As the final days approach, the world watches breathlessly to see whether the forces of good will triumph over the evil regime which has wielded power so unwisely. No, not Gulf War II, we’re talking about the Masters Golf Tournament.
The Masters starts Monday and will run through next Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia and some people are not too happy about it. And a former U.S. President has taken a stand, sort of.
A controversy that has been ranging between a simmer and a boil for several months now is about to reach completion. Martha Burk, who leads the National Council of Women’s Organizations, has been urging that Augusta National Golf Club admit a woman as a member.
The chairman of the club, Hootie Johnson, said that he would not allow that to happen “at the point of a bayonet.”
The NCWO is using the Masters Tournament, probably the most prestigious and tradition-laden of them all, as its focus.
Now comes Jimmie Carter, arguably one of the most successful ex-presidents ever, with his pronouncement on the matter. Carter, as you may remember, is from Georgia.
In an Associated Press story this week, Carter is quoted as saying that the “present administration of the Masters has not been very wise with the statement.” He says he thinks it “should have been handled in a much more expeditious way and a harmonious way.”
Carter was in Little Rock, in neighboring Arkansas, to participate in the opening of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Stephens is a former chairman of Augusta National G.C.
Carter said he thinks that women some day will be invited to join Augusta National but that the decision is up to the membership. People get to join the club at the invitation of the existing members.
Women are allowed to play on the ANGC course, it’s just that no one has invited any to join.
Burk wanted to schedule a one-day protest demonstration at the front gate of ANGC during the Masters, but the local sheriff would not give her a permit.
In response, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Augusta, claiming that its public protest law violates free-speech provisions of the U.S. Constitution.
A Masters Malaise.
There is one of those “Now What?” stories now involving LeBron James and his high school basketball teammates. This week, the Fighting Irish of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary were named boys high school national champions by USA Today.
Senior forward Sian Cotton says that the national title is something the group had been working toward since eighth grade. But, he continued, it’s all over. He remarked that they capped this portion of their lives with a national title and you can’t get any better than that.
The Irish, beat three of the other four teams in USA Today’s final top five rankings. Their only loss was a forfeit that resulted when the Ohio High School Athletic Association ruled that James had been ineligible when he played in that game.
The OHSAA claimed that James had improperly accepted two jerseys from a store owner. James’ eligibility later was reinstated by a court decision, but not retroactively.
Cotton will attend Ohio State University and play football next fall. He’s right and it seems a little sad, to have achieved such a high achievement at such a young age. One can only hope that the members of the team will be able to find other challenges than basketball.
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp – or what's a heaven for? Thank you, Robert Browning.