Love those Aussies

Everybody has seen the picture, everybody knows the story.
Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave a gloved Black Power salute on the Olympic podium in October 1968 in Mexico.



But what about the third guy, the silver medalist? That's Aussie Peter Norman, and he was just there, watching history unfold, right? Nope.

The silver medallist was a laid-back Australian, an up-and-coming runner called Peter Norman who, in the words of his coach, "blossomed like a cactus" when he got to Mexico. While observers expected the Americans to make a clean sweep of the 200m medals, Norman kept them interested by breaking the world record in the heats.

An apprentice butcher from Melbourne, he had learned to run in a pair of borrowed spikes. More significantly, he had grown up in a Salvation Army family, with a set of simple but strong values instilled from an early age.

As his nephew Matt Norman, director of the new film, Salute, remembers: "The whole Norman family were brought up in the Salvos, so we knew we had to look after our fellow man, but that was about it."

In Mexico, that was enough for Norman, who felt compelled to join forces with his fellow athletes in their stand against racial inequality. The three were waiting for the victory ceremony when Norman discovered what was about to happen. It was Norman who, when John Carlos found he'd forgotten his black gloves, suggested the two runners shared Smith's pair, wearing one each on the podium.

And when, to the crowd's astonishment, they flung their fists in the air, the Australian joined the protest in his own way, wearing a badge from the Olympic Project for Human Rights that they had given him.

He did what he felt was right, stood up his beliefs... and paid dearly.

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xoxoxoBruce;813083 wrote:

Everybody has seen the picture, everybody knows the story.

actually, not true.

But I've seen it and read it now.

As per Monster, don't forget some of us on this global website are not American :)

I know part of the story, but had never seen the picture.
It's not as I expected, actually.

I knew about the Australian's input because BBC Radio ran a feature length review of the film Salute a few weeks back.
I agree it's a fascinating story.

Sundae;813112 wrote:

As per Monster, don't forget some of us on this global website are not American :)

and weren't born then......

Agree.

I asked the 'rents about Jonestown and I might as well have been asking about what happened during the Seville Mayoral Election in 1978.

I did my research in the County Reference Library long before the internet was a reasonable option..
But you can't research what you have never heard about - especially if it happened in the white-out between being bona fide history and being old enough to have your own perception of world events.

Sundae;813115 wrote:

Agree.

I asked the 'rents about Jonestown and I might as well have been asking about what happened during the Seville Mayoral Election in 1978.

Do you know why there aren't any jokes about Jonestown?


The punchline is too long.

Thanks folks, I'll be here all weekend. Try the jungle juice.

Australia has a history just as shameful as any other conquering nation when it comes to human rights and indigenous populations. Things I've learned over the years that more than likely my ancestors participated in or at least gave tacit agreement to are the reason I believe so strongly in equality and understanding of different cultures, particularly indigenous ones.

We still have massive social issues surrounding our indigenous population and no one seems to have the right answer, but at least people are starting to listen, and more are starting to care. We have a long way to go, and if not for people like Peter Norman, we'd have a lot further still to go.

We salute YOU Peter Norman!

eta: I saw this post yesterday, but I've been thinking about what I wanted to say. It's nice that I've learned not to just blurt out what first comes into my mind sometimes these days isn't it? ;)

Foot, that was terrible.

I've seen the picture but honestly never thought much about the other guy. It is very interesting.

I love Aussie hair care products. ;)

Smells like grapes. :yum:

(Pic needed)

Sundae;813112 wrote:

As per Monster, don't forget some of us on this global website are not American :)

The Olympics is global. Although the TV coverage wasn't as wide spread, that picture made the front page around the world.

monster;813114 wrote:

and weren't born then......

'Bout time you whippersnappers got some history learnin'. :p:

ZenGum;813133 wrote:

Foot, that was terrible.

I miss you too.

footfootfoot;813119 wrote:

Do you know why there aren't any jokes about Jonestown?


The punchline is too long.

Thanks folks, I'll be here all weekend. Try the jungle juice.

Dude, you need to spend more time here.

I found this on the net, with no explanation as to whether it was real, or a joke, on a comment on the economy. Anyway, it made me wonder is the Australian minimum wage really $15.51?

looks like that's old: $15.96

http://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/national-minimum-wage/pages/default.aspx

This site is interesting: http://www.minimum-wage.org/minwage/international/

But has the US amount more than doubled :eyebrow:

oh it's "international currency" not US$. Whatever that is

eta

International Currency is a measure of currency based on the value of the United States dollar in 2009.

That site is strange. It cites the US minimum wage at $15, but if you click on the US it goes to a US page that says $7.25. For Australia, they are both $20. The Australian dollar and US dollar are close to par.

Hell, even I'd go back to work for $15/hour.

That's ridiculous.

That would be about right. It depends on the industry you work in. But on average that'd be about right.

Consider though that the cost of living in australia is higher than just about every other western nation. We pay almost twice what you do for fuel and other basics like energy supply and phone/communications. Groceries are very expensive here and our public transport system is very poor.

On the upside, our public health system is a lot better than the US (in my understanding). Our social services (whether you like it or not) support those not able to work for one reason or another.

On the other downside, we get taxed pretty heavily. eg Dazza loses almost half of what he earns to the taxman, so if you're not earning uber amounts of money and just fall into what the gov describes as the high income bracket, you end up worse off than low income earners because you get no benefits what so ever from the gov.

All countries run their finances differently. It's important to look at the big picture. Not just a snap shot.

Surely I don't have to explain that to you smart cookies. ;)

Gravdigr;830321 wrote:

Hell, even I'd go back to work for $15/hour.

That's ridiculous.

rly? that's what I charge for pulling weeds -friends rate.

xoxoxoBruce;830314 wrote:

That site is strange. It cites the US minimum wage at $15, but if you click on the US it goes to a US page that says $7.25. For Australia, they are both $20. The Australian dollar and US dollar are close to par.

monster;830023 wrote:

oh it's "international currency" not US$. Whatever that is

eta

but how does the current Aussie $ compare to the 2009 US $?

Aliantha;830338 wrote:

Groceries are very expensive here and our public transport system is very poor.

Public Transport System, what's that? Do you mean cars?:confused:

monster;830343 wrote:

but how does the current Aussie $ compare to the 2009 US $?

Damifino, does it matter?
But if they say the current minimum wage is 15 US 2009 dollars, and the wage is really $7.25, then the US dollar has lost 50% of it's value since 2009. I don't believe that.

The AU$ was only slightly lower than the US$ in 2009, may have even been a bit higher. When was the crash? Ever since then they've been fairly comparitive.

xoxoxoBruce;830449 wrote:

Damifino, does it matter?
But if they say the current minimum wage is 15 US 2009 dollars, and the wage is really $7.25, then the US dollar has lost 50% of it's value since 2009. I don't believe that.

no, it does seem a little weird.

Per this table by the Dept. of Labor, Washington has the highest minimum wage in America - $9.04.

Truth is, we're a bunch of socialist pinko commies who think that minimum wage should be above the poverty line, not below it. ;)

You'll never get anywhere with an attitude like that; sittin' on your ass like a council worker, reminiscing about being pissed off about
your house burning down to the ground, and being out on your arse...

Nice. I want to hear that song now, but I can't because my impressionable young daughter is here with me. If only hip hop were more hummable.