Carol Mann is the owner of a long, distinguished career as both a golfer and proponent of the game – one that’s landed her in the sport’s Hall of Fame, and earned her a position as special ambassador to the Hall of Fame as well. But with such notoriety comes the scrutiny of being a public figure, and she recently created a rather unwelcome controversy for the sport she’s worked so hard to promote.
The controversy, as with most controversies lately, centers around the “Ground Zero Mosque,” otherwise known as Park 51/community center (or, if you’re feeling REALLY controversial, 9-11 mosque/victory mosque). Mann doesn’t think it should be built, and said so on her (public) Facebook page in no uncertain terms:
I am against the Muslim worship center at Ground Zero because it’s too much of a flagrant demonstration of our own “tolerance” out of control. I do not believe the Muslims are children of the God I know, the one who sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, to provide forgiveness and salvation for us without earning it by “works….” All we have to do is believe in Christ and we gain His Kingdom. The United States is a Christian country, founded on Christian principles and with an expectation of Christian behavior. Let the Muslims erect their worship centers in other countries that are not Christian. Go away – soon!
It actually starts off very even-keeled, not even referring to the proposed building as a “mosque,” but then the “at Ground Zero” erases any doubt this post is going to raise some serious eyebrows (since, you know, this). From there on Mann frames it as a straight-up Christianity vs. Islam battle, and then that last sentence. Oh, that last sentence.
We won’t get into the contentious, contentious debate about this issue too much, but we will say that Brooks over at SportsByBrooks seems rather ambivalent about the Park 51 project, but also refers to Mann as “blinded by bigotry.” Make of that what you will.
Stephanie Wei of Wei Under Par, meanwhile, called it “rather extraordinary” that an ambassador like Mann would make a worldview that is, shall we say, narrow in nature such public information.
Wei is correct – Mann’s ongoing association with an official, worldwide golf organization is the key here. As Wei also noted, Mann has every right to express her opinion in a public forum…but that only means she shouldn’t get arrested for it.
The World Golf Hall of Fame, however, can do what it pleases. They declined comment to Wei Under Par, but you can bet they’re not happy with all this attention Mann’s bringing in. Mann, again, can say whatever she wants, but she also has to deal with the consequences. Don’t be surprised if the end result in this case is the World Golf Hall of Fame telling her to go away – soon!
Screengrab of Mann’s Facebook pontificating, also via Wei Under Par:
Photo via
SportsGrid
