AUGUSTA, Ga. Since no one should be harmed in their ability to vote, Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National and Masters, will not go so far as to condemn the controversial voting law in Georgia that led Major League Baseball to the All-Star Game. not. of Atlanta and other corporations to criticize the legislation.
As part of his annual pre-tournament news conference at Augusta National on Wednesday, Ridley said: “The right to vote is fundamental to our democratic society. No one should be harmed by the exercise of the right, and it is critical. importance that all citizens have confidence in the electoral process: it is fundamental to who we are as a people.
“We realize that the views and opinions on this law differ, and that there are calls for boycotts and other punitive measures. Unfortunately, these actions pose the biggest issues on the most vulnerable in our society. And in this case, it includes our friends. neighbors here in Augusta, which is at the heart of the positive difference we are trying to make. ‘
The 98-page measure was signed on March 25 by the Government of Georgia, Brian Kemp. Opponents of the law say it will restrict access to the vote, among other things, especially for coloreds.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who announced last week that the All-Star Game would be relocated from Georgia due to voter law, is a member of Augusta National. Ridley was not asked about baseball’s attitude, and when asked about his personal view, he said it should not form the discussion.
“I believe and trust that every member of the club believes that voting is an essential fundamental right in our society and that – as I said – everything that harms someone to vote is wrong and should be addressed. , “Ridley said. ‘I’m not going to talk about the legal details, but I know it … I think there is a resolution and I think the resolution is going to be based on people working together and talking and having a constructive dialogue because that’s how we work Democratic society. And while I know you want us to make a statement on this, I just do not think it would be helpful to finally come to a resolution. “
According to Federal Election Commission reports, on December 1, Ridley made donations of $ 2,800 to Perdue for Senate, $ 2,800 to the Senate Georgia Battleground Fund and $ 5,600 to WinRed, a Republican fundraising platform. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were the Republican senators from Georgia who each lost during a Jan. 5 run that shifted the majority in the U.S. Senate to the Democratic Party. Georgia was also nail-bitten in November by President Joe Biden amid allegations by then-President Donald Trump that were not substantiated.
Ridley, who has served as chairman of the Masters since replacing Billy Payne in 2017, expresses the fact that the Masters would honor Lee Elder on Thursday morning as a tribute. Elder was the first black golfer to participate in the 1975 Masters. He started the tournament with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
Elder “bravely broke barriers when his name was announced on the first tea,” Ridley said. “And I can not wait to have the honor of introducing Lee and celebrating his inspiring legacy with our patrons and viewers worldwide.”
Augusta National has committed to awarding two scholarships in Elder’s name to the golf programs at Paine College in Augusta, a predominantly black school. As part of this, the club undertook to start a women’s golf program from scratch, at the cost required.
Cameron Champ is the only black player in the Masters field with 88 players this week. He did his own job mainly to support Black College golf and said he was disappointed by the new law on Georgia.
“As you can see, it’s really targeted at certain black communities and makes it harder to vote, which I think is everyone’s right to vote,” Champ said ahead of Ridley’s press conference. “For me to see it, it’s very shocking. It’s clear that MLB and what they did to move the All-Star Game was a big statement. I know there are a lot of other organizations and companies. which moved things.
“It’s a prestigious event, and I know there’s a lot going on and people involved. It was a little frustrating to see it. This week, I’ll definitely be supporting some things throughout the week.”