It took only one day for complaints to be filed against Google and Facebook under the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). When Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of members of the European Parliament, he insisted that Facebook was ready for Friday the 25th when the GDPR, which is the European Union’s new strict data privacy going into effect. The very first day, complaints against Facebook and Google with others alleging that the tech companies are in violation of the law.
The GDPR was passed in April 2016 and instituted stringent new rules on any company that held consumer data. The real purpose of this is to prevent mass mailing and targeting people for political purposes. You have people like Clapper now claiming he “personally” believes Russia tipped the election because millions of people saw its propaganda. Of course, Clapper did that to other elections outside the USA besides tapping phones of world leaders including Merkel. The old problem is those in government have always assumed the people are stupid sheep because they have lied to them for decades and gotten away with it. The GDPR is all about trying to prevent real freedom of speech in fear that the people might listen and rise up.
The complaints target the user agreements of Google and Facebook which are notorious for being long and complicated to ensure people do not read everything before they click agree. Companies like Facebook and Google are supposed to let you know precisely what kind of data they’re collecting and/or selling about you.
The Facebook owns WhatsApp and Instagram individually as well. The allegations against Facebook and Google claim they are violating the GDPR because they are adhering to the letter of the law and not the “spirit” of the law. That’s what lawyers are for. They alleged that the companies aren’t really offering consumers a choice. You must agree to let Facebook and Google collect enormous amounts of data on you, or you can delete their services. There is no middle ground. It is their way or the highway!
The GDPR expressly allows any data processing that is strictly necessary for the service. However, using the data additionally for advertisement or to sell it on to other companies requires the users’ free opt-in consent. There has been no change to their policy providing “informed consent” about what kind of data Facebook and Google are collecting. Clearly, they are profiling people gathering information that they do not actually “need” to provide their services. GDPR actually exempts collecting data that is really necessary for providing that service and that does not require consent. Go beyond that and anything else requires a free “yes” or “no” option.
The real pro at this tactic is of course government itself. The freedom to travel is limited not just by requiring a passport, but you cannot use a car unless you obtain a drivers license. There is no “choice” in this matter. You consent to get a license or you walk. Just about every other registration process involves the surrender of constitutional rights. For example, you have to register with the SEC or CFTC to get a license in the financial world. However, part of that process is you are “waiving” your rights to search warrants and self-incrimination. A regulator need not go to court to come into your office and audit you. So the license is their way or the highway the same policies being imposed and followed by Google and Facebook. We wonder where they got the idea from?
Both Google and Facebook have stated publicly that they have prepared to be compliant under GDPR. The question turns on their: “you agree or get lost policy”. Both Google and Facebook are in fact adhering to the letter of the law. The GDPR doe not PROHIBIT this policy of consent or get lost. So they are not really in violation. This will be interesting to watch.
After the sandwich-maker summit the two Korean boys held hands and began skipping in circles around the park while the band played Ode To Joy. So goes the end of the latest chapter in the ongoing komance between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in.
…”Kim said he feels closer to Moon after talking again.”
SEOUL (Reuters) – After a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump keeps his planned meeting with Kim in June, Seoul-based news agency Yonhap reported Sunday. (link)
Additionally, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed “his fixed will” on a possible June 12 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in a meeting on Saturday with the president of South Korea, North Korea’s state news agency said. During what it called in-depth discussions, Kim and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in agreed to hold high-level talks between their two nations on June 1, news agency KCNA said. (more)
This evening President Trump welcomed home Joshua Holt, a young man who had been imprisoned in Venezuela for nearly two years. Mr. Holt and his family are from Utah. The family, the State Department team and a group of U.S. politicians who participated in the negotiations for his release, held a short Oval Office press availability.
Senator Orrin Hatch (Utah), Senator Bob Corker (Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee), Senator Mike Lee (Utah), Representative Mia Love (Utah) and a number of key State Department officials were present. Toward the end of the remarks President Trump spoke briefly about the latest discussions surrounding a possible summit with North Korea.
