In this world, no matter what you do or how you do it, there are always going to be people trying to interfere in your business. Sometimes that is good, and sometimes it is bad. In the case of the controversy going on with Augusta National golf course, it seems to be something that is full of sound, but signifies nothing.

In case you are not aware, the controversy surrounding this golf course is that it is a private club that does not allow women to be members. Martha Burk is a part of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, and she is trying to muscle Augusta National into accepting women as members.

An important distinction that needs to be made is that Augusta allows women to play; they just cannot not be members.

If you were to ask me if women should be allowed to be members of Augusta, then I would certainly say yes. But if you ask me if Augusta should be forced into allowing women to become members, then my answer would be no.

Here is why: In the same sense that most people do not want government involved in every aspect of their lives, they also don’t want other people telling us how to live our lives if we are not doing anything illegal.

The reason Mrs. Burk is going after Augusta is because its members are, for the most part, rich white men, CEO’s, the crŠme de la crŠme of society, the alpha’s. So it’s really easy for her to attack them, because most Americans can’t relate to them anyway, because we don’t live that kind of lifestyle. But if we allow somebody like Martha Burk to affect a private club’s policy, where does it stop?

Do fraternities and sororities start allowing everybody that applies to be in? Are professional sports teams supposed to allow anybody who wants to play to play?

Regardless of how shallow or old-fashioned groups’ standards might be, we need to respect those standards. Besides, it would seem that the fight for equality might be better fought at any place but Augusta. The Boy Scouts come to mind, but that’s just me.

There is also an issue of fairness here, in the sense that not every male gets to join Augusta. Maybe the process they use is elitist and unfair, but the song remains the same. How can Augusta consider allowing a woman member if there is, literally, a waiting list as thick the phonebook of men that want to become members? By allowing a woman to cut in line, so to speak, is that fair to the other people who have been waiting for years to join Augusta?

Make no mistake about: I do not condone what this golf club is doing. We are all living in the 21st century, and maybe it is time for even the most “traditional” clubs or organizations to bring themselves into this modern world.

With all of that in mind, however, these private organizations need to have the same autonomy that every other private organization has. The problem with that is that these private organizations range from golf or hunting clubs to the KKK. But this is the eternal conflict that we live with because of the kind of country that we live in.

We cannot pick and choose what organizations we support, and condemn the rest. If there is no freedom for one, there is no freedom all. So should we disagree with Augusta’s practices? Yes. But should we also recognize the right they have to do what they do no matter how distasteful I or anybody else may find it?

Yes.