Kim Simmons

“I say yes because it happened to other athletes in the past. She obviously said that she lied about her steroid use. They were asking about her steroid use from when she won the Olympics. That’s where the controversy stemmed from, and she was cheating. She’s got to be treated like all the other athletics.”

 

Willie L. Cullens

“Yes, I believe she should be stripped of her medals. She let down a lot of kids, and she lied to the whole nation about her medals in 2002 when they asked her if she was taking steroids. She denied that she was. I think that she should be stripped of the medals and serve the six months in jail.”

 

Helen Giles

“I don’t think Marion Jones should be stripped of her five Olympic medals because she won those. But given the fact that she knows what has been said about using steroids, I think that she should be held accountable, but not stripped of all her medals. How do we know when she first started using steroids? She might have just started yesterday.”

 

Ashunda Harris

“Well, my opinion is no. I think that, yes, she should be reprimanded in some way. Stripping her of her medals – I think that her hard work and training should have paid off. It did show some type of determination. I’m hurt about it, but in that case, maybe we need to review so many other Olympians, past and present. If we’re going to start, we need to start everywhere.”

 

Pastor Rosetta Dotson

“I run a youth organization at 5443 W. North Avenue, and I meet with the kids weekly teaching them about being honest. Should Marion Jones be stripped of her medals? I would say yes because it’s going against what I’m teaching the children. But I do like what she did. She came forward, apologized and asked for our forgiveness. And we forgave her. I liked the idea that she apologized to the youth and asked the youth not to do what she did because it doesn’t pay. Dishonesty and violence go together, and it does not pay. I’m glad that she realizes that she can not go through life trying to beat the system. This is what I’m teaching the kids with my organization about non-violence. We cannot beat the system by being violent.”

 

Oscar L. Thomas

“Well, if she engaged in steroid abuse during all of her gold medal competitions, then, rightfully so, she cheated and should be stripped. But if not, I think she should be given the right to keep those medals that were gained without the use of steroids. I hope that this does not now give a black eye to all African American athletes. This might cast a shadow on our athletes that are not using steroids even when they are proven drug free.”

 

Karl Brinson

“I’m kind of hurt by the allegations and about her statements of being a steroid user. What we do understand and what we do believe, we knew she practiced hard, she worked hard, [and] we knew she had good ethics. But some way, she just needed enhancements and she felt she needed an extra boost to make her successful. We just hate to see that happen to our great athletes.”

UPDATE: On Monday Oct. 8, Marion Jones returned her five medals, three Gold and two Bronze, won in 2000 at the Sydney Olympic games. She is scheduled for sentencing in January and could receive up to six months in prison.