Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

NOW is NOT the time (Women members of Augusta Nat'l)
ESPN.com ^ | 9/5/02 | Jason Whitlock

Posted on 09/05/2002 10:58:15 AM PDT by buzzyboop

Earning the "privilege" to smoke fine cigars, exchange dirty jokes and lie about your golf game, sexual exploits and how hard you worked to inherit your wealth with a group of mostly old white men isn't part of the cure for gender discrimination.

Augusta National Golf Club, the home of the Masters, the chosen playground for Hootie (Johnson) & His Blowhards, isn't the proper battleground for the war on gender discrimination. It's the equivalent of President Bush sending ground troops to Dallas looking for Osama bin Laden. A hunt for bin Laden in Texas would draw a lot of attention to a very serious problem, and there are a lot of good ol' boys in Texas who could use a swift kick in the ass, but in the end the hunt wouldn't get us any closer to tracking down Osama.

What Burk and her sympathizers must come to understand is that, just like cancer, there are different forms of discrimination and each strand of cancer (discrimination) has a uniquely different cure.

Racial discrimination and gender discrimination are not the same. The side effects, the consequences, the complications are different. Racial discrimination sentences black men to death row at an alarming rate. Gender discrimination prevents women from getting equal pay for equal work. Racial discrimination allows the police to profile and beat black and Latino men without fear of repercussions. Gender discrimination allows pop culture to make massive profits promoting women as sexual objects.

It's foolish to debate which form of cancer (discrimination) is worse (although racial discrimination ravages the entire body). Any discrimination kills humanity.

But it's not silly to discuss what's the best way to go about curing the different forms of discrimination. As a black man, I've grown tired of every group that's discriminated against pointing to discrimination cures used by black people as justification for their actions. When it suits their purpose, gay activists claim they want the same treatment as black people. Funny how they never ask for it when they're standing in court or applying for a bank loan or buying a new car.

This hyporcrisy bothers me because every time someone inappropriately uses a platform built to combat discrimination, the gleeful benefactors of that discrimination point to its inappropriate use as an example of why the platform must be torn down.

Which brings me back to Martha Burk and the National Council of Women's Organizations.

They're arguing that Augusta National needs to open its membership to women primarily for the same reason it welcomed a black member in 1990, for the same reason major corporations turned against exclusionary Shoal Creek.

"Do they have different standards for sexual discrimination versus racial discrimination?" Burk has asked. "Do the practices and policies on sex and race discrimination differ?"

Hell, yeah.

Are the consequences different? Hasn't it been proven in this country that there are benefits to gender-exclusive organizations and clubs? Women-only health spas populate our rich suburbs. High-priced, all-girls schools produce some of this country's finest leaders. Men and women need places to socialize and develop away from each other. It's in the best interest of both sexes. We're an overwhelmingly heterosexual society. Men and women here traditionally don't isolate themselves from each other the way different racial and ethnic groups do. Men and women sleep together, eat together, vacation together, carpool together, work together, go to school together. Men and women, generally speaking, learn about each other and are given ample opportunity to develop a healthy respect for one another.

Ofterntimes, that's not the case when it comes to race. That's why racial-exclusionary policies, especially those established by the majority (power) community, must be eliminated from our society. That's why black people wanted Augusta National and the nation's other elite golf clubs integrated. Black people are fearful when the power structure congregates without any one representing us. We don't want to play dominoes or "Pass The Courvoisier" with Hootie & His Blowhards. Screw them. They think Busta Rhymes is an old Oklahoma running back. We just don't want powerful people who never take the time to get to know us gathering together and making decisions that could impact our lives. The best way we know how to combat that problem is by sending in a token or two.

Hell, it's not like we slap a pair of knickers and a cardigan sweater on Al Sharpton and plop him on the 18th green. We don't even send a double agent, a Bryant Gumbel. We're more than happy if every Augusta Shoal Geek Golf Club had a couple of Uncle (Clarence) Thomases. We're not trying to make Hootie & His Blowhards uncomfortable. They have a constitutional right to assemble, regale each other with politically incorrect jokes and bitch about the money NBA players make. What's the use of being rich and bigoted, if you can't have a little harmless fun?

Now, I don't want to be totally one-sided. Ms. Burk is responsible for the elimination of all TV commercials during the 12½ hours of CBS's coverage of The Masters. For that, every man in America should be thankful.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: augustanational; golf; hootiejohnson; marthaburk; masters; ncwo
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-34 next last
Ms Burk has prompted an avalanche of ill will for her nonsense. Jealous bi---.
1 posted on 09/05/2002 10:58:16 AM PDT by buzzyboop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
whoever wrote this crap needs an asswhippin' too !!!!!
all those platitudes to justify the next sentence
liberal writing style, is suffered only in that
I read it. ESPN,isn't that a Sumner Redstone influence?