South Korean Prime Minister Moon Jae-in is the Asian version of Barack Obama, and much like North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un essentially irrelevant in this geopolitical confrontation. Take a seat, or make a sandwich…. it matters not.
Behind the fanciful Korean ‘denuclearization talks‘ and lofty ‘peace initiatives‘ a far more consequential geopolitical economic battle is taking place between the worlds largest two economies. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping are engaged.
The Sandwich Maker Summit – (Reuters) – “South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday in an effort to ensure that a high-stakes summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump takes place successfully, South Korean officials said.
[…] Their two hours of talks at the Panmunjom border village came a month after they held the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade at the same venue. At that meeting, they declared they would work toward a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War.
“The two leaders candidly exchanged views about making the North Korea-U.S. summit a successful one and about implementing the Panmunjom Declaration,” South Korea’s presidential spokesman said in a statement. He did not confirm how the meeting was arranged or which side asked for it.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. But White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said an advance team of White House and U.S. State Department officials would leave for Singapore on schedule this weekend to prepare for a possible summit there.” (read more)
Sandwich Press
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Chairman Xi made a strategic decision in his adversarial approach toward President Trump. Again, as noted in the briefing by Secretary Pompeo – Panda China is telling Pompeo they too want to see peace, Korean stability and denuclearization. However, Dragon-China is using the panda mask, and simultaneously leveraging Chairman Kim to aid their trade and economic conquest objectives.
However, Beijing made a fatal mistake; Xi exposed too much dragon face -and brought great shame and embarrassment to the Chinese people- he did not expect President Trump to call him out publicly.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross heads to China June 2-4 with •Steel and Aluminum tariffs; •auto-sector 232 evaluations; •intellectual property penalties; •over $150 billion in additional trade sanctions/tariffs pending; •and financial sanctions against Chinese banks as economic arrows in his dragon slaying quiver.
Don’t doubt for a minute, based on Chairman Xi’s mid-May maneuver with Chairman Kim, Wolverine Ross is not about to fire one -or several- of those arrows directly into the heart of Beijing. My guess would be the Steel (25%) and Aluminum (10%) tariffs for China go into effect regardless of the disposition of current trade negotiations.
Chairman Xi Jinping made a strategic mistake. Communist Xi genuinely has no idea the level of hurt President Trump is looking for an excuse to deliver. Xi Jinping showed great disrespect by attempting to embarrass U.S. President Donald Trump over the Singapore summit. Things are fixing to get ‘Old-School’.
Credit to Fox Business for finally admitting the role Xi Jinping played in leveraging North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to become more adversarial to the U.S.- North Korean denuclearization talks and summit in Singapore. Perhaps this is the first reality shift for Western media to discuss, with greater accuracy and honesty, the extent of influence held by China over the activity of North Korea. The DPRK is a proxy province of China.
The first U.S. trade delegation visit to China happened May 2-5. Then there was an unexpected second trip by Chairman Kim to Beijing (May 8-9). Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping instructing Chairman Kim to change his approach publicly in order to provide China with leverage in the next U.S./China trade summit which took place shortly thereafter on May 15-18. China is leveraging North Korea for a better trade outcome.
As noted by President Donald Trump during his Oval Office remarks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the specifically scheming and cunning influence by Chairman Xi, what we customarily call ‘Red-Dragon-China‘, was -and is- accepted by President Trump as evidence of Beijing’s manipulative intent.
Current Steel and Aluminum tariff exemptions expire June 1st. Secretary Ross scheduled to be in Beijing, China June 2nd, 3rd, 4th. The G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Quebec is on June 8th and 9th. The tenuous Singapore summit was previously scheduled for June 12th.
Earlier today President Donald Trump delivered remarks to the graduating class of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland. In addition to the speech, President Trump remained on stage for 90 minutes to shake the hands of every graduate.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday on multiple issues. Much of the debriefing to the Senate revolved around Secretary Pompeo’s contacts and coordination with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.
