The Boy Scouts

Back in the day, the Boy Scouts were founded based on traditional values, and it really is a great American cornerstone. The teaching and hands on training they offer are hard to find outside of the church. There has always been a religious element in the Boy Scouts, but it has evolved over the years, and is now affiliated with the church mostly via funding. Teaching boys relevant principles that will enrich their lives' are good; especially today. The outdoor skills are priceless. Because of our mass urbanization, boys need to have access to basic survival skills and first-aid.

The Scouts have a long history in America. It was incorporated in 1910. There is a wealth of information on the internet, outside of the news, that can fill in any gaps that I am intentionally going to leave. Some noteworthy statistics can be found here. The Boy Scouts have produced many great American men. It truly was and is a great organization. The greatest part is that their funding comes from donations. The government does not fund the Boy Scouts.

Why is the government involved in the Boy Scouts now? I have to strip this down into two basic categories. The first has to do with equality and fairness. In case anyone was wondering, it is still difficult to be gay, and be a boy in America. Sadly, most of the opportunities a boy has will be skipped over by the boy, because he might already feel isolated. What if these boys have a natural curiosity for the outdoors? What if they will be some of the finest cadets at Westpoint? What if they are growing up to be men? The thing that makes it worse for them beside the stigma of merely existing, is the knowledge that a great institution like the Boy Scouts have banned them. I can't imagine what that must feel like. Their closet might become their permanent home.There should be no closet.

The Boy Scouts of America have a stated mission of "...patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues... to prepare them to make ethical choices during their lifetime in achieving their full potential..."  I didn't see anything in there that a gay person could not learn. But then I found "The Scout Law". It gives us a better idea of how impossible it is to be gay, and adhere to these rules at the same time.

Trustworthy: With a formal ban on gays, if a gay person joins without disclosing it, he is breaking the code. (refer to "Scout Law" above)

Friendly: With gays banned, this part of the law is raw hypocrisy. It states: "A scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own." 

Reverent: This one is tricky. "A scout is reverent toward god. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others." (unless they're gay) I know gay people who go to mainstream christian churches, but from what I know of the "christian right" consensus, they are mortal enemies of the gay community. I dare say the two are politically opposing forces, but the christians might be in the infantile stage of enlightenment; yes, there are gay people that are people just like them. Morally speaking, the gay community has been banned by most religious groups, for their idea that it is impossible to be both moral and gay. I felt the same way growing up in church; my drug use and promiscuity nearly drove me to suicide because my impulses didn't match their message. The same goes for boys who are raised as atheists, or any other religion for that matter. There is always a conflict between being human, and being taught that you shouldn't have normal human impulses.

The other point to be stated is the trend of age-old, conservative intitutions in this country becoming out-dated. It is happening to the GOP, the NRA, the church, and I'm sure there are plenty I am not aware of. If the Boy Scouts are unwilling to change the verbage in their laws, they will surely go the way of the Klan; much like the rest of the non-profit organizations that I listed. They are basking in fascist irrelevance for the sake of ideas that are either false, or a part of the past; the parts that do not need to be re-hashed. For instance; if a preacher buys a car, that doesn't obligate the seller to become religious. Neither does a contribution from a church obligate a secular organization to become religious. This is another "politically correct fence" that either needs to be demolished, or these "moral" clubs can suffer the cycle of history and survival. They are quickly becoming un-fit. Natural selection plays out through all forms of life, and if there is no adaptation, they will be skipped over in the selection process. Let's hope that The Boy Scouts Of America can abide by their own laws and remain a vital resource for millions of boys who desperately need the training they offer.