I’ll confess: I’m not really a golf fan. I’ve never played the game, nor have I ever watched an entire tournament. I don’t dislike golf, I’m just too busy to get into it. That having been said, there’s something compelling about Bubba Watson, winner of this year’s Masters Tournament, that caused me to linger by the television a little longer than I should have this morning to watch his interview on CBS’s The Morning.
Co-anchor Erica Hill asked Watson why he seems to resonate with so many Americans. His response was fascinating, but–I feel–incomplete. Watson responded that he believes it’s because he comes from a working-class family, grew up playing on a public course and his mother worked two jobs to afford golf clubs and other golf-related fees for her son.
I don’t know anything about Watson’s politics, but noticeably absent in his response was any hint of the envy or entitlement usually exhibited by the Left when describing “rags-to-riches” stories like Watsons’: he didn’t seem envious of his peers who grew-up playing golf at the country club nor did he seem to share the sentiments of the Occupy Wall Street crowd that he was entitled to free clubs and golf lessons. What shined through during his interview was pride in his accomplishments–especially considering how he got started–and a tremendous love and respect for his mother and the sacrifices she was willing to make to help her son achieve his dreams.
Work. Love. Family. These are three elements the Left and their Occupy-allies seem unable to understand about America while demanding “fairness”. From the earliest colonists to the most recently arrived immigrants, America has always been about working hard to build a better life for one’s children and grandchildren. Achieving personal success is great and should be encouraged, but building a legacy for those who come after us is what has made this country great and what will keep this country great.
Bubba Watson’s improbable win at Augusta National is only the most recent example of that and, while President Obama crisscrosses the nation campaigning for the “Buffett Rule,” and attempting to divide our nation along socioeconomic lines, the entire Watson family should serve as a poignant reminder that with talent and hard work, almost anything is still possible in America.
