Destroying Scouting the ACLU Way

CNSNews.com ^ | 8/05/03 | Hans Zeiger

[DPB101]

As hundreds of Boy Scouts were enjoying summer camp at Camp Balboa in San Diego last week, the ACLU was handed a U.S. District Court ruling condemning the Scouts for occupying the camp on leased public land. Soon, the Scouts could be kicked out of their historic 16-acre camp and council headquarters building.

With "overwhelming and uncontradicted evidence," Judge Napoleon Jones found that the Boy Scouts are a religious organization and they were given preferential treatment when the City of San Diego first agreed to let the Boy Scouts utilize public land in Balboa Park nearly nine decades ago.

In 2000, a lesbian couple and an agnostic couple joined with the ACLU to file the lawsuit against the City of San Diego. They claimed to feel excluded by the Boy Scouts' religious policies in particular.

''Belief in God is and always has been central to BSA's principles and purposes,'' Judge Jones wrote. ''Adult leaders are expected to reinforce in Scouts the values of duty to God and reverence.''

If there is "overwhelming and uncontradicted evidence" for the presence of God in the life of a Boy Scout, there is evidence of a similar nature for God's role in the public square on Main Street USA.

Religious mottoes, preambles and texts were not an afterthought to the people who wrote them. "In God We Trust." "Endowed by their Creator." "One Nation Under God." The ACLU is working to get rid of those things too.

While less storied than these and other mottoes, the Boy Scouts have been a part of Balboa Park for decades - way before the ACLU had even been hatched.

After the 1915 San Diego World's Fair in Balboa Park, the Santa Fe Railroad donated its Pueblo Indian Village to local Boy Scouts with approval by the city council. For 25 years, the Scouts used the Indian Village as a headquarters and recreation site free of charge.

During World War II, the military took possession of Balboa Park and the Boy Scouts launched their volunteer campaigns to help the war effort from a makeshift headquarters in a local theater.

At the end of the war, the San Diego City Council passed a resolution authorizing the Boy Scouts to take charge of several acres of land in Balboa Park. Through fundraising and volunteer work, a state-of-the-art swimming pool and 600-seat outdoor amphitheater were constructed. In 1949, the Boy Scouts Desert Pacific Council headquarters building was completed.

In 1957, parts of Balboa Park remained undeveloped, so the city council agreed to transfer additional property to the Boy Scouts for maintenance and operations. A 50-year lease was signed with a rental fee of one dollar per year. With nearly 16 acres of leased land, the Boy Scouts soon launched Camp Balboa.

Today, Camp Balboa accommodates up to 300 campers at a time, and it offers a variety of year-round programs. Each year, 12,000 Boy Scouts take part in day camps, weekend camps, and merit badge classes.

According to David Hodges, field director for the Desert Pacific Boy Scout Council, "The park is used by everybody. We run this portion of the park. We reserve it for outside groups and anybody's welcome to use it. We do all the upkeep of the property here, and we lease it from the city. All the maintenance, all the expenses, the landscaping, everything we take care of."

Groups other than the Boy Scouts utilize Camp Balboa and Balboa Park. Last week for example, the two-day San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Festival was held at Balboa Park. The Boy Scouts have spent millions of dollars developing and maintaining Balboa Park over the years, without burden to the city and its taxpayers.

Even if San Diego had given preferential treatment to the Boy Scouts, what harm does that do to society? Once upon a time, working with the Boy Scouts in city hall was a common courtesy. Today, such treatment is viewed by the ACLU and judges like Napoleon Jones as though the city had given special privileges to the KKK or the Taliban.

The Boy Scouts have contributed to our communities and improved our way of life. It is ironic that the ACLU is questioning the Scouts for practicing character and moral virtue on public lands, while the ACLU is occupying public courthouses around America, pulling down every vestige of decency in sight.

One might say there is "overwhelming and uncontradicted evidence" that the ACLU is destroying America, one Boy Scout camp at a time.

Hans Zeiger, 18, is a Seattle Times columnist, conservative activist, and Eagle Scout. He is the president of the Scout Honor Coalition. He can be contacted at hanszeiger@yahoo.com

[diamond6]

As my father always says, "The devil is alive and well in the United States".

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP

[bmwcyle]

Often the force used by evil flames right back in their face. Let us pray the ACLU's face melts.

[autoresponder]

[stand watie]

the aclu is the biggest bunch of turkeys in the nation, except for the naaLcp (the USAs largest RACIST org).

free dixie,sw

[Falcon4.0]

"the two-day San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Festival "

Formally know as an "ORGY"!

[sfvgt]

.......you don't put queers in charge of kids in the middle of a campsite in the woods somewhere.......WTF is so hard to understand about that?

[MACVSOG68]

Thanks for posting. I spent a lot of years associated with the Scouts in various capacities. Over the years, we had many "sponsors" including churches, schools, organizations. We camped at Air Force academy campsites and other state owned sites in the mountains. Every "sponsor" that permitted us to meet or camp always gained more than they spent!

