[governsleastgovernsbest]

I say BRAVO to Hootie Johnson and Augusta National. I can think of no other prominent institution, not one, that has had the principle and the courage to stand up to the PC police.

[goldstategop]

Keep the club all-male. If a woman is interested in golf, there are female clubs that can accomodate her interest. Its not like women have to take over every male fraternity in sight. Enough already!

[Vidalia]

Why would they allow anyone on the first tee without any balls...?

[Shooter 2.5]

I don't play golf or care what the club does but why don't they want women in their club?
Are the members a group of eight year olds with a treehouse?

[chance33_98]

We need contact info for the club and should start freeping them, thanking them for their decision and standing by them. Let them know they are not alone. I for one will contribute $ if advertisers back out.

[Zon]

"The message delivered to us was clearly coercive,'' he said. "We will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated. We do not intend to become a trophy in their display case.''

I applaud you, Mr. Johnson. Stand tall sir.

"There may well come a day when women will be invited to join our membership, but that timetable will be ours, and not at the point of a bayonet,'' Johnson said.

I applaud you again,  Mr. Johnson. Stand tall sir.

"Augusta National and the Masters -- while happily entwined -- are quite different,'' Johnson said. "One is a private golf club. The other is a world-class sports event of great public interest. It is insidious to attempt to use one to alter the essence of the other.''

Again sir,  I applaud you. Stand tall Mr. Johnson.

[Zon]

"We were trying the olive-branch approach, but he's unwilling to talk.''

Debbie has left Dallas and there's an opening so we were thinking that perhaps you'd like to join the good-ol' boys club so that we can shoot a Martha Does Dallas video.

[GovernmentShrinker]

The title displayed is erroneous. As the article mentions repeatedly, the organization which is attacking the club is the National Council of Women's Organizations, not NOW (National Organization for Women). While I wouldn't be surprised if NOW is a member of NCWO, NCWO is running this show in its own name, and should be taking the heat in its own name.

[BOBTHENAILER]

sent a letter to Johnson on June 12 after chairwoman Martha Burk read reports about Augusta National not having women among its 300 members.

The "dikes on spikes" organization just NOW discovered this?

What a brilliant organization.

Oh, Mildred and I were looking for targets today, and look what we found.

[BOBTHENAILER]

This quote should be standard operating procedure for everyone, corporations, gun clubs, Republicans, parents of public school children, etc. This is a classic response to a leftist shakedown. Thanks for reading, Bob.

We expect such a campaign would attempt to depict the members of our club as insensitive bigots and coerce the sponsors of the Masters to disassociate themselves under threat -- real or implied -- of boycotts and other economic pressures.

We might see 'celebrity' interviews and talk show guests discussing the 'morality' of private clubs. We could also anticipate op-ed articles and editorials.

There could be attempts at direct contact with board members of sponsoring corporations and inflammatory mailings to stockholders and investment institutions. We might see everything from picketing and boycotts to t-shirts and bumper stickers. On the internet, there could be active chat rooms and email messaging. These are all elements of such campaigns.

We certainly hope none of that happens. However, the message delivered to us was clearly coercive.

We will not be bullied, threatened or intimidated.

[zarf]

Maybe if Augusta allows female interns to blow the executive staff, they will shut up about the entire issue.

[weikel]

Women who play golf are about as attractive as women in NOW. Thats why they shouldn't allow female members.

[mhking]

She sounds like a female Michael Newdow...

[EternalVigilance]

Hey, they despise the right to life, the right to speak freely, the right to mention God, the right to protect ouselves and the ones we love, the right to educate our kids in something other than PC pap....why should the freedom of association be any different?

[amstaff1]

Your typical double standard at work. About ten years ago here in the S.F. bay area, a small all womens college called Mills College took some heat to admit men to the roster. The howls of indignation at such a suggestion are still echoing around out there someplace.

These people could care less about correcting alleged wrongs. They're just pissed off that somewhere, at some time, a group of men are having a good time.... without them! I applaud the clubs stand on the matter but unfortunately they probably will cave into this latest shakedown scheme once sponsors start dropping out and they will if recent history is any kind of accurate predictor. Stand tall indeed gentlemen!

[Intolerant in NJ]

We do not intend to become a trophy in their display case...great line - at least one attempt at cultural extortion that's going nowhere.....

[3catsanadog]

Somebody finally stood up to NOW. I am impressed and delighted and I'm a woman! Men should have a place to go to hob-nob with other men about business, football and to trade dirty jokes and fart and belch comfortably without liberated women hanging around ruining all their relaxation.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

..... Hootie Johnson .........

Since when did the Blowfish buy Augusta?

[bimbo]

In reading this article, the Marxist tendencies of the NCWO and its leaders is obvious. Their “long march” includes the destruction of privacy wherever it exists. What they dislike about Augusta, is that it is a “private organization.” They hate everything private – private clubs as well as private property. Like Marx, they want everything to be public property. “owned by all, for the good of everyone.”

The only reason private organizations do not stand up well against these assaults from the Left, is that the U.S. Government is on the side of the Leftists.

[oyez]

We are therefore puzzled as to why they have targeted our private golf club.

Two words: Penis envy.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Well done Mr. Johnson. "The essence of a private club is privacy." Sums it up in eight words.

Augusta National has always taken on pressure...even from members. A small story about President Eisenhower when he was a member. Durng a meeting of the membership, he asked that the large oak tree on the 17th fairway be cut down as it interfered with his drives. The Chairman of the club at the time was Cliff Roberts. Mr. Roberts told the current President of the United States, "Mr. President, your motion is out of order and hereby denied. Next topic."

Do not expect them to bow down.