Obama: Scouts should be open to gays and lesbians
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the Boy Scouts of America should open its membership to gays and lesbians when its national executive board discusses the issue this week.
Obama praised the scouts as "a great institution" that promotes young people, giving them lifelong leadership training and opportunities. During a pre-Super Bowl interview on CBS, he said "no one should be barred from that."
The Boy Scouts announced last week it was considering replacing its longstanding ban on gays with a policy to let troop sponsors make their own decision on the issue.
The White House said last summer during the presidential campaign that Obama he opposed the Scouts' policy of excluding gays as members.
Gay rights activists praised last week's announcement, while some conservative church groups expressed alarm.
Obama praised the scouts as "a great institution" that promotes young people, giving them lifelong leadership training and opportunities. During a pre-Super Bowl interview on CBS, he said "no one should be barred from that."
The Boy Scouts announced last week it was considering replacing its longstanding ban on gays with a policy to let troop sponsors make their own decision on the issue.
The White House said last summer during the presidential campaign that Obama he opposed the Scouts' policy of excluding gays as members.
Gay rights activists praised last week's announcement, while some conservative church groups expressed alarm.
HONDO apparently doesn't know that some ethnic groups have had lice or other problems. I remember that the Vietnamese boat people brought lice over here as do other ethnic groups. Then, the children are not allowed to come to school and spread those problems that they never seem to resolve.
The children fall behind in school and then whites are blamed.
WHY? No one should have to be exposed to lice at school.
Gay people do make passes at straights and that is one reason they are disliked. There needs to be a program to enroll them in to make sure they understand that straight people are NATURALLY repulsed.
No amount of brain-washing is going to make straights feel comfortable around gays.Â
The Democrats try to legislate EVERYthing.Â
It's what they do.
Increase the amount of public employees and give them something to enforce.Â
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The President is the honorary president of the BSA, and I'd imagine that, as such, he's just as (if not more) entitled give his opinion on this issue as the next person.
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The organization and its charters are also given plenty of direct and indirect taxpayer support that subsidizes their operations, while they claim immunity from anti-discrimination laws as a private organization. If the scouts would like to forgo these benefits and ACTUALLY operate as a completely private, independently-supported organization that benefits in no way from special use of public property or funds, this issue would bother me a whole lot less. Government support of the the BSA includes the following:
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The BSA operates under a special Congressional Charter which, unfortunately, gives them a number of special privileges while excluding them from any sort of governmental control. While they can be as discriminatory as they want in their policies, they can disregard antitrust and monopoly laws, for example. The military grants promotions to individuals who have achieved the Eagle Scout rank. Local councils receive, in total, millions of dollars in government grants each year. BSA also gets very, very reduced or free use of many buildings, parks, and other facilities, granted to them by government bodies large and small. The Department of Defense is involved (to the tune of millions) in the annual Jamboree held by the BSA , and also provides all sorts of other perks to the organization. Scouts are (somehow) allowed to operate as youth organizations in schools while, despite rules regarding non-discrimination on the part of such clubs.I say this as somebody married to an Eagle Scout, and as a woman whose father was involved as a scout leader for years. I have great respect for many of the principles taught in scouting. However, as a taxpayer, atheist, and firm believer in the right of everybody (regardless of sexual orientation) to be treated equally, I cannot bring myself to respect the BSA. My message to them: either cut your governmental ties completely, or start respecting the dignity and beliefs of potential members.
Just take the A out of BSA and there you have it!
@Pointblank----Boy Scouts! That wasn't so hard. Just take the A off the end of NAMBLA and there you have it. Another boy scouting organization.
 @The Resistance I've never heard of that org. before, so I looked it up." NAMBLA has been defended by poet and rights advocate Allen Ginsberg[6][7] and gay rights activist Harry Hay.[8]"
Is that one of thoes nasty little secrets that the gay community want swept under the rug???
@myopinion240 ---- the Great Divider Obama seems to have an opinion on everything else, so Barbara Walters, why don't you ask him?
I think we should bring all of the scouting programs into one big organization. Â Eliminate the GSA and BSA and allow whomever wants to learn the skills and follow the program in. Â If we're advocating the elimination of gender, then let's stop dancing around and eliminate it ALL.
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It's a private organization, how about you just focus on creating a few jobs and STFU, Mr. President.
 @T T He can state his opinion, just as you can.Â
Unfortunately, you can not let TT state his opinion without a jab.
Could they make a "special" Scouts just for gay people? They could all go camping and have a gay old time!
 @Pointblank Ah yes, separate but equal, right? Sounds just like white southerners opposing integration.
 @Hondo It was just a suggestion. Just wondering something, though. Gays have gay rights parades, right? Everyone is supposed to accept them and if you speak out against them you are a horrible person? What if there was a straight person parade? What would the reaction be to that? Why would it be any different? It seams as though some groups require "special" rights.
