The Other Side of the Coin

Yes there are two sides to every coin, and I was thinking early on in the Augusta discussion about the other side of the coin and then got distracted.

As I was listening to my very conservative, very republican, country club business partner last night it brought me back to a very simple reality; Augusta National is a PRIVATE club.  The nature of private does tend to mean in this country "not for general consumption," but somehow everyone, even I, wound up in the middle of discussing who Augusta National should admit to their PRIVATE club.

Again, the secret handshakes not withstanding, does anyone have the right to tell anyone else what do with their PRIVATE lives??  I realize that many people want to, abortion, alternative lifestyles, not just gay marriage, but lifestyles in general, buckling in when you drive.  These are all very different examples, and yes some of these decisions, and others, may have an impact on other people, but they are still PRIVATE decisions are they not.

The quote that I found most amazing from yesterday was when a female golf analyst for ESPN said "at least the final bastion of the male dominated  society in this country is gone."  Huh??!!  There are thousands, if not millions, of "old boys clubs," secret handshakes, and just plain old every day examples of "old school," in the worst connotation of the term, still in existence today and there will be for some time to come.  Even when I worked at "the firm," there were plenty of deals being done on Bourbon Street, in strip clubs, with lots of cash, booze, and naked women around, and not only does all of that still happen, but many of the women from the firm that made partner did so because as well as being qualified, which those that I knew definitely were, they also agreed with, supported and took part in that way of doing business.

"the last bastion of male dominated society??"  I bet Augusta wished they were that powerful.