2 posted on 09/05/2002 11:07:07 AM PDT by cactusSharp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
Jason Whitlock is full of sh**. He is a local reporter for the Star and has a morning radio show. Nornally, he can be entertaining, but in recent years he has been playing the race card from the bottom of the deck.

I agree with the conclusion of his argument, but he is totally inconsistant and hypocritical in his argument to reach his conclusion.

3 posted on 09/05/2002 11:11:17 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TroutStalker
Whitlock Bump
4 posted on 09/05/2002 11:12:33 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
Jealous bi---.

Never assume anything. She could be a lesbian, oh, you meant *itch.

5 posted on 09/05/2002 11:14:14 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KC_Conspirator; cactusSharp
Agree with both of you.. more like a Disney influence, but it just illustrates the (lack of) support this idiot Martha Burk is getting. She must even be surprised.
6 posted on 09/05/2002 11:15:01 AM PDT by buzzyboop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: KC_Conspirator
I agree with the conclusion of his argument, but he is totally inconsistant and hypocritical in his argument to reach his conclusion.

My interpretation as well.

7 posted on 09/05/2002 11:15:01 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
There was one paragraph I agreed with - the one after the "Hell Yeah".

The author, as well as most people, just don't get it. Private discrimination IS NOT "bad". He goes through long-winded diatribes to show that private gender discrimination is fine, but all other forms of "discriination" are not fine. He even throws in a punch at "gays".

The authors basic premis is that only discrimination he says is good, in fact is. All other is bad. Forget Freedom of Association, this guys opinion trumps everything.

8 posted on 09/05/2002 11:16:50 AM PDT by FreeTally
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

PGA current tournament link below:

Bell Canadian OpenFull Leaderboard

 

9 posted on 09/05/2002 11:17:48 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
I agree with the conclusion of his argument, but he is totally inconsistant and hypocritical in his argument to reach his conclusion.

I'm curious to know what you though the conclusion of his argument was? It seemed to me all he was saying is that gender discrimination is fine for private organizations, but no other form of discrimination can be tolerated. He never even touched on freedom of association.

10 posted on 09/05/2002 11:19:36 AM PDT by FreeTally
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KC_Conspirator; buzzyboop
woops! #10 was ment for you KC.
11 posted on 09/05/2002 11:20:39 AM PDT by FreeTally
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
Racial discrimination sentences black men to death row at an alarming rate.

And to think, all this time, I was tricked into believing they go to death row on account of some heinous crimes they had committed.

12 posted on 09/05/2002 11:22:21 AM PDT by newgeezer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
"to smoke fine cigars, exchange dirty jokes and lie about your golf game, sexual exploits and how hard you worked"

Holy crap batman. That's just the gig I've been looking for. Where do I sign up??
Seriously, are there any guys out there that don't like the sound of this statement??
13 posted on 09/05/2002 11:23:55 AM PDT by 3k9pm
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FreeTally
Yes, you are correct. Its ok to discrimate against women at a golf club (like our local Wolf Creek), yet its bad if its racial discrimination. And of course, if you equate radical feminism and radical gay rights with racial civil rights, then you are just riding coattails. How's that for contradictory logic?
14 posted on 09/05/2002 11:35:48 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: COB1; LadyX; Scuttlebutt; razorback-bert; beowolf; Fred Mertz; humblegunner; Eaker; Pippin; ...
Dang uppity wimmin.

Next they'll want to vote.

15 posted on 09/05/2002 11:40:02 AM PDT by ofMagog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ofMagog
Dang uppity wimmin.
Next they'll want to vote.



I don't want to cause you any undue alarm. But you may want to slip into these asbestos overalls. They may come in handy.
Man I'm glad I didn't say that (wiping sweat off brow).
16 posted on 09/05/2002 11:42:54 AM PDT by 3k9pm
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
SLANDER heads up...

The argument is exclusively stated in terms of 'discrimination' (racial discrimination at that) and never expressed in terms of freedom of association.

lots of white male bashing here, too...

Jason Whitlock sounds like just another hand-wringing neo-Stalinist with his panties in a twist.

17 posted on 09/05/2002 11:45:09 AM PDT by martin gibson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1Old Pro
jealous bi---.

Yup, either one works..

18 posted on 09/05/2002 11:45:35 AM PDT by buzzyboop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
Why does ESPN have to publish politically leftist junk even when they're opposing politically leftist activism? This column barely rememembers to make the point it intends - that Augusta National shouldn't buckle to Burk's activism.

Jason Whitlock is a racist who slanders people he doesn't like on the basis of their ethnicity and skin color. But apparently that's ok, provided he's also a leftist and black.

19 posted on 09/05/2002 11:48:23 AM PDT by Snuffington
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: buzzyboop
This piece had me cheering until Whitlock spit out "Uncle Thomas." What a disappointment.
20 posted on 09/05/2002 11:50:39 AM PDT by L.N. Smithee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-34 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson