Ask Trump to do what Biden wouldn't

There is no reason to stop seeking a pardon for Jesse Jackson, Jr

Some of the largest and longest groans of disbelief over the past 10 years came from Black folks reacting to Donald Trump saying either how much he has done for Black Americans or how much he values us. What may be his most memorable line connecting Black people came when candidate Trump extolled Black people to vote for him adding “what have you got to lose?” It was a not-so-subtle jab about African Americans historically voting for Democrats and having little or nothing to show for it.

Candidate Trump is now President Trump and in less than a week has begun to dismantle Constitutional protections that have long helped African Americans and other members of the protected class. He is also prone to superlatives when he describes himself; and generally, derides those who disagree with him philosophically.

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African Americans and our allies should not waste any time in helping him start to boast about one of his greatest moves. That would be to grant a pardon to former Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. No doubt Trump would tout it as a slam against former President Joe Biden. Let him say whatever he chooses, with no backlash; the overarching result is Jackson would have his pardon, and the ability to resume his life minus the cloud that has been hovering over him since his release. Because Biden said no that doesn’t mean it was an acceptable answer.

Two of the multitude of adages about not taking no for an answer include: “nothing beats a failure but a try,” and the almost hackneyed “if you don’t succeed the first time-try again.”

We can’t say Biden dropped the ball because by all accounts he never picked it up to grant former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. a pardon. And that came after the former Congressman sent Biden was a letter requesting the pardon. The former President also received a written request Jackson Jr.’s iconic father, Jesse Jackson. A pardon would have been far less controversial and more appropriate than those the former President enacted.

It is fair to say that Biden took nearly all of the air out of the “pardon balloon” when he left the White House for good January 20. Understandably, many felt he represented the best chance to put Jackson’s criminal record away.

He may have been our best chance, but certainly not our only one. There was much trepidation. scorn, and even laughter back in 1983 when it was first rumored that then-President Ronald Reagan would sign Congress’ bill making the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday. The Reagen reality echoes the words the elder Jackson ingrained into the American lexicon- “Keep Hope Alive,” as well as that old African-American adage “nothing beats a failure but a try.”

Americans, of every ilk, who believe in democracy and justice should implore their U.S. Senators and House of Representative members to pick up the mantle that screams Justice for Jesse’ and push for this President to do the unexpected a grant a pardon.

Here is how members of Congress can be reached

The emails need not be long. They can be as brief as “Dear Sir/Madam: As a highly concerned American I plead with you to intervene on behalf of Jesse Jackson, Jr and request you to ask President Trump to pardon the former Congressman.”

The rationale is simple here -Jackson acknowledged his crime, served his time and was a model, productive inmate, and made restitution. He returned to his Chicago roots and is positively engaged in the community. Jackson was charged with misusing campaign funds; however, the donors didn’t request their contributions be returned, so Jackson did time for a victimless crime.

With all he has lost personally, professionally, and otherwise; it is past time for his misdeeds to be viewed as Black history never to be resurrected.