I recently took my son to see the 1968 olympics documentary 'Salute, The Movie'. It chronicles what happened to the third Olympic athlete (Peter Norman) on the podium, after he became part of the famous black gloved salute by two American athletes (Tommy Smith and John Carlos).
Peter Norman supported the civil rights movement but he did not take part in the salute. The salute had a big impact on all three athletes. For Peter, being a white Australian with strong beliefs during a time when race relations in Australia were bad for black australians, would prove to be harmful for him personally and for his career.
Sadly, Peter Norman did not get to see the finished film as he died before it's release. When the film reached the part of Peters' funeral, my son commented on the amount of people paying their respects to him. Among the mourners were some of the olympic committee members and Australian sports people who helped to destroy Peters' brilliant career. My son was quick to ask; "Why didn't they show their appreciation for what Peter did for Australia when he was alive?
He was right, it's often after the person has died that they are honoured and respected for the person they were and what they achieved.
We don't have to wait until after to show how much we care about each other, or how much we admire a person and their beliefs. After all, we often have no problem expressing our disappointment on a regular basis.
I dedicate this blog to a remarkable woman whom I often think about. she was awarded her Doctorate when she died. It was announced at her funeral some years ago.
Doreen Parkinson.
