

I did vote for McCain and still would, but this is suspect! Why would he do this now? Why only Jack Johnson? Why wouldn't he address the issue rather than only the victim? Solicitation comes in many forms.... don't ya think?

Wait you're having a go at him for righting a verdict based on the racism of the authorities at that time? Or are you arguing that the United States was some kind of utopian racially equal environment? He is doing this now because he has long had a role in trying to reform the sport. I wouldn't have voted for him, but he's only righting a conviction than came about because of the racism at the time, even the Attorney General said it wasn't what the law was meant for. Jack Johnson got that conviction because of his status at the time and his attitude towards authority in other matters not for actually being a criminal.

[Kirkland Laing]

Well done John McCain. Now all you need to do is get that commission you set up to clean up boxing to actually take some action after all these years.

[SigmaMu]

Well done John McCain. Now all you need to do is get that commission you set up to clean up boxing to actually take some action after all these years.

Good for Die Hard. I wrote to him and I told him if his old arse did not get elected as Pres., that he had to do more about boxing before he died. Although this was not something I was expecting, at least it is about boxing.

[fan johnny]

I did vote for McCain and still would, but this is suspect! Why would he do this now? Why only Jack Johnson? Why wouldn't he address the issue rather than only the victim? Solicitation comes in many forms.... don't ya think?

Wait you're having a go at him for righting a verdict based on the racism of the authorities at that time? Or are you arguing that the United States was some kind of utopian racially equal environment? He is doing this now because he has long had a role in trying to reform the sport. I wouldn't have voted for him, but he's only righting a conviction than came about because of the racism at the time, even the Attorney General said it wasn't what the law was meant for. Jack Johnson got that conviction because of his status at the time and his attitude towards authority in other matters not for actually being a criminal.

Absolutely not! He can right wrongs to individuals and everyone will back him.... He is a leader that should be correcting the system of laws that allowed the problem and providing equal justice for All that were wronged... and not just those that can be put into the spot light. If he were using the spot light to identify our faults as a nation and focus our attention toward making corrections to better the nation then the actions would have clear veracity. Jack Johnson can be considered somewhat of a martyr and to single him out is an easy move for anyone. Why not find someone that actually needs the help, not someone beyond. It's a waste of "limited" time.

As for reforming the system, did you read the bill? The way I read it, it is set up to appoint a US Boxing Commission that has a boxing "Czar". It is not a comprehensive bill but a vague one that gives power to man in charge. Put someone above the influence and you may have a good commission. Put someone corrupt and you have a corrupt commission. Although it has merit it needs checks and balances. "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

[Master]

About time, nearly been 100 years!