ACLU Crushes Boy Scouts. . . Again

When it came to putting more money and attention towards helping youth in its programs or funding a war against the ACLU jihad, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) decided to forgo the battle and concentrate on the kids. The organization will begin transitioning from public school and governmental sponsorship to private sponsorship. While I am angered that the BSA gave the ACLU an off-handed victory, I understand their motivation. The BSA always puts their troops first. Unfortunately, that leaves us with a ACLU empowered by this victory.

The flap centers on the Scout Code, and its mention of God. I’ve been on both sides of the BSA organization. As a youth, I joined two Explorer Posts and can honestly say those experiences were the highlights of my teenage life. (The Explorers are co-ed groups for kid from 14-21.) After college, my first job was with the BSA as an Exploring Executive. Now, I can tell you that no one ever walked around with a Bible, spouted scripture or questioned anyone’s religious affiliations. Scouting welcomed all religions — and what you believed was between you and the god in which you believed. Their employee screening process is stringent and their training is extensive. Ultimately, it all centered around two issues: the children and the fund raising. Of the two, the children always came first.

Scout Code
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

In this new world where children kill children and parents must drug their offspring out of depression, you would think we would welcome an organization willing to take on the task to improve our youth. But, no! The ACLU will fight the BSA anytime, anywhere. It single-mindedly seeks to destroy one of the few youth organizations in the US which promotes a positive value system.

Scout Law
A Scout is:
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent

Yes, I can see how these values could be so dangerous to our country that they warrant a jihad-like attack by the ACLU. God forbid that our youth actually emulate these values! (Oops, used the word the ACLU hates.) If I had my way, scouting would be required for all those entering public service. It builds character, leadership, maturity and underscores the value of cooperation and teamwork. How can this possibly brand the BSA as a subversive organization?

Previously, the ACLU also managed to remove scout troops from military bases. Instead of supporting our youth whose parents serve our country abroad, we are leaving them without an organization to foster their development and provide a link to their country. We are leaving their parents without a means to normalize their children’s lives.

Vision Statement
The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.

In the future Scouting will continue to:

Offer young people responsible fun and adventure;
Instill in young people lifetime values and develop in them ethical character as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law;
Train young people in citizenship, service, and leadership;
Serve America’s communities and families with its quality, values-based program.

Litigating against the ACLU has become a daunting task for any school, organization or local government. They simply do not have the funds to buck this formidable adversary. We, the taxpayers, are the biggest funders of the ACLU. Yet, the organization is oblivious to our opinions. Instead, they cater to the far-left liberals who funnel money into the organization to promote their secular agenda. Their “generosity” knows no bounds. If they can’t advance their agenda through front-door politics, they will change the country through back-door litigation. They must be stopped.

The American Legion agrees. They have begun efforts to curtail the ACLU’s attack upon the BSA. According to NewsMax, the veterans “will go all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary, to stop the American Civil Liberties Union from using the courts to ‘destroy American values at taxpayer expense.’ ” Republicans in both the House and the Senate are working on the “Support Our Scouts Act of 2005.” NewsMax reports the bill would restore government support for scouting activities at military facilities.

Help amend Title 42 of the Civil Rights Act, which enables the ACLU to collect millions of dollars in attorneys’ fees at taxpayer expense — and back the “Support Our Scouts Act of 2005.” Contact your congressional representatives online. You can also sign a petition against taxpayers’ continued support of the ACLU here.

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7 Responses to “ACLU Crushes Boy Scouts. . . Again”

  1. Snake Eater says:

    I can’t think of a youth program in history that can hold a candle to Boy Scouts. The Boy Scout program is one of constant reinforcement of positive values–trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind…

    The ACLU is so blinded by their rabid hatred of anything that mentions God that they are utterly ignorant of the fact that the Boy Scout program also mentions Allah (their favorite deity), Buddha, Abraham, and a host of others. And quite frankly, I’ve never heard of an atheist being rejected, either. In fact, I’ve never heard of religion of any sort being a requirement to enter Boy Scouts. All they ask is a committment to your fellow man.

    Besides, Bill Clinton was an Eagle Scout (ok, even the Boy Scouts can make a mistake), so what’s the problem here?

  2. Surfside says:

    We are in agreement about the Boy Scouts and the ACLU. As for Clinton, even the Boy Scouts cannot get a leopard to change its spots. Miracles are best left to Him. LOL!

  3. Public schools can’t sponsor Boy Scout Troops and Packs, because the Boy Scouts require that those same public schools practice religious discrimination by excluding atheists.

    And, by the way, you apparently didn’t hear about the changes to the BSA’s Exploring program back in 1998 – Exploring now allows gays and atheists to join.

  4. Surfside says:

    Well, Brian, the Boy Scouts have been around since 1910 and operated in public schools facilities for much of the that time without a problem or protest. The BSA doesn’t require the school to do squat — except to provide a meeting room. Therefore, it is not the school that is “discriminating.”

    Please enlighten me as to where in my post I said anything about gays and atheists not being allowed in the Explorer program. As you should know, the Explorers are a unique off-shoot of Scouting, and are not required to recite the Scouting Oath. And, I don’t remember any troup disallowing gay scouts — just openly gay leaders.

    Also, I have never said anywhere on this blog that the Scouts should or should not allow any particular group into their organization. As a private organization, it has always been my contention that they have the right to determine their own membership.

  5. Surfside writes:
    Well, Brian, the Boy Scouts have been around since 1910 and operated in public schools facilities for much of the that time without a problem or protest. The BSA doesn’t require the school to do squat — except to provide a meeting room. Therefore, it is not the school that is “discriminating.”

