Sadly shortsighted

Media shouldn't sweep women-at-Augusta issue under rug

The general consensus in the mainstream media these days seems to be that the issue of Augusta National's exclusion of women as members has become a bore, which is what journalists often say about a topic when they think they can't get any more columns out of it. The feeling is that both Hootie Johnson, the chairman of Augusta National, and Martha Burk, head of the National Council of Women's Organizations, have had their 15 minutes of fame, and besides, does it really matter whether a few token females get to join Hootie and the boys for stogies, or whatever it is they enjoy when they get together?

There is such a rush to move on to the next talk-radio-friendly topic (Gays in the NFL, anyone? How about that wacky BCS?) that the entire Augusta issue has been grossly oversimplified, neatly packaged in order to make it easier to sweep up and toss away. But before the national attention span completely flickers out on the debate, a few faulty bits of thinking need to be examined.

Let's start with the premise that because Augusta National is a private club, its membership policies are its own business, and everyone else should just shut up about it. That's only half correct. The men of Augusta National have a right to exclude anyone they want for any reason they want, but that doesn't mean they have a right to be free from criticism or public pressure for their exclusionary ways. Burk's tactics -- especially the hinting at boycotts of companies that sponsor the Masters -- are not only perfectly acceptable, they're the American way. If Augusta can handle the shot to the pocketbook that its policies cause -- and perhaps it can, since it quickly released all of its sponsors to get them out of feminist crosshairs -- so be it. But Burk and friends have every right to keep bringing the heat.

An equally flawed line of reasoning is that the women-at-Augusta issue is trivial because it affects so few women directly. If Oprah or Martha Stewart is accepted as a token female member, the argument goes, only a few wealthy women benefit. It doesn't make life any easier for the single mom in Detroit or the underpaid female office worker in Miami, so why should anyone care?

Try applying that wrongheaded logic to other, similar situations. Why was it such a big deal when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers? After all, it only opened the door for a handful of athletically talented black men to play in the major leagues. It didn't make life any different for the other 99 percent of black Americans, did it? A woman joining Augusta wouldn't be nearly as significant as Robinson breaking the color line, of course, but the principle is the same. The long-term symbolism that comes with breaking down another barrier to equality is just as important as its short-term effect. That's what's at issue here, not whether some female CEO gets to hit her nine-iron at Amen Corner.

Related to that line of thinking is the idea that Burk and the NCWO should be spending time on issues that truly affect the great majority of women instead of chasing publicity on a trivial golf matter. A quick check of Burk's bio reveals that she has tackled, among other issues, women's reproductive rights, the disparity in wages between men and women, and child care policies. She's been thinking about a few other things besides who gets to hit a little white ball at a certain golf course, and she has for a long time. It's just that the Augusta issue is the one that draws the most media attention.

At least it drew attention before much of the media began deciding that the whole thing was tedious, started spouting simplistic arguments and turned away to other matters. You don't suppose that's what Hootie and the boys were hoping for, do you?

Sports Illustrated senior writer Phil Taylor writes about a Hot Button issue every Monday on CNNSI.com

 

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