Do Boy Scouts and Liberals Mix?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how can a "child" possibly be an athiest or agnostic? he doesn't know enough to make his own decisions - that is just brainwashing by the parents.

scouting is a wonderful opportunity to grow, to learn the outdoors, to bond with other boys and really grow confidence and learn useful like skills. My fondest memories from childhood were my hiking, camping and canoeing trips away from the big city.

No, indoctinating a child into a faith just because your parents indoctrinated you is brainwashing.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure where I fall on the political spectrum anymore; but my kids do participate in boy scouting. I have to say I have not observed or heard anyone express bias against anything. Seriously, the activities are more about community, having fun, showing respect for yourself and others, taking care of the environment, personal safety, etc. There is an emphasis on patriotism. Even the sections of their books dealing with religion has information about many different religious traditions. I don't think it would make any difference to most of the families that participate where everyone else comes from religiously, politically, ethnically, or in terms of sexual orientation. The national organization does not seem to have a whole lot to do with the local troop.

[Anonymous]

exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.

I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

This is exactly the sort of nonsense that I wouldn't want my child exposed to in scouting.

You think that gay people are more likely to be child abusers than straight people? Really? REALLY?

Good lord. It's hard to believe that supposedly educated people still hold these kind of ridiculous myths as true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

This is exactly the sort of nonsense that I wouldn't want my child exposed to in scouting.

You think that gay people are more likely to be child abusers than straight people? Really? REALLY?

Good lord. It's hard to believe that supposedly educated people still hold these kind of ridiculous myths as true.

as others have pointed out, you have boy scouts who are 16, 17 and 18 years old. that is not child abuse. I never want an unmarried man, who doesn't have kids in the troop (or on the team, in coaching) running a male youth organization. If he was a married gay man with a son in the troop it would be a different story. Just like I wouldn't a single man leading a female youth organization, with overnight trips, etc., where the girls are 16, 17 and 18 years old.

[Anonymous]

"the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot."

" you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts."

"Seriously, the activities are more about community, having fun, showing respect for yourself and others, taking care of the environment, personal safety, etc. There is an emphasis on patriotism. "

All also true of the Klan, I'm sure. Just civic minded people with a respectful difference of opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But FYI, I'm not necessarily what you'd call "liberal" from a political standpoint. Liberals don't have the market cornered on tolerance.

It's OK. The Internets are full of "libertarians" that always vote Republican.

I don't understand. Are you saying you think Libertarians aren't a real political/philosophical group? All the Progressives I know vote Democratic most of the time. They're still quite different from average liberals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how can a "child" possibly be an athiest or agnostic? he doesn't know enough to make his own decisions - that is just brainwashing by the parents.

scouting is a wonderful opportunity to grow, to learn the outdoors, to bond with other boys and really grow confidence and learn useful like skills. My fondest memories from childhood were my hiking, camping and canoeing trips away from the big city.

Substitute the name of any religion where I have bolded and then we can have a real conversation. Religion or no religion--they believe what we tell them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot."

" you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts."

"Seriously, the activities are more about community, having fun, showing respect for yourself and others, taking care of the environment, personal safety, etc. There is an emphasis on patriotism. "

All also true of the Klan, I'm sure. Just civic minded people with a respectful difference of opinion.

ugh. comparing these nice boys, really making a difference with their community service projects and their volunteer work, to the klan, is just pathetic. oh well. please do not participate with the scouts. we don't want you and we are doing quite fine as is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.

I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

Did you say that to start a flame war or because you believe it? If it's because you believe it, I'd like to thank you for reminding me about the kind of beliefs that pervade this type of organization. I'll happily stay far, far away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:exactly, the Boy Scouts are a complete melting pot. And I know a few of the boy scouts in my troop growing up turned out gay, and nobody made fun of them and it was never an issue. In fact, you never even hear the word "gay" or any gay issues at Boy Scouts. They just don't want gay scoutmasters, and I can't blame them. Too much risk of abuse.I'd love to get my sons involved into scouting. It is a complete apolitical organization. Those who think otherwise need to go to a few meetings and see for themselves.

This is exactly the sort of nonsense that I wouldn't want my child exposed to in scouting.

You think that gay people are more likely to be child abusers than straight people? Really? REALLY?

Good lord. It's hard to believe that supposedly educated people still hold these kind of ridiculous myths as true.

as others have pointed out, you have boy scouts who are 16, 17 and 18 years old. that is not child abuse. I never want an unmarried man, who doesn't have kids in the troop (or on the team, in coaching) running a male youth organization. If he was a married gay man with a son in the troop it would be a different story. Just like I wouldn't a single man leading a female youth organization, with overnight trips, etc., where the girls are 16, 17 and 18 years old.

Ugh. You are just gross. This is why I will stay far away from the scouts, TYVM.

[Anonymous]

I am fairly liberal, am agnostic, my brother was gay, and I have a son in scouts. The troop overall is quite liberal. I really don't have a problem with it. So far it has been a very good experience for my son. The activities are focused on hiking, camping, service, first aid, etc, not politics or religion.

But for those that do have a problem with the parent organization that is certainly understandable and you are free not to participate.

[Anonymous]

ok, so you would be perfectly ok with having a young single heterosexual man running your teenage girl's traveling soccer team? I would not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ok, so you would be perfectly ok with having a young single heterosexual man running your teenage girl's traveling soccer team? I would not.

Not the person you are responding to but I would be fine with that, and in fact many if not most travel soccer coaches are men. It's not like these teams are traveling without most of the parents also in attendance anyway (at least that's the case for ours, which has already done 3 tournaments this year)

[Anonymous]

The scouts are not the Klan, but the national organization is just as bigoted against gays. In 20 years your kids will recoil at having participated, just as I recoil at having sometimes called the game of "ding dong ditching" "n___ knocking."

It doesn't make it okay if your kids or your scoutmaster isn't personally opposed to gay people. Participating in an organization that went to the Supreme Court to defend their right to exclude kids from their organization for bigoted reasons is wrong.