    Sorry, you’re wrong.

    The BSA’s official website says that a chartering organization “owns and operates” its Pack or Troop:

    http://www.scouting.org/factsheets/02-507.html

    To support approximately 124,000 Scouting units owned and operated by chartered organizations…

    It isn’t owned by the BSA, it’s owned by the school. And a public school can’t exclude atheists from a youth group it owns and operates. Also, the school, as the chartering organization, selects the leaders for the Pack, and they can’t exclude atheists in doing so.

    Please enlighten me as to where in my post I said anything about gays and atheists not being allowed in the Explorer program.

    Please enlighten ME as to where I said you said that. I said you didn’t appear to be familiar with the changes made in 1998.

    Before 1998, Explorer Posts existed, but they too exclude gays and atheists, even though many were chartered by e.g. police and fire departments. The BSA moved them into Learning for Life when the ACLU won a lawsuit against the city of Chicago, requiring the city to drop sponsorship of all discriminatory BSA units.

    As you should know, the Explorers are a unique off-shoot of Scouting, and are not required to recite the Scouting Oath.

    They used to be required to recite the Explorer Code:

    “As an Explorer —

    I believe that America’s strength lies in her trust in God and in the courage and strength of her people.

    I will, therefore, be faithful in my religious duties and will maintain a personal sense of honor in my own life.

    This was dropped when Exploring was split into Exploring and Venturing. Venturing still discriminates against gays and atheists.

    And, I don’t remember any troup disallowing gay scouts — just openly gay leaders.

    The BSA has stated in court that youth members can’t be gay, either.

    Also, I have never said anywhere on this blog that the Scouts should or should not allow any particular group into their organization. As a private organization, it has always been my contention that they have the right to determine their own membership.

    So why are you upset that public schools are no longer running private clubs for a private organization? Public schools have no business doing that, especially for a private organization that discriminates on the basis of religion.

    If you think public schools should be able to sponsor Packs that exclude atheists, do you think public schools ought to be able to sponsor a swimming club that excludes Jews? Lots of private organizations in the 1950s excluded Jews, so would it be OK with you if public schools supported these private clubs by sponsoring them?

    In your original post, you wrote this:

    If I had my way, scouting would be required for all those entering public service. It builds character, leadership, maturity and underscores the value of cooperation and teamwork.

    If you had your way, how could atheists and gays enter public service?

  6. Surfside says:

    Let’s start with you last statement. Please refer back to my previous comment. I have never advocated any “group” be excluded from Scouting. Quite frankly, I think your argument regarding gay membership is off point. As far as I’m concerned, sexual orientation has no place in scouting. Parents or schools can address children’s needs in that area. Heterosexual Scouts do not run around announcing their sexual orientation. Why should gay Scouts? The reality behind the policy is that Scouting does not want to address the issue of sexuality — and should not be forced to do so.

    The only time when atheists aren’t “allowed” in Scouting is when they make an issue of their beliefs. If one doesn’t believe in a God, the Oath simply is words without meaning. If you’ve been a Scout, you know that the only place that God appears is in the Oath/Code. There are no religious principals to follow or requirements to be met in the meetings or activities. Preaching and/or proselytizing is not part of the agenda. The Boy Scouts “Code” used to be described as an Oath. The Explorer version was always simply a Code. There is a difference.

    You are arguing semantics. You know that the most a chartering organization usually does is to allow flyers to be handed out and to have the janitor make sure the room is open. That is the reality of the situation. The adult volunteers usually belong to the organization or have children in the school. But, the school processes no paperwork and maintains no record-keeping; they plan no events and have no official representatives (other than parental volunteers) in attendance. It largely has to do with insurance. You see, this is the problem. In the zeal to champion an agenda, the interested parties do not care about the reality of the Scouting position. You are using specific words to try to invent something that was never intended.

    However, my biggest point is that much of this discussion has nothing whatsoever to do with my post. The post was about the ACLU’s attempt to force the Boys Scouts into “stopping” the Boy Scouts from keeping sex and atheism out of Scouting. They don’t care if they destroy a positive force for youth modelling in the process. Obviously, you don’t agree. And, that’s fine. While I may give you some merit on your argument regarding atheists, your argument on gay Scouts is flawed as sex has no place in Scouting at all.

  7. Surfside writes:
    The only time when atheists aren’t “allowed” in Scouting is when they make an issue of their beliefs.

    That’s certainly enough to prevent public schools from chartering BSA Packs. Atheists have first amendment rights too, and government agencies like public schools can’t exclude them for being atheists, even atheists who are impolite enough to state publically that they’re atheists.

    You are arguing semantics. You know that the most a chartering organization usually does is to allow flyers to be handed out and to have the janitor make sure the room is open.

    I’m arguing the law. You might want to read the actual letter the ACLU sent to the BSA, and the BSA’s reply, linked from the ACLU press release.

    The post was about the ACLU’s attempt to force the Boys Scouts into “stopping” the Boy Scouts from keeping sex and atheism out of Scouting.

    Public schools have no business helping the BSA keep “atheism” out of scouting, just as they have no business keeping Judaism out of swimming clubs, as some Restricted clubs did in the 1950s.

    By the way, I WOULD like to hear your reply to this…

    In your original post, you wrote this:

    If I had my way, scouting would be required for all those entering public service. It builds character, leadership, maturity and underscores the value of cooperation and teamwork.

    If you had your way, how could atheists and gays enter public service?