The testimony is interesting for those who are following the DPRK issues. During many of the exchanges Secretary Pompeo clarifies his certainty that Kim Jong-un fully understood the U.S. position surrounding denuclearization; and for several weeks was progressing toward the June 12 summit with clarity of outcome between the U.S. and North Korea.
Then something happened…
[Watch the Briefing HERE] Secretary Pompeo’s briefing when overlaid with the timing of the first U.S. trade delegation to China (May 2-5); and then the second trip by Chairman Kim to Beijing (May 8); highlights the connectivity of Chairman Xi Jinping instructing Chairman Kim to change his approach publicly in order to provide China with leverage in the U.S./China trade summit which took place shortly thereafter (May 15-18).
As noted by President Donald Trump during his Oval Office remarks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the specifically scheming and cunning influence by Chairman Xi, what we customarily call ‘Red-Dragon-China‘, was -and is- accepted by President Trump as evidence of Beijing’s manipulative intent.
All forward trade and economic discussion with China will now be engaged while the U.S. accepts the Chinese Panda mask has dropped and we are in full battle-mode with communist Red Dragon China.
This is an important tonal shift to note because U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross just announced he is heading to China. Secretary Ross will visit China from June 2 to June 4, the official Xinhua news agency reported, and you can be certain that President Trump has just unleashed the “killer” side of Wilbur Ross.
Ross will visit China from June 2 to June 4, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday, adding that Vice Premier Liu He, China’s chief negotiator in the trade dispute, had spoken with Ross over the phone. It gave no further details.
The trade dispute took on added complexity this week when U.S. President Donald Trump announced a national security investigation into imports of cars and trucks, a probe that could lead to tariffs against China as well as key U.S. allies such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. (link)
President Trump is not sending a “trade delegation” to Beijing, he is sending ONLY Secretary Ross. This is where ‘stuff‘ is fixin’ to get very serious. Wolverine Ross will likely be prepared to rip the bamboo forest to shreds. Don’t expect any firm or final decision on a change of heart for the June 12th U.S./DPRK summit in Singapore until after Secretary Ross reports back to President Trump.
How Important? Remember, the 2018 G7 summit is taking place in Charlevoix, Quebec on June 8th and 9th.
In the days leading up to the heads of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States meeting, there are ministerial sessions with the Secretaries of each nation taking place. The finance and commerce ministerial sessions are scheduled May 31st through June 2nd in Whistler, British Columbia.
Normally Secretary Ross would join Treasury Secretary Mnuchin at these ministerial meetings. Every economic and finance minister is going to want to talk to the U.S. economic team about the status of the steel and aluminum tariff exemptions. [Currently extended 30 days – expiring June 1st]. However, as noted Ross is going to China instead.
This helps to understand how significant the economic aspects of the Trump Doctrine are to the geopolitical engagements with North Korea.
Chairman Xi has made a strategic decision in his adversarial approach toward President Trump. Again, listen to the briefing by Secretary Pompeo – Panda China is telling him they too want to see peace, Korean stability and denuclearization. However, Dragon China is using the panda mask, and simultaneously leveraging Chairman Kim to aid their trade objectives.
Beijing has made a fatal mistake; they have exposed too much dragon face and did not expect President Trump to call them out on it publicly.
Secretary Ross now heads to China with •Steel and Aluminum tariffs; •auto-sector 232 evaluations; •intellectual property penalties; •over $150 billion in additional trade sanctions/tariffs pending; •and financial sanctions against Chinese banks as economic arrows in his dragon slaying quiver.
Don’t doubt for a minute that based on Chairman Xi’s maneuver with Chairman Kim, Wolverine Ross is not about to fire one -or several- of those arrows directly into the heart of Beijing.
Chairman Xi made a strategic mistake. Xi genuinely has no idea the level of hurt President Trump is looking for an excuse to deliver. Things are fixing to get ‘Old-School’.
