Were these guys stripped of their medals because of this?

[maveric]

If they were do you think that it was justified?
Seems like racism to me if they were.

[Aristus]

1. Yeah. They "embarrassed the American government".

Just like CBS and Newsweek. Reason enough for full-blown massive governmental retaliation. :sarcasm:


My heart goes out to those guys. They were so brave to risk so much.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Check the year that this happened

Then, check to see who was elected President of the US.

Then, practice saying "COINTELPRO."

Bastards.

[maveric]

4. MLK and RFK were assainated that year. many race riots all over the nation

These guys were pissed and just making a statement against the happenings of that turbulent year.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. No,

those two events were only small parts of a greater movement that had begun in the early sixties - the civil rights movement.

Find out about COINTELPRO - it was an FBI program, and, since he's been in the news lately, this is kind of relevant, W. Mark Felt was one of the big guns who implemented it - and you'll get a really good picture of what it was like in the US at that time.

Then, consider that we were up to our asses in Vietnam at the same time.

Keep in mind that JFK's assassination had taken place only five short years earlier.

Put it all in context, and you'll see that what John Carlos and Tommie Smith did in Mexico City in 1968, and what was done to them afterwards was all part of a larger, disgraceful fabric.

[MnFats]

3. yep. caused a scandal, it did.

mostly among white folks who couldn't understand why they became part of the 'hate America' crowd when America had been so nice to them as to give them a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

you see how some of these lines of thinking go way back...