Editor;
By now we’ve all had a chance to digest the revolting antics of this last week — both on and off the golf course.
My dad introduced me to golf in the Sixties and I loved it, enjoying time away from work and daily pressures to play the gentleman’s game with friends. More than anything golf has always been about respect with those of us who played adhering to a strict etiquette which elevated us and taught us to be better people.
But this week I watched a tribe of jowly, pot bellied soon to be divorced day drinking slobs dressed in the American flag break every rule of the game while harassing a visiting European team who not only out played them but out classed them on every hole. I was embarrassed by the American players who egged the crowds on, fist pumping and speaking as if the game had somehow become some kind of blood sport instead of a respected international sporting event. There have been a few things that have laid me low in recent years but the behavior shown at the Ryder Cup made me ashamed and embarrassed to call myself an American.
And then came MAGA Warrior and self pronounced secretary of war Pete whatever his name is shilling for his man before an assembly of rank and military experience so quiet I can imagine they were trying hard not to laugh at him. The words coming out of his mouth, followed by those from the leader of the free world were delusional, coughed up by someone lost in the conspiratorial echo chambers which has claimed so many Americans in recent years. I kept waiting for those military men and women to get up about face and walk out of the room — something I would have applauded. The Fox News host masquerading as secretary of war even invited them to do it. I was pole axed to learn they’ve been tasked with fighting “an enemy within.”
After some thought I guess he was talking about me because I disagreed with virtually everything he said. If I’m the enemy he was talking about all I can say is let’s do this thing. This is not who we are — or is it now?
Sincerely,
Daniel Fagan/ Concord
When it comes to political differences – get over it. We’re all entitled to our views (or lack thereof) and if you can’t get past it, maybe it’s you. That’s why centrists exist. Until America comes closer to the center, we’ll never be able to co-exist. Both sides need to grow up.
Legitimate differences of opinion are one thing, but you can be sure just by looking at daily headlines that “centrists” and “grownups” (like yourself?) aren’t exempt from becoming victims of dangerous actions resulting from some opinions.
Are we entitled to our own views?? World history offers a different story. The movement toward fascism is not politics as usual. A power grab and the dismantling of our democracy is well underway.
They said “get over it” in Munich in 1923…..
If we survive this nosedive we’re in I’ll be interested to see what historians have to say about this chapter in our history. A great country brought to its knees by a felon reality TV personality and a clown car of absurd sycophants – each one crazier than the last.
“Rowdy Cup” was a good encapsulation. I guess that was the editor at work. Was there ever a time when world politics didn’t eff up international sporting competitions? I am guessing no. Berlin Olympics 1936, Munich 1972, Moscow 1980. I am too young to remember what happened in ancient Greece, but political animosity, it seems, is eternal.
Traded in the sticks years ago due to lack of talent but apparently there was a lot of clubhouse chatter about crowd behavior at the tourney.
Well, it ain’t hockey. As the contributor eloquently suggested, it’s a game noted for etiquette and scruples which is totally at odds with faux gladiator sport which is today’s hot ticket, a morbidly obese septuagenarian in superman tights taking on taking on brown skinned fence jumpers in Steinbeck fields of lettuce.
Caught us off guard as we don’t watch the matches but after we started hearing the chatter we looked into what all the buzz was about and, yep, it wasn’t good. Have to admit we were rooting for the Europeans after all was said and done. That Irish golfer looked ready to waltz a Yankee patriot or two around the 18th Hole and can’t say we blamed him.
Daniel, if the winner of the recent election is this bad, as per your description, imagine what the loser must have looked like.
Clown car (in your words) vs total train wreck.
The author of this letter is not the commenter who used that phrase.
I fail to see your point. If it can be distilled as “Harris would’ve been worse,” then I disagree.