[Marxism] Tommie Smith and John Carlos come to praise Peter Norman

[Ggregray@xxxxxxx]

Peter Norman the Australian athlete who supported Tommie Smith and John 
Carlos in their famous winners podium protest at the  Mexico Olympics in 1968 
was 
buried in Melbourne today.

In a powerful expression of their appreciation for him both of the great 
black athletes attended as lead pall bearers and spoke warmly of him. They both 
looked great in spite of the nearly 40 years since that iconic photograph of 
the 
raised fist salute rocketed around the world.

Speaking to media outside the funeral both spoke emotionally about how 
important Norman's support of them had been on that day.

Norman is remembered more for that moment than anything else but at his death 
he was also remembered as one of Australia's greatest ever sprint athletes. 
The silver medal he won at Mexico is the last medal won by an Australian male 
sprinter. The time he ran in that race is still the Australian record for the 
200 metres.

It was marvellous to see Smith and Carlos paying such generous tribute to 
their fellow athlete. Looking back to 68 is it just nostalgia to see athletes 
like these and of course the incomparable Muhhamad Ali unbeaten in the ring and 
defiant of the Government and its war outside of it as entirely different from 
the money-grubbing type so prominent now? Probably yes but it feels pretty 
good to at least contemplate the possibility.

Greg Adler
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