AUGUSTA, Ga. – Saying no one should be disadvantaged in their ability to vote, August National and Masters President Fred Ridley would not go so far as to condemn Georgia’s controversial voting law that led Major League Baseball to throw out the game of the stars of Atlanta and other corporations to criticize the legislation.
As part of his pre-tournament annual press conference Wednesday at Augusta National, Ridley said “the right to vote is fundamental in our democratic society. No one should be disadvantaged in exercising that right. and it is essential that all citizens have confidence in the electoral process: this is fundamental to what we are as a people.
“We realize that opinions and opinions on this law differ, and there have been calls for boycotts and other punitive measures. Unfortunately, these actions often impose the greatest burden on the most vulnerable in our society. And in this case, this includes the our friends and neighbors here in Augusta who are the center of the positive difference we are trying to make. “
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the 98-page measure on March 25 on March 25. Opponents of the law say it will, among other things, restrict access to voting, especially for people of color.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who last week announced that the All-Star Game would move from Georgia because of voter law, is a member of Augusta National. Ridley was not asked about the position of baseball, and when asked for his personal opinion, he said he should not shape the discussion.
“I believe and I am sure that all members of this club believe that voting is an essential fundamental right in our society and that, as I said, anything that disadvantages those who vote is wrong and should be addressed,” he said. dir Ridley. “I won’t talk about the specific details of the law, but I know … I think there is a resolution, and I think the resolution will be based on people working together and talking and having a constructive dialogue because that’s the way it is. “What our democratic society is doing. And while I know you would like us to proclaim this, I don’t think it will be useful in reaching a resolution.”
According to Federal Electoral Commission records, Ridley made donations on December 1 of $ 2,800 to “Perdue for Senate,” $ 2,800 to the “Senate Georgia Battleground Fund” and $ 5,600 to WinRed, a fundraising platform of the Republican Party. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were Republican senators from Georgia who each lost in a Jan. 5 tie that saw the majority of the U.S. Senate pass to the Democratic Party. Georgia was also narrowly won by President Joe Biden in November, amid unconfirmed allegations of fraud by then-President Donald Trump voters.
Ridley, who has been president of the Masters since replacing Billy Payne in 2017, claimed that the Masters would honor Lee Elder on Thursday morning as an honorary incumbent. Elder was the first black golfer to compete in the Masters in 1975. He will begin the tournament along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
Elder “bravely broke down the barriers when his name was announced on the first shirt,” Ridley said. “And I can’t wait to have the honor of introducing Lee and celebrating his inspired legacy with our patrons and spectators around the world.”
Augusta National has pledged to provide two scholarships on behalf of Elder to the golf programs at Paine College in Augusta, a predominantly black school. As part of this, the club is committed to starting a women’s golf program from scratch at any cost that is needed.
Cameron Champ is the only black player on the 88-player Masters field this week. He has done his own work to support mainly black college golf and said he was disappointed with Georgia’s new voting law.
“As you can tell, it’s really aimed at certain black communities and makes it harder to vote, which for me is everyone’s right to vote,” Champ said, speaking before Ridley’s press conference. “For me to see this, it’s very shocking. Viouslybviament with what they did MLB and what they did in the All-Star Game move was a big statement. I know there are a lot of other organizations and companies that they have moved things.
“It’s a prestigious event and I know there are a lot of things going on and people getting involved. It was a little frustrating to see it. This week, I’m definitely going to be supporting a few things throughout the week.” .