Hootie Johnson may have met his match in the Augusta National hoopla, and it isn't the despicable Martha Burk. As a matter of fact, it isn't anyone taking up Martha's 'cause' either. No, it may just be the infamous Ku Klux Klan who has sided with Augusta and their freedom of association that is the downfall.

I agree that Augusta has a freedom of association. I also think that Martha Burk has been exploiting the situation for publicity, and really isn't doing much to further women's rights. Still, when it comes to causes, having the KKK stand up and offer support can be a death knell. With friends like that, who needs enemies.

I don't know how active the KKK is in Georgia, and I wonder how many people would actually show up. If I remember right, Georgia has an anti-mask law (for just such organizations), so the KKK will not be able to hide behind their masks. Still, when they marched through Blacksburg (VA) in the 1990s, they didn't seem to mind people knowing who they were.

Burk was quick to take advantage of the publicity. "I'm sure the Augusta National welcomes the support of the Ku Klux Klan because they seem bent on discriminating against women at any cost," claimed Burk.

While I know it won't happen, I think Burk should be publicly condemned for drawing a moral equivalence between denying women membership to one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world, and stringing people up from trees and burning crosses in their yard.