 @Pointblank Well, once again, using the analogy from the arguments against integration, why is it that when another group gets equal rights, the majority considers it an infringement of their rights? Allowing African Americans to ride public transportation did not in any way infringe on the rights of whites. They just saw it that way because they wanted to keep the old, bigoted way. Allowing same sex couples to marry is not in any way an infringement on anyone else. The separate but equal idea is insidious. This is what led to "whites only" and "coloreds only" cafes and drinking fountains, etc. How are they "equal" if they have to go to some other area and use other facilities?
I was a boy scout and gay.. I am not 60 years old.. So I speak from experience.. First, let's get the I was born this way thing out of the way.. It's true.. If you disagree, then tell me this, when did you make the decision you are straight ?
There are so many people who really love the scouts and are disallowed because the will not live a lie..
It's time in this country that we accept the gay culture and put all these foolish religious fairy tales to the side..
I would have been a scout leader myself but it was far more hate than I was willing to face.. And lastly, the fear of child molestation, the statistics prove that the hetero's take this prize hands down..
You have got to be kidding me with this Bullstuff. Â Next they will be telling Rotary and the Lions clubs who to make members. Â
 @Reeldeal101 Who is "they"? This is one person, expressing his opinion on what he hopes the leaders will decide.
@Morticae   Perhaps...but this "one person" tends to shove down our throats things that we don't want.Â
Let them in, at least we will know who's who. We can keep an eye on them.
@The Resistance Good thinking hitler...
@uknow2 ---- I love his country because we can have right to express our opinions. I disagree with the homosexual agenda for personal reasons. Thank you for showing how intolerant you are of difference of opinion.
 @The Resistance Why keep an eye on "them".. for what ?
@dougrpdx @The Resistance --- for the very reason they were excluded in the first place. Said somewhat tongue in cheek.
The troop sponsors should be the one's to decide. They are directly interacting and they set the tone. What's wrong with that? Give them a choice to accept people or not.
 @Morticae Yeah, thats what they say now. That is what it used to be if you owned a  restaurant or even a bakery; "we reserve the right to refuse service" but now, after many decades,  apparently that is ilegal.So, even if they make it up to "The troop sponsors" now, the choice will be taken away from even them.
I agree allow anyone in the US Cub/Boy Scouts without regard for their sexuality. These are kids, however one condition should apply.......must be a US citizen.
 @FreerideNOT Ya, forget them illegals. I still think its the BSA choice, so does the SCOTUS.
US citizen excludes illegals. BSA = Boy Scounts of America....NOT mexico
BTW: 30k US troops on DMZ that should be protecting our southern border and excluding illegals.
@axpman Well there's always your ex.....
@FreerideNOT YA ! cause mexico isn't in america ! ...D'OH !
 @axpman lol, was thinking the same thing. They would just annex Somalia.
 @TreeWizard Where will the DNC get its future voters?
 @FreerideNOT Border States should deploy their National Guard to the border.
its a club, they should be allowed to except who they want. why doesn't he go to the black panthers and tell them they should allow whites.
 @franksbeans you mean "The New Black Panther". I tried to join, they said I was too hardcore for them.
 @TreeWizard  @franksbeans I got banned from "Occupy the NRA" for asking for a source for a quote they claim came from the President of the NRA, which I can't seem to find -anywhere- but on the Occupy the NRA website.
 @Playanekes  @franksbeans wait, what is that?
Elect a clown.............expect a circus !
 @Rob C 503 Elect a 503 c and get ripped off..
@Rob C 503 ----- extra Likes!
I say let the scouts make their own decisions on who they let into their group. On that same token, keep federal assistance and tax dollars from supporting their groups. No more $2 million tax dollar jamboree every year
 @crazydave I say take take taxpayer dollars and you accept everyone..
Just like a true member of the Muslim Brotherhood, he's all for the gays.
 @Max Quinn I'm sure the Brotherhood took him off the mailing list for this flare-up.
Seems like he won't be happy until everyone is totally equal, including child sex abusers! Forget about truth, justice and the American Way; it will all be gone in the next four years, along with morality!
 @jpk It is bullying people like you , who equate homosexuality with child abuse, that cause events like this:   http://www.katu.com/news/local/Bullied-gay-teen-Jadin-Bell-dies-at-OHSU-189666081.html
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 @jpk sorry you are wrong jpk. Morality is already gone.
@TreeWizard @jpk Did hat work for the murder in your pic when he was pres.
 @jpk We need the "Vote of no confidence" that Parliament has.
But like opening Pandora's Box; once open it can never be closed again!
 @jpk Oh we know. lol
Wish I could pin down when everything changed. Â Â