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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJust got a poll from Boy Scouts of America
Hey all, just got polled--as a scout leader--about how I feel about the BSA's anti-gay policies. Here's my response to the best free-form question on the whole thing. Hope it gives you a laugh!
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Q: What is your greatest concern if the policy remains in place and openly gay youth and adults are prohibited from joining Scouting? (Please be specific.)
A: I find the current BSA policy to be morally reprehensible. I am viscerally sickened by the notion that homosexuality and moral uprightness are incompatible--the notion currently promulgated by BSA. The BSA's open embrace of naked bigotry is at best embarrassing, and in the minds of good people, it raises doubts about the ability of scout leaders to provide moral leadership.
The idea that the Scout Oath prescribes heterosexuality is, to any person with a modicum of intelligence, a spurious rationalization to justify instilling in young people shameful beliefs that should have been discarded decades ago. As a scout leader, I believe it is my moral duty to actively fight, undermine, and sabotage the BSA's anti-gay policies whenever and wherever I can, not only to live according to my own moral code, but also in order to promote the long-term health of BSA.
If the policy stays in place, therefore, my main concern is that BSA membership will atrophy and that the organization will eventually fall into irrelevance. Already, the vast majority of young adults starting new families hold opinions similar to mine; if the BSA alienates them in order to appease obstinate but aging religious bigots, where will our new members come from?
aikoaiko
(34,170 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)Fearless
(18,421 posts)Tree-Hugger
(3,370 posts)Love it!
appleannie1
(5,067 posts)RedstDem
(1,239 posts)well that's one way to say it....
sounds great, needs to be said!
geardaddy
(24,931 posts)from a former Webelo and son of an Eagle Scout.
cate94
(2,810 posts)Thank you.
Lex
(34,108 posts)immoderate
(20,885 posts)I loved my days as a scout. I don't support them since they turned bigot.
--imm
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)There are alternatives -- use 'em until they change (and also get rid of the no-atheist crapola).
Prism
(5,815 posts)I hope someone at HQ flinches when reading it.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)Can't think of a single thing I'd add. K&R
lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)It remains to be seen if they will act on a consensus or if they are only trying to justify a preconceived position.
d_r
(6,907 posts)but our polls were different.
All the districts must have rolled them out today.
Ours had a vote, and then a place for comments.
I had already written a 6-page letter so I cut and pasted it into the comments. I would share it but I don't want to hijack your thread.
I just thought you might be interested that it seems that polls are going out in different areas.
I liked your comments. Thanks for making them. Let's try to encourage the others we know to do similar.
DR