Self-reflection can help stop sexist behavior
As a now old biddy who consistently challenges sexist remarks in public and private, I'd like to make a point.
Ted Bishop, Brandel Chamblee, and Hank Haney all made sexist remarks, but to significantly different degrees. Chamblee's remark of using the term "bitch-slapped" hardly warrants mention, while Bishop's tweet in which he called Ian Poulter a "li'l girl" was overtly offensive. Haney's remark about the LPGA was a problem because while teaching some LPGA members, he made it clear that he found the tour to be so irrelevant that he couldn't even name a few players.
The key here is to understand the common concepts behind these remarks. If you don't like what a woman is doing, you can just slap her. A way to really insult a man is to state that his behavior is like a female child’s. Women's sports are inferior to men's, so why bother knowing who participates in them. Do you see a theme?
Gentlemen, these attitudes are ones we deal with every day. They are so ubiquitous that if you asked a woman just to make note of the next time she encountered any level of sexist behavior, I'd be amazed if 24 hours went by.
So, here's the point: Let's all chill a little and learn from these examples.
Why should anyone lose his job over this? The loss of a job is mere pretense that this behavior is so exceptional that it must be "rooted out." It isn't.
What we need to do is celebrate those males who have evolved enough in their thinking that they truly don't have these underlying sexist attitudes (ah, for more men like LPGA commissioner Mike Whan). They are there, and they are less common than you might think.
Please look inside and examine yourself, rather than beating the drum for someone to lose his job. And along the way, we'll examine the things we say about you behind your backs.
Robin Dea
Vancouver, Wash.
Prioritize majors over Ryder Cup
How self-centered can Padraig Harrington be? (“Padraig Harrington lobbies for Ryder Cup, no matter what,” April 2).
First, if the Ryder Cup gets played this year, at least some of the team members should qualify automatically with their current standing.
Second, and more importantly, I would much prefer any and all of the majors would take precedence over the Ryder Cup. Be the first competition. Really. Mr. Ryder would beg to disagree. And I think all of the professional players would agree.
The Ryder Cup is a great event, but the Opens, the Masters and the PGA mean more.
Roger Clark
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
2 more must-reads, again and again
I rarely re-read books because life is too short, but a couple of golf books I have read more than once are the following literate explorations of golf course architecture: “The Anatomy of a Golf Course,” by Tom Doak, and “The Spirit of St. Andrews,” by Alister MacKenzie (“Golf’s major champions of the printed word,” March 31).
Both authors are compelling writers, with strong opinions based on a lot of knowledge. Reading their books has given me many hours of entertainment and improved my golf scores into the bargain. I hope others have the same experience.
Timothy G. Brown
Queenston, Ontario
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