Support for the scouts is greatly overstated. Scouts earn most of the money brought in with no help from "sponsors". When a school would allow us to meet there, we would repay them by rebuilding playgrounds. When the Air Force academy let us camp there, we worked on their 13 mile hiking trail with improvements throughout. When organizations allowed us to meet in their facilities, we would help them with fundraisers. Scouts have rehabilitated hundreds of mountain trails to "repay" the state for hiking and camping priveliges. The results of thousands of Eagle Scout projects can be seen all over Colorado--not one of which cost the taxpayer--or the ACLU one dime!

I wonder what legacy the gay, lesbisan and transgendered groups will leave when they occupy Balboa Park?

[MEGoody]

As the Boy Scouts move out of Balboa Park, they should rip up everything they've planted and tear down everything they've built. The city of San Diego should reimburse the Boy Scouts for anything that can't be 'reclaimed'. Then the homos can go in there and replace it all. (The only things they would build would be massive restrooms with knee pads included.)

[dyed_in_the_wool]

I thought the Boy Scouts had a right to maintain their own beliefs, even if religious, and to congregate freely.

[Redleg Duke]

No, that isn't what the BSA is all about. The ACLU is in the business of destroying, not the Boy Scouts of America.

[sr4402]

As a Life scout years ago, I can only say... take 'em on. So what if they deny us the park? We will flourish somewhere else. Time to get out the word. Want your kids to be liberal ACLUers? If not take your boys to boy scouts.

[Ruth A.]

Great article by an Eagle Scout. The judge seems disinclined to take into account this body of evidence or the fact that private organizations are allowed to have requirements of their choice. I am hoping this decision is speedily overturned.

President Bush needs to start getting judges into the system!

[whereasandsoforth]

Even if San Diego had given preferential treatment to the Boy Scouts, what harm does that do to society?

Question mark, indeed! It does loads of harm if your goal is to destory all that is good and decent in out society. It amazes me that these courts are allowed to continue to hand down rulings that have nothing to do with law or any relation to their power. The ammendment say "Congress shall make no law...". It doesn't say "San Diego shall make no law..." They are free as a bird to do anything they darn well please in relation to religion, Christian or otherwise. Why isn't this pointed out an why doesn't this nullify anything these stupid judges have to say???

[MACVSOG68]

The lesbos'/homos' "legacy"? Used condoms and cucumbers littering the ground...

Which the scouts will no doubt clean up on their next campout...unless the ACLU wants to clean up the site.

[neefer]

Time to get out the word.
Here's an event that needs to be FReeped.
October 12, 2003 (Sunday) - Scouting For All Rally  I find it odd that you must go to the source code of this page to copy and paste any verbiage.

[dvan]

"a lesbian couple", protesting the BSA? Come on we all know that BSA stands for "Boy" Scouts of America. When is enough enough? We have a minority dictating to the rest of us on how we are to live our lives, what we are to believe! Somewhere, sometime there has to be enough. Enough said!

[Fee]

The legacy will be STD and higher public medical costs to take care of the ones who came down with HIV. If this keeps on going, a drug resistant HIV will evolve and someone is going to pay for the death and misery!!!

[dvan]

I see that the A***** have diasabled all of the links on their website. They must be getting some heat! Really a popular uprising when you consider that 150 attend their Rallies?

[onehipdad]

In 2000, a lesbian couple and an agnostic couple joined with the ACLU to file the lawsuit against the City of San Diego. They claimed to feel excluded by the Boy Scouts' religious policies in particular.

And their point is...?

[TheDon]

As a youth, I camped at the BSA camp in Balboa Park. It was great!

It is unfortunate that a couple religious bigots and a corrupt judge can hold such a case, let alone attempt to kick the Scouts out. I doubt they will succeed. Even so, the Scouts will thrive elsewhere. The bigots won't succeed in their true objective, to force the Scouts to accept their beliefs, and their lifestyles.

[neefer]

Yeah, I couldn't stomach reading more than one or two pages from that site. I should have added a disclaimer next to the link: “Clicking here may result in disbelief, agitation, and in some cases, complete outrage.”

[onyx]

Nap Jones is a sterling example of "Peter's Principle" and proof that PP still applies!

I think Nap's activism is bouyed by the election of San Diego's first lesbian DA and the fact that another lesbian sits on the City Council.

His disgusting and truly partisan ruling will likely be over-turned, but in the interim, I won't be surprised if the City Council rescinds their lease.

I never thought I'd see the day when the Boy Scouts were so widely maimed in the press, but that day arrived a few years back.

My God, you'd think they were youths for Hitler.

[TexasRepublic]

The ACLU are communists, pure and simple. They want to destroy our culture, our country and our lives. Think of Pol Pot to understand the ramifications of unbridled communism.

