FROM THE CHIEF: OUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT

[LisaM]

11. Actually, I think that disinviting any President is a slippery slope.

I think the BSA statement is a little inadequate as mentioned above (and also 'threads the needle' as stated below). But to disinvite a President (as I understand it, this is a long-term open invitation, not an individual one) could trigger a lot of unintended consequences. Would they have disinvited Hillary if she'd won because she's a woman? Would they disinvite a future President who isn't Christian? A gay president?

No, I think they were right to leave the invitation available. Trump himself dishonored the invitation, the organization, and its mission (I know there have been some issues with the Boy Scouts and ideology before, but I'm not addressing that here). It was fitting to invite him. It was reprehensible for him to behave as he did and poison the event for the organization and (I hope) many of the Scouts who attended.

But I don't want to see the Presidency itself diminished because someone who's incapable of the job currently holds it. That's a real fear I have - that the executive branch of government will be immeasurably weakened.