Posted on 12/28/2011 3:27:19 PM PST by markomalley
It is a rare instance in which the Girl Scouts find themselves the targets of partisan sniping– or even the most benign political criticism, to be fair. So today’s report on The Blaze accusing them of left-wing bias was a jarring one to find, at first. But in looking closer, the Girl Scouts have a lot of explaining to do: in a book on media misinformation intended for children aged 6-8, the tell children a good resource to help fight misinformation is the liberal criticism site Media Matters.
The Blaze broke the story of the book MEdia, directed at young Girl Scouts in their learning of information through the web. The book is intended for girls aged 6-8 and is advertised as a guide for young media consumers on how to be mindful of the possible corroding influence of media around them. It’s authors are Wendy Thomas Russell and Sarah Goodman, and the subsection of the Girl Scouts responsible for this is the Healthy MEdia Commission, whose mission statement notes it intends to help in “convening the first National Dialogue on healthy images of women and girls in the media, and gaining an industry-wide commitment to promote positive media images.”
In a “Sound Bite” segment on the bottom of a page ironically entitled “Consider the Source,” the book suggests to its readers to be mindful of the information they hear, and to double-check it with sources they can trust. The source the book indicates is trustworthy? Media Matters for America:
The Internet is a breeding ground for “urban legends,” which are false stories told as if true. Next time you receive a txt or e-mail about something that seems unbelievable, confirm it before you spread it.
The fact-checking site snopes.com investigates everything from urban legends to “news” articles and posts its findings. Media Matters for America (http://mediamatters.org/) gets the word out about media misinformation.
Here is the page (via The Blaze):
For liberal readers who don’t understand the outrage, is something akin to referring 1st through 4th graders to Hannity as an impartial news source taking down “urban legends” because Fox News is “Fair and Balanced.”
The book is still on sale, though The Blaze contacted the Girl Scouts about this error and received the response that they were aware of the controversy and planning to reprint the book this month. The book is, however, still on sale.
Media Matters itself doesn’t appear to have much of any role in this ordeal, nor should the outrage really fall upon their shoulders no matter how tempting some on the right may find taking shots at them.. They are fully entitled to be the operation they are: a media commentary site with a far-left bent so transparent and indisputable that it is widely considered a badge of honor in conservative circles to find oneself in their crosshairs. The beauty of America is that they can be what they are without trying to hide it– though they often do and, sadly, it appears to work with those as uninformed as the writers of this Girl Scout handbook. But for anyone, right or left, to indict Media Matters for practicing their natural right to freedom of expression, haranguing and grating as it may be sometimes, rather than blame this on the people writing this book, is unfair to both Media Matters and to the children potentially hurt by this embarrassment.
Media Matters aside, there is a serious question here as to whether children as young as six should be taught about media misinformation at all, as if they were independent consumers of media without having parents to guide their viewing. The Blaze gives the entire “MEdia” operation a bit of a pass, suggesting that such a thing could be a “valuable tool” for young readers to decipher media messages. And sure, young readers need guidance wherever they can find it (I’ll never forget getting Bernie Goldberg‘s Bias as a birthday present when I was 13!). But how young is too young, and is it really the Girl Scouts’ responsibility to teach children about media bias? One would assume that leadership skills and love of nature would be higher on the list that whether today’s President Obama segment on Fox & Friends was accurate or not. Not to mention that their historical complete lack of work in this area shows rather starkly if they think Media Matters is an impartial observer of politics.
Fecal Matters.
What a crock! Even though Vanity is a lightweight and a Stupid Party hack, he is *not* a liar.
Which Brock and Co. clearly are.
Some people wrongly assume the Girl Scouts are just a female version of the Boy Scouts - different origins, different world-views.
It's important to point this out, (like the cuddly "Komen for the Cure" is really about supporting Planned Parenthood - people are shocked when they find that out!)
FoxNews said today that GS-USA would be editing/correcting the next printing of the booklet.
Need presure on them to pull all booklets back/not distribute them.
Mein Kampf was unavailable.
Fortunately, the word is finally getting out now that they are as blatant as they are. (I first became suspicious over 20 years ago with the "great name-switch" scandal on the back of GS cookie boxes)
In fact, there is a far better organization for girls to get involved with: American Heritage Girls. My parish removed their sponsorship from the local GS troop a few years ago and sponsored an AHG troop instead. The AHG statement of faith is radically different than anything in GSUSA:
American Heritage Girls is a Christ-centered leadership and
character development ministry.