[EdReform]

BSA Ping

[FreedomSurge]

Not enough activist lawyers on the right. This is why we are getting our butts kicked day in and day out. And contrary to idiot optimists like Rush has to say, the crushing of the right will continue unabated.

If Rush or hannity or someone wanted to save America they would encourage every conservative who could to attend law school.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> a lesbian couple and an agnostic couple joined with the ACLU << ....under the direct command of Satan.

This is the kind of crap that pisses me off. I could give a rat's ass what your religion or sexual preference is. I DON'T CARE. But when you think those preferences give you special rights your going too far and your dead WRONG.

The Boy Scouts have cared for and improved this land for many a year. That's more than these 'special' people have done or will ever do.

"You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are part of the same compost heap as the rest of us"....line from the movie The Fight Club. That applies to everyone, me, you, and Freaky Freddy other there.

Damn I wish these people would just get over themselves!

[Marysecretary]

This is disgusting. He's right, America is being destroyed by the ACLU. May they rot in hell.

[Marysecretary]

I'm sure the ACLU and the lesbians there think they ARE the Hitler Youth! They are a most disgusting bunch of individuals.

[onyx]

You are correct, and I'll go you one further: IMHO, the ACLU and it's membership are out to destroy the America of our Founders!

[paladinkc]

You know I am beginning to think that maybe martial law ought to be declared and these people be held subject to the ucmj, gathered up along with all of their fellow friendly inmates that they want to give a cushy lifestyle to and ship them all to siberia on a leaky freighter sent through iceberg territory

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[Old Sarge]

You, and not a few of us in the green suit would like that.

But then, we'd be trading green suits for brown, and saluting each other with, "Long Live Hillary!"

That won't wash, either...

[DPB101]

hen a school would allow us to meet there, we would repay them by rebuilding playgrounds. When the Air Force academy let us camp there, we worked on their 13 mile hiking trail with improvements throughout. When organizations allowed us to meet in their facilities, we would help them with fundraisers. Scouts have rehabilitated hundreds of mountain trails to "repay" the state for hiking and camping priveliges..

Another reason the ACLU Bolsheviks want to destroy the Boy Scouts of America. No civic group should gain the appreciation of the people. No civic group should compete with the state.

[Marysecretary]

Yes, they think they can take God out of everything and make us a secular nation. They may succeed but eventually God wins! We need more than ever to be praying for our nation and for us to get good judges in our judicial system.

[spirit_free]

Ok, I think I have just about had enough of the ACLU. I need some help here in finding a way to make a difference. Forgive my anger but I need to know when we all take a stand to make some changes, or at least stop the ACLU and groups like them who literally hate the United States. Yes, God is in control ... but we are sitting back watching this country being taken apart ... limb by limb. Isn't there something to the saying 'God helps he who helps himself'?

Anyone ... can you tell me which direction I might go to volunteer to stop this madness? How can we all just stand by and let this happen???? Is there anyone with me????

[Ohioan]

Belief in God has also always been a central tenet of American institutions--such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (Article VII).

But one makes a mistake when one even bothers to dignify the ACLU position as debatable. The organization was set up to undermine American values. It continues to do what it was set up to do. To begin to understand what it is about, see Leftwing Word Games & Religious Freedom.

Thankfully, there are still some jurists willing to stand up to the bullying legalistic inanities of the ACLU, and defend the traditional religious rights of the American people--such as the Supreme Court Justice in Alabama, who deserves support and encouragement--as do the Boy Scouts of America.

Those who correctly identify what is going on as an attack on religion--an absolute antithesis to religious freedom--are on the right track.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[spirit_free]

Sir... What are we to do? Allow the ACLU to continue without any resistence whatsoever???? When we take offense to a position thrown out by the ACLU this doesn't mean we are dignifing their position. At some point we need to take a stand. Is that wrong????

[Marysecretary]

God helps those who help themselves is not scriptural. He helps us when we finally surrender ourselves to His care. That being said, I agree with you. The ACLU has really gone over the edge. I don't have any ideas about what can be done but perhaps some of our FReeper friends do. I pray about them every time I see something come up on O'Reilly or some other FOX news show. They and the People for the American Way and Barry Lynn's crazy group all are ruining our nation.

[Ohioan]

Sir... What are we to do? Allow the ACLU to continue without any resistence whatsoever???? When we take offense to a position thrown out by the ACLU this doesn't mean we are dignifing their position. At some point we need to take a stand.

You have mistaken my meaning. I am certainly not suggesting that we lie down and accept these outrages. My point is that they are not presenting a rational point in a debate. They are a Fabian Socialist organization, that promotes the disintegration of American institutions, while pretending to defend them.

They need to be exposed for what they are. They are not the legitimate representatives of what is simply a difference in opinion. That is the point.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[DPB101]

But one makes a mistake when one even bothers to dignify the ACLU position as debatable

Exactly. There is no debate.

[squidly]

The ACLU is really going to get bent out of shape if they hear about the Mennonites holding their Sunday services in the city hall in my town.