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Everybody has a plan until they get hit. Then, like a rat, they stop in fear and freeze.”…
The MSM is insufferable in their intentional disconnect of the dynamic behind the North Korean denuclearization talks. It was Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping who brought the DPRK to the table; and it was Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping who pushed North Korea away from the table in their manipulative efforts to extract trade concessions. Every other review of the geopolitical gamesmanship is chaff and countermeasures.
U.S. President Trump is holding massive steel and aluminum tariffs as an economic sword of Damocles over the head of Beijing during ongoing trade negotiations. Chairman Xi sought to increase his own leverage by pulling North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong-un away from bilateral peace and denuclearization talks. However, POTUS Trump responded to the Beijing power-play by announcing a Section 232 trade review over the entire auto-industry; and then bolstered his counter-move by cancelling talks with Kim Jong-un.
Red Dragon didn’t expect President Trump to respond so effectively to the customary schemes notoriously famous in any Chinese negotiation encounter. I really believe Chairman Xi underestimates how adept POTUS Trump is at cutting through the obfuscation and obtuse moves.
President Trump simply doesn’t operate in the land of traditional diplomatic discomfort… he doesn’t have any inclination to play these insufferable games.
Within minutes of President Trump withdrawing from the June 12th summit, Beijing realized all of their trade leverage was just wiped out. Playing deceptive panda isn’t going to work this time.
(Via AP) – North Korea says it is still willing to sit down for talks with the United States “at any time, at any format” after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his planned summit with Kim Jong Un.
Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan issued a statement Friday saying North Korea is “willing to give the U.S. time and opportunities” to reconsider talks.
Kim says North Korea’s “objective and resolve to do our best for the sake of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and all humankind remain unchanged.”
Kim is calling Trump’s decision “unexpected” and “very regrettable,” and says the cancellation of the talks shows “how grave the status of historically deep-rooted hostile North Korea-U.S. relations is and how urgently a summit should be realized to improve ties.” (link)
South Korean Prime Minister Moon Jae-in is the Asian version of Barack Obama, and much like North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un essentially irrelevant in this geopolitical confrontation. Take a seat, or make a sandwich…. it matters not.
This is a battle, a massive economic battle, between U.S. President Trump and Chinese Chairman Xi. Period.
Whenever this geopolitical economic trade confrontation is resolved; that’s when Chairman Xi will instruct Chairman Kim to take the knee. Not a moment before.
Until the U.S. -vs- China economic confrontation is solved, Xi will continue to use the DPRK threat as his principle leverage in the negotiations.
Beijing thinks the wounded panda performance will play well amid the mindset behind the United Nations and the European union.
China counts on the traditional appeasement mindset of those who dislike confrontation.
However, they underestimate the willingness of President Trump to be the guy willing to punch you in the face. Trump simply doesn’t care about the external opinions of the audience – POTUS knows he’s fighting the Dragon behind the Panda mask; even if the witnessing audience is unwilling to accept it.
That’s the paradigm shift Beijing is attempting to navigate; while it simultaneously plays to an internal and external audience.
President Trump has waited three decades for the opportunity to step into the arena and take this righteous battle to America’s primary economic adversary and geopolitical threat. President Trump ain’t going to suddenly develop a propensity toward Marquess of Queensbury rules. He’s a Queens scrapper at heart. An uncouth predator willing to put a roll of quarters inside his Corinthian leather glove if that’s what it takes to smash the mouth of his opposition.
There is one objective in this dynamic, to win.
Though thankfully the the times are few, even in the short history of our Republic there have been times when survival of the U.S. required brutal men to stand the wall. President Trump is such a man; right now is such a time.
Vulgarian Trump will not back down from his position; the U.S. holds all of the leverage and the issue must be addressed. President Trump has waited three decades for this moment. This President and his team are entirely prepared for this.
We are finally confronting the geopolitical Red Dragon, China!
The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace and war. The symbol in any figure’s right hand has more significance than one in its left hand. Also important is the direction faced by the symbols central figure. The emphasis on the eagles stare signifies the preferred disposition. An eagle holding an arrow also symbolizes the war for freedom, and its use is commonly referred to the liberation fight of righteous people from abusive influence. The eagle on the original seal created for the Office of the President showed the gaze upon the arrows.
