Posted on 12/03/2004 11:02:01 AM PST by RonF
Under pressure from gay and atheist parents, Portland school officials are considering a policy that would ban the Boy Scouts of America from recruiting students during school hours.
Under the proposal, non-school groups would be allowed to send literature home with children, but the flier or pamphlet would need to be accompanied with a disclaimer, warning parents that the groups' values may be offensive.
"From time to time, you may receive materials from a group that holds values that may offend some of our families," the draft disclaimer says.
At a public hearing Wednesday, gay and atheist parents called the policy a step in the right direction but said that it falls short of protecting their children from discrimination. They complained that the pamphlets still would be handed out by teachers, lending credibility to the group's message.
Boy Scouts officials applauded the district for agreeing to treat all groups equally.
"It's not our preferred way to recruit. But for the last year, the schools here have limited the Boy Scouts to putting papers on a table where no one picks them up," said Boy Scouts attorney Gene Grant. "Now, we will all be allowed to send literature home."
The Boy Scout oath requires members to "affirm a duty to God" and calls for scouts to keep themselves "morally straight" -- values which gay parents and atheists say are inherently discriminatory.
Boy Scout officials said that all children and parents are welcome to participate in their organization, so long as they do not advertise or proclaim their sexual orientation or differing religious views.
"If they do, they will be excluded," said Grant.
The draft policy comes as educators wait for an Oregon Court of Appeals' decision on a 7-year legal battle by Nancy Powell, a Portland atheist who charges that her son suffered discrimination after being recruited by the Boy Scouts in a Portland elementary school in 1996.
Andrea Meyer, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, quoted the testimony of a child psychologist, who argued that children take more seriously messages handed out by teachers and others in authority.
The article says, "Boy Scouts officials applauded the district for agreeing to treat all groups equally.", but note that it's not agreed yet, and that it's being fought. Any Portland school system FReepers out there?
I see the word, "discrimination" thrown around again like it's a bad thing. Discrimination is, of course, necessary. It CAN be a bad thing (racial discrimination springs to mind), but in this case it's legal and moral.
I would like to know if any other youth organizations are being allowed to do in-school school hour recruiting; and if so, who they are. Equal access and all that.
I am considering a boycott on annoying activist groups.
Whaddaya do when it's the school that is offensive?
I guess you need to take a page out of the lib protest book again and protest protest protest. Use signs and sayings. Point out what kind of religious bigots they are. Get in their face. Freepers have learned how to do it in politics. Parents need to learn how to do it in their communities. I'm tired of everyone being so "nice". Get in their faces and let them know you aren't going to put up with it anymore.
"Whaddaya do when it's the school that is offensive?"
Simple...homeschool.
Lovely Portland.
Not to be contrarian here, but, uh, this is a good thing. It exposes the left for what it is - atheists and gays who have no moral values. Let's bring this discussion to the people and the legislatures, not the liberal justices who illegally legislate from the bench.
When I was in elementary school, Cub Scouts wore their uniforms to class and held meetings in the school auditorium. It was not such a long time ago...
All real parents are heterosexual, at least at the moment they become parents.
Any group that stands for all things stands for nothing.
No one is forced to join are they?
The obvious Boy Scout discrimination is against girls. Why aren't they suing too?
"The obvious Boy Scout discrimination is against girls. Why aren't they suing too?"
Being a former Scoutmaster, the last thing I would want on a campout would be a bunch of hormone-driven, adolescent girls and boys together in the woods. Wouldn't get a wink of sleep the whole time. I got little enough sleep with just teenage boys on the campout.
That being said, the Explorers, ages 16 to 21, allow both girls and boys in their units.
They did, Gloria Allred led that charge, guess she forgot there is a Girl Scouts.
I am sooooo sick of reading these stories about one of the BEST youth groups to ever exist.
Indeed, how terribly offensive it is that the Boy Scouts would seek to protect your sons from perverted sexual predators. The nerve!
Do you mean to say that the US military is allowed to recruit in American schools but the Boy Scouts are looking at a ban?
Bloody hell!
Yep. When I was in the Boy Scouts (Life, didn't make Eagle) they held meetings at a local grade school cafeteria. I liked the outdoor camping stuff, survival skills, first-aid - cool, useful stuff for a young guy-kid. And had the opportunity to go to summer camp - some of the silverware was, like, ex-Army (you could see the insignia).
I actually expect the aclu to step-up their attacks on American Values - specifically God and Country, as the size of their box implodes. Let them dig their own hole, just like that Dan Rather person.
Banning Boy Scouts is religious persecution. Don't we have laws against that?
I'm not sure what you mean by this, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for the moment.
Biology. One mom, one dad. That's the way it is. Homosexuals might get their hands on a kid to raise, but the kid came into the world the heterosexual way. So his parents had to be heterosexual for at least the moment of his conception, even if lesbo mommy had to go to a sperm bank to do it.
I made Life, too. I was beginning to lose interest when I got that far.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.