The crisis continues. There's a war on.
Actually two. The war to gain women admittance into the exclusive,
male-members-only Augusta National Golf Club. And that other war over in
Iraq. Seems they're linked.
Martha Burk says so. Since last year, she's been leading the charge to get
women admitted to Augusta, home of the prestigious Masters golf tournament.
While women can and do play the course, they are currently not invited to
join the wealthy, private club. Club folks say they can and should decide
who joins a private organization. Burk et al insist Augusta's
no-female-members policy discriminates, and the club is morally obligated to
cast open its male-only doors, because it allows the public in during the
Masters.
Thus, the two wars.
At a news conference last week outside City Hall in New York City, Burk drew
parallels between servicewomen and their inability to join a club to play an
expensive, time-intensive game.
"It's an insult to the 250,000 women serving in the United States military,"
Burk said, as reported in The New York Times. "It's appalling that the women
who are willing to lay down their lives for democratic ideals should be shut
out of this club."
Yes, she's serious.
While acknowledging that her group -- the National Council of Women's
Organizations, which claims to represent more than 100, like-minded women's
groups representing 6 million women -- risks "trivializing" its cause, Burk
connected serving in the military to private-club membership, because
servicewomen "had to face gender discrimination to get into the military."
Yeeeah. Leaving family, worrying about children, staying alive, making plans
in case you don't -- those concerns surely pale when considered against the
prospect that an Augusta membership won't be available to servicewomen once
they're discharged.
In response to Augusta's criticism of Burk's approach, she bit back in the
Times, saying, "Shame on the club for sticking to its policy of
discrimination. They want to rationalize it in any way they can. Women can
and are fighting for this country, and they can't get into the club. If they
can't defend it, they attack me."
A cynical person would say Martha Burk is desperate to get her nonissue back
on page two.
Count me in.
That Burk would reference American servicewomen in her zeal to undo a
good-old-boy admittance policy is stunning in its arrogance and
disconnectedness with real-world events and real-people issues.
While women -- and men -- are in harm's way this minute in the Middle East,
while Pfc. Jessica Lynch and Pfc. Lori Piestewa are missing in action, while
Spc. Shoshana Johnson is a prisoner of war in Iraq, while servicemen are
likewise missing, captured or killed, Burk dares to compare U.S.
servicewomen's duties and advances in the military to a membership policy
that affects the tiniest portion of the wealthy. Gotta give Burk points for
audacity.
I remain amazed that whether women are invited to join a private club has
taken the time of the National Council of Women's Organizations, whose
stated aims include tackling such topics as welfare reform, child care and
social security. Others must also share that amazement. On its flyer for the
Rally for Women's Equality, a protest set to take place at Augusta when the
Masters begins, NCWO feels compelled to explain why it's not pursuing
something more important. As NCWO states, it's already advocating for peace,
poor women, equity pay, livable wages -- so opening up a wealthy club to
women is merely one more blow against gender discrimination.
Sure. Once again: For whom does Martha Burk believe she's advocating?
Because I'll bet most of us are more concerned with the daily balancing and
juggling. And when we come home at night, we see images of POWs, especially
the terrified Spc. Shoshana Johnson with her huge eyes and crossed arms, and
we hope they come home.
But don't worry about that, Martha. Board that bus for the Rally for Women's
Equality and let Augusta have it. Focus on something that really matters.
© Northwest Arkansas Times. Tresa McBee writes for the Northwest Arkansas
Times and can be reached at tresam@nwarktimes.com.