The Eagle and the Arrow – An Aesop’s Fable
An Eagle was soaring through the air. Suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt the dart pierce its breast. Slowly it fluttered down to earth. Its lifeblood pouring out. Looking at the Arrow with which it had been shot, the Eagle realized that the deadly shaft had been feathered with one of its own plumes.
Moral:We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction.
Joined by Sylvester Stallone, current and past boxing champions, earlier today President Donald Trump posthumously pardoned boxer Jack Johnson.
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[Transcript] Oval Office – 12:55 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. This was set up quite a long time ago. And while this is a very interesting day we have going, this was very important to Sylvester Stallone — my friend for a long time, Sly — and the whole group.
We have incredible people here. We have the current heavyweight champion of the world, Deontay Wilder. He’s 40 and 0. This gentleman right here. He’s 40 and 0, with 39 knockouts.
And we have Lennox Lewis, who, as you know, is one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time. Unbelievable heart, and, in all fairness, unbelievable talent. He was a talented, talented fighter. A great and talented fighter.
LEWIS: Thank you. Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. And, Deontay, thank you.
WILDER: Yes, sir. Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: So, Lennox, if I really went and started working out, could I take Deontay in a fight? (Laughter.) Please tell me. This is 40 and 0, 39 knockouts. Could I take him in a fight if I really went to work?
LEWIS: You’d have to get past those long arms.
THE PRESIDENT: I get it. They’re long arms.
LEWIS: Yeah, they’re long arms.
THE PRESIDENT: And we also have Linda Bell Haywood, the maternal great-great niece of Jack Johnson. Now, we all sort of have heard of Jack Johnson — had a very tough life, and an interesting life. One of the greatest fighters — Lennox was just telling me — one of the greatest fighters ever of the early 1900s.
Today, as President, I’ve issued an executive grant of clemency, a full pardon, posthumously, to John Arthur “Jack” Johnson — he was known as “Jack Johnson” — the first African American heavyweight champion of the world. A truly great fighter. Had a tough life.
They say he violated the Mann Act, and he had a conviction that occurred during a period of tremendous racial tension in the United States, more than a century ago. Johnson served 10 months in federal prison for what many view as a racially motivated injustice. He was treated very rough, very tough.
Born in 1878, in Galveston, Texas, to former slaves, Johnson overcame difficult circumstances to reach the heights of boxing. One of the greatest that ever lived. And both Deontay and Lennox were telling me they studied those tapes. I don’t know, I think you would have been okay. I don’t know. I think Lennox would have been okay, too.
But truly one of the greatest that ever lived. And he overcame these difficult circumstances to reach the heights of boxing in the boxing world, and inspired generations with his tenacity and a very independent spirit.
Congress has supported numerous resolutions calling for Johnson’s pardon. Went through Congress numerous times. No President ever signed it, surprisingly. They thought it was going to be signed in the last administration and that didn’t happen. So that was very disappointing for a lot of people.
These resolutions enjoyed widespread bipartisan support, including from the Congressional Black Caucus. The Black Caucus supported it very, very powerfully, very strongly, but they couldn’t get the President to sign it. One of these resolutions passed Congress as recently as 2015.
Jack Johnson was the first black heavyweight champion. And he was the heavyweight champion for many years. He was pretty much unbeatable.
In light of these facts, and in recognition of his historical athletic achievements and the contributions to society — he really represented something that was both very beautiful and very terrible at the same time — I believe that Jack Johnson is a very worthy person to receive a full pardon and, in this case, a posthumous pardon.
So I am taking this very righteous step, I believe, to correct a wrong that occurred in our history, and to honor a truly legendary boxing champion, legendary athlete, and a person that, when people got to know him, they really liked him and they really thought he was treated unfairly as a human being and unfairly as a champion.
