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Politics : Polite Political Discussion- is it Possible? An Experiment. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brumar89 who wrote (26)	7/27/2006 6:17:49 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 1695

No. My opinion stays the same. I think the boy scouts must not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation- that's a protected class, and I agree it should be. Strict scrutiny does not apply to discriminating on the basis of who has children, so you could have a policy of not allowing scout leaders who do not have a child in a troop. I personally favor that kind of rule. I believe they have kept out some scouts who wanted to be in troops because they were gay. I think I've read of at least two cases. I'll see if I can find them. And I know there was an argument from a scout who didn't want to affirm the God thing, which is also a problem with the scouts, imo. Establishing and furthering religion is all well and good, but it isn't something the state should (imo) be involved in. I'm not sure why you would think my opinion would have changed, since it was based on the principals involved and not the case you are talking about, but now you know.

To: Brumar89 who wrote (26)	7/27/2006 8:00:51 PM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1695

I'm wondering in light of your previously posted opinion that "I don't think ANYONE should be a leader in the girlscouts or boyscouts if they don't have a child in the troop" if this changes your opinion on the Boy Scouts? Not hugely political, but hey. It's always been taken for granted in the UK that a very sizeable minority, at least, of senior scouts and scout leaders are gay... maybe it's the all-male camping weekends, maybe it's the uniforms, maybe it's the celibacy and duty thing... not an issue. Ask any other UK (ex)-scout if you don't believe me. Baden-Powell's own instincts notwithstanding, I'd say it would probably be healthier if this were not the case. Not least because it puts off most potential recruits, as well as the more gullible,easily-perturbed, over-protective or fanatically homophobic parents (there's a heavy overlap of course). So I don't know about a child in their own troop, which apart from anything else would shaft fathers with only daughters, but I can see some attraction in the requirement for any leader to have a child in _a_ troop. Making parenthood and support of the ethos a requirement. Disclaimer... none of my boys go to scouts. They're all in the army cadets, which is similar overall, but with drill, discipline and guns. Much more fun. And cheaper for parents. Not sure I'd want to run a scout troop, either. Too many teenagers for my liking.