The following Statement of Faith applies to all American Heritage Girls'
Charter Organizations, Adult Members and Adult Leaders."We believe that there is One Triune God – Father, Jesus Christ His one and only Son, and the Holy Spirit – Creator of the universe and eternally existent. We believe the Holy Scriptures (Old/New Testament) to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe each person is created in His image for the purpose of communing with and worshipping God. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit who enables us to live a Godly life. We believe that each individual is called to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength; and to love their neighbors as themselves. We believe that each individual is called to live a life of purity, service, stewardship and integrity."
Clarity is further provided to the following terms:
Purity – An AHG member is called to live a life of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed, reserving sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage; marriage being a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.
Service – An AHG member is called to become a responsible member of their community and the world through selfless acts, which contribute to the welfare of others.
Stewardship – An AHG member is called to use their God given time, talents and money wisely.
Integrity – An AHG member is called to live a moral life, demonstrating the inward motivation to do what is right, regardless of the cost
Interestingly I took part in a survey just this past week from the BS asking my thoughts on their allowing girls to obtain eagle scout or an equivalent through one program or another - I told them in the open comments the eagle should remain boys only and the girls should have a (lady) liberty award or something else fittingly patriotic. I see BSA eating the GSs lunch on this on the near future if they go forward. The only thing the gs have going is the cookies and most I know aren’t sold on them as much anymore.
Was stuck working on a base in Okinawa for a few months - pretty homesick, until I ran into GS's selling cookies oustide the PX - really is a slice of America, but that's about the ONLY redeeming virtue of the GS's - over-priced cookies.
Actually, the origins are similar with foundings in England in the early 1900s. At the founding, the UK Girl Guides were led by Agnes Baden-Powell, the wife of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts. The intent was for the organizations to be parallel in most aspects while separating the sexes. As to world-views, I'd say you could probably track that to the carpet-munching GSA "professional leadership" with their fem-lib credos. This is also the likely source for the link to the Komen/PP group.
hear, hear!
They can. They do. Girls have been allowed to earn the Quartermaster Award in Sea Scouting for years. And girls in BSA Venturing can earn the Silver Award and all of the Venturing Awards for years - but not for as long as in Sea Scouting.
They mentioned venturing but it sounded as though they were looking for a next step.
The next step would be to make the basic programs (Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting) co-educational, which would cover girls ages six to eighteen. Venturing is co-educational and goes from ages fourteen to twenty-one.
Some background before I continue. Many people don't realize that Scouting is a worldwide movement and has been since the early twentieth century. After Robert Baden-Powell started the Scouting Movement in England, it spread rapidly around the world. I do most of my Scouting work in International Scouting; I have since 2002.
Until a few years ago, we'd point out that Scouting existed in some form - a formal Scouting organization, a program sponsored by another country's Scout organization, or an embryonic stage - in every country of the world except five.
Now, Scouting's endangered in several African and Middle-Eastern countries.
But I digress.
With the exception of the United States and countries that are primarily Muslim, Scouting is co-ed in virtually every country. Around 2005, even the U.K., which had Scouting and the Girl Guides, much as we have Girl Scouts, required that all new Scout Units be coed, and gave existing Scout units five years to become coed.
It would be difficult to make Boy Scouting coed in this country.
First, there are reasons for single-sex programs. Second, it's engrained in many people. I work with crusty old Scoutmasters, freshly-minted Assistant Scoutmasters, and conservative parents who think the ideas of girls in Boy Scouting is heresy (of course, I work with crusty old Scoutmasters and Crew Advisors, freshly minted Assistant Scoutmasters and Assistant Crew Advisors, and conservative parents in International Scouting and Venturing who think its a great idea).
Boy Scouting has been open to female leaders since . . . well, think to the prototypical Cub Scout Denmother of the 1950s. We have plenty of women Scoutmasters today. The Girl Scouts fight tooth and nail to keep men out of positions of leadership in the Girl Scouts. But I digress again.
It would be a major shift, given the mindset of those I know in Irving, Texas at the BSA; the parents of boys in Scouting; most of the leaders in know in Scouting - and the Girl Scouts would fight against it with the assistance of their pals in the media.
Could it work? Ask my Scouts about spending two weeks at a time camping with International Troops that are coed. Ask my Scouts about attending International jamborees with tens of thousands of coed troops. Yes, it can work.
I'd be honored to attend the Court of Honor for the first girl Eagle Scout.
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