So I’m going to be signing that. Don, if you bring that up. And then if you’d like to ask a couple of questions to the folks, I think that Mauricio Sulaiman — we have José Sulaiman, a name I’ve heard probably more than I’ve heard any boxer’s name. He’s a big power in the world of boxing, and somehow your name is mentioned at every major match, and Mauricio Sulaiman. And I think, in this case, Mauricio is going to say a few words. But let me sign this first so we get it done.
And congratulations, because I know you all fought very hard to have this taken care of. I know Lennox, and Sly, and my friend, Keith — where’s Keith? And my friend, Keith, who is a very successful guy. And the champ. You all fought very, very hard to get this done. So it’s my honor to do it. It’s about time.
(The presidential pardon is signed.)
How’s that for an autograph? Okay
HAYWOOD: That is fabulous, sir. Thank you. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: That is my great honor. And I think what we’ll do is we’ll do that to you —
MS HAYWOOD: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: — and we have pens for everybody, we’re going to give you. Okay?
Mauricio, do you want to say something about the champ?
SALDIVAR: Mr. President, on behalf of the world of boxing, I would like to praise, congratulate, and thank you for taking this gigantic step for human equality and inclusion. Jack Johnson was the inspiration of many, including Muhammad Ali. This is a great day for the sport, a great day for humanity. And I’m just very proud to be here with the best ambassador boxing has ever had, Sylvester Stallone.
THE PRESIDENT: I agree with that.
SALDIVAR: “Rocky” has motivated so many generations. Lennox Lewis, one of the greatest champions in the history of boxing. And our current king, Deontay Wilder. It is just an unbelievable day for us. And all I can say, just the way you promoted our sport in the ’90s, you’re doing so many things now for the sport of boxing, which is unbelievable, and we cannot thank you enough.
THE PRESIDENT: And our country is doing great. It’s nice to see, but we are really doing great.
Lennox Lewis, one of the great champions of all time, in my opinion. I know them all, or at least I certainly know of them all, but I know a lot of them. But Lennox is one of the great champions. Tremendous physical talent, but he also had a thing called heart. And Lennox, I guess you saw a lot of talented guys —
LEWIS: Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: — and you were looking down at them at the end of a couple of rounds. Right? (Laughter.)
But Lennox had tremendous heart and has tremendous heart. Would you like to say something about Jack Johnson?
LEWIS: Yeah, you know, Jack Johnson is a great inspiration to me, especially throughout my whole career. And I was always wondering how come he didn’t get a lot of press and what the situation was with him. But I’m very happy that I was here this historic day for Mr. Johnson and his family. And I think it’s going to weigh a heavy weight around the world that this actually happened, and everybody will thank you, and I’ll thank you as well.
THE PRESIDENT: I think it’s great when a great champion, who, in theory, doesn’t have to worry about somebody from the early part of the century — I think it’s great when a great champion comes to honor and even press that another great champion be honored. I think that’s a great thing.
LEWIS: Yes, thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: I think that’s a great thing.
Now, you know, everybody knows Sly and what a job he’s done. One of — I tell you what, I love his movies. And I don’t care if it’s “Rambo” or “Rocky,” I still don’t know which I like better. Right? (Laughter.) But Sly is a special guy, and he’s more shy than you would think. So I won’t even tell him, but if you want to say a word, you can, Sly.
STALLONE: Well, no pressure here, right? (Laughter.)
I want to thank you, Mr. President. It’s incredible that you’ve done this because — it’s one thing, I’ve been so blessed with the “Rocky” situation and playing that character. And actually, when I was writing it, I’m thinking about inspirations for this Apollo Creed, and that was Jack Johnson — this bigger than life, incredible character, and who is, you know, treated so unfairly — his prime was taken away — but somehow he still managed to persevere and kept a smile on his face, and he’s truly an inspirational character.
So this has been a long time coming. Of course, Linda, thank you very much. You’re so amazing. Probably the — I don’t know how many blood relatives are left, but you’re, like, the one that really, really fought for him, and I appreciate that.
HAYWOOD: Yes. Yes, I have.
