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Should Obama pardon Jack Johnson?
Well... first of all it wont do him much good now.
And second of all, I am sure that many many black men suffered even graver injustices than Jack Johnson (who by and large apparently had a pretty comfortable time in prison, given the amount of times he was reported for refusing to do any work and no action was taken...)
But is it not a disgrace to America that one of its great sporting champions was, within a couple of generations of some people who are still alive, sentenced to prison for the crime of taking a white lover?
Jackie Robinson seems to be revered in baseball as an almost Christ-like figure (well he was humble, more or less said the right things and looked at the bigger picture). Jack Johnson, a trailblazer who had to walk a far harder road, is still seen as difficult, arrogant, troublesome in some representations - simply because he decided to live as if racial prejudice should not exist.
As I understand there have been attempts to do this in 2004 and 2008, and John McCain is backing a new campaign.
I think, in terms of symbolism, it is the RIGHT thing for America to do to say that being a black man and screwing a white women shouldnt have landed you in jail, even 90 odd years ago.
As one of America's greatest sportsman (in my opinion the greatest boxer who has ever lived, but I think in human beings opinion in the top 50), his name deserves to be cleared.
The fact that Obama is black isnt the reason to do this, the fact that its the right thing is the reason. If Bush can pardon his mates who are up on corruption charges, I think the public should tolerate Obama pardoning someone who happens to be of the same race in a symbolic gesture to say that the government harrasment of Jack at the time was wrong.
I'd really like to see this campaign get momentum and go all the way. Would like to think that wherever he is, Jack would be getting a kick that people are still talking about him.
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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."
The Gospel of Thomas
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