boxing out of a paper bag

early boxing was the first sport in America to allow African Americans to participate. The first champion Jack Johnston created waves when he became the first black word champion. It did not show white supremacy as was intended and there were even race riots because of it!! But my concern is with the second world champion Joe Lewis, grandson of a slave. Lewis became world champion before WW2 but was beaten by a German, Max Schmeling in 1937. A year later in 1938 there was a return fight. Hitler closed all cinemas in order that his nation would listen to the continuing glory of his great white arian broadcast on on the radio. Remember this was after Germany had anexed Austria. Things went sadly wrong for the Nazi leader as the fight was over in under 125 seconds and the Americans gained political points because oflewis's boxing prowesse. Radio broadcasts in Germany were stopped!!Lewis was not only champion at the right time but was also the right man to represent America. Yes he was black but he was patriotic and quite, not a man to threaten American values. The world champion remained champ for 12 years with 25 defences of his title. When America joined the war he was quick to do his duty for a soldiers pay. He had 2 fights in the 3 months after pearl harbour and gave the donated the entire purse to the armed forces. After the war he was told he owed taxes; to a large extent because he received cheques for the 2 fights he had before passing the money on. His personality being what it was he came out of retirement and did other humiliating things to try to repay his tax debt. He did not manage to repay more than accumulating interest and extra charges. He managed in his own quite way to gain rights for black people. Reporter Jimmy Cannon once wrote that, "Louis was a credit to his race ... the human race."
His most important fight was against Max Schmeling as he felt he was not really world champion until he did so. But for the politicians it also held even more importance. Here the great arian was here to take the black boy down. This so called representative of the german regime had an American Jewish manager and jewish friends. Infact it came to light after his life had ended that during the war he hid 2 jewish boys in his hotel room and eventually sent them abroad..He became a friend of Lewis and was intouch with Lewis until he died. Another friend of Lewis apears to have been jesse Owens the geat olympic runner and jumper.I mention him here because it seems from what I have read that after what he did to snub the germans he was banned from running by the president of the american olympic committee.From what I have read Owens was banned because he was notwilling to run in races that would have made money for this man.
Ok so 3 men were injustly treated 60 years ago ....so. I am not famous, I do not have a special tallent and as a midle aged white jew in Israel do not stand out, but all this story which I have only become aware of in the last 36 hours is disconcerting to me. Could it be that so little respect was shown for the individual and I believe that today even an ordinary individual can be brutilly bulldozered away in much the same way. Perhaps,it is not the kind of thing one thinks about during ones day or perhaps more importantly I wonder had I been Mr. average how would I have reacted in these situations .
If the people who lead our country are all corrupt then they would also mould the plastalena of whoever they felt benificial to shape as they wanted. May god have mercy on us "shalom haver"