STALLONE: So it’s an honor to take a fictional character like Rocky, and do something in the world of reality. And thank you for making that happen. And keep punching, Jack. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: And, you know, the beautiful thing about Sly — and I’ve known him for so long, such a great guy — he didn’t want to have any press. He didn’t want anything. He just wanted Jack Johnson to be recognized. He really said he didn’t want any press. I said, “Do you want to get the press?” He said, “No, no, no.” And he said it even before he came down. He did not want any press. And we just said, “Hey, let’s do it.” And I will tell you —
STALLONE: I have stage fright. Can you believe it? (Laughter.) After all these years, I just discovered it.
THE PRESIDENT: I don’t think — hey, I don’t think you have any fright, I’ll tell you what.
STALLONE: I do. I do. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: But you are a really great guy, in so many ways. Long beyond sport and boxing, you are a great guy, and you’ve been a great friend.
STALLONE: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Linda, would you like to say something on behalf of Jack?
HAYWOOD: Yes. This has been a long time coming. And I am really overwhelmed because, for so long, my family was deeply ashamed that my uncle went to prison because of how he was treated, and they never really spoke of him. And I’ve said many times, I did not realize and know he was my uncle until I was 12 years old because of the shame that the family carried, and most of them took it to their graves.
By this pardon being issued, that would help to rewrite history, and erase the shame and the humiliation that my family felt for my uncle, a great hero, being in prison unjustly. And so many people have come along with me on this journey. So many people, I cannot really thank them all.
The most important person that decided to do this is sitting here to my left: President Trump. And I thank him. I thank Mauricio Sulaiman. I thank Miguel Torrucogarza, who took a lot of effort to find me. And Mr. Sylvester Stallone, who boldly put it in his ear. And when he tweeted, my entire life changed. (Laughter.) People wouldn’t leave me alone. Now, it’s going to be even more insane, but I’m fine with that. But I appreciate you rewriting history.
And also, let me just thank Senator John McCain for all of his efforts, and Congressman Peter King. And I’ve spoken with Samuel Collins of Hitchcock, Texas, and Reverend Jesse Jackson. So many people have helped me. And my family, now, can go forward knowing that the shame and the pain has been erased, and history will be rewritten. And I sincerely thank you, sir. And you and everybody that brought me here. I am the spokesperson for my family. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Beautiful. Thank you, Linda. Beautiful.
Champ, would you like to say — the current heavyweight champion of the world — would you like to say a few words about Jack Johnson.
WILDER: Yes, I would. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. The Jack Johnson pardon is something that should have never happened. You know, I’m here to support the pardon and his family. You know, this is an event that’s been long overdue, and it’s amazing to see a wrong corrected. And thanks — all thanks to Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, champ.
WILDER: Yes, sir. Thank you so much.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. And keep knocking (inaudible). (Applause.) Thank you.
And they were just nice enough to present me with this. That’s a beautiful thing, but I think now the White House staff take it, and they put it away. I’m not allowed to receive. Can you believe it? So they put it away —
STALLONE: Oh no, they expect you to start training immediately. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: But we’ll put it — yeah, we’ll start training.
STALLONE: Getting ready for a rematch.
THE PRESIDENT: We’ll start training. (Laughter.)
Well, on behalf of the White House, on behalf of the presidency, on behalf of this country — our country is a great country, and we have done something today that was very important because we righted a wrong. It was a wrong, and a lot of people knew it. I knew it. Without being an expert on the subject, I knew it for a long time. Jack Johnson was not treated fairly. And we have corrected that, and I’m very honored to have done it, Linda.
HAYWOOD: Thank you. Thank you so much.
STALLONE: Yeah, thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: And thank you all very much. Thank you, Sly. (Applause.) Thank you all. Thank you all very much. (Applause.) Thank you all very much. Thank you.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
It took only one day for complaints to be filed against Google and Facebook under the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). When Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of members of the European Parliament, he insisted that Facebook was ready for Friday the 25th when the GDPR, which is the European Union’s new strict data privacy going into effect. The very first day, complaints against Facebook and Google with others alleging that the tech companies are in violation of the law.
Centinel2012 