By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Banner of Liberty (www.bannerofliberty.com)
August 1, 2001
Always with an eye to selling the magazine, Newsweek chose the week of the Boy Scouts of America Scout Jamboree to publish a scout bashing article entitled "Scouts Divided." The article is bylined by David France, Senior Editor of Newsweek who has gone to incredible lengths to portray the Boy Scouts as being seriously compromised by its dogged determination to maintain the Scout Oath and Law. Boy Scouts, according to the oath written by its founder Lord Robert Baden-Powell, pledge just about every time they meet:
The Scout Law that boys pledge they will obey, requires them very specifically to discriminate against certain behaviors. The very first behavior they promise to discriminate against is lying.
A Scout is trustworthy - A Scout tells the truth. He keeps his promises. Honesty is part of his code of conduct. People can depend on him.
Of course, that often puts them into conflict with other people. For example, even a sidebar in the article points out that during the 1960s a major problem faced by the Scouts were Inner-city gangs, who often regarded Boy Scouts with disdain, and tried to intimidate neighborhood kids from becoming Scouts. The Boy Scouts did not drop their pledge to be trustworthy just because some folks felt it was discriminating against them.
The second behavior Scouts promise to discriminate against is disloyalty. A scout promises:
To be LOYAL - A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school, and nation..
That would certainly mean that a Boy Scout would be at odds with people who evade the draft, like Bill Clinton, or who would undermine the security of the nation, like selling the nation's secrets to the enemy, like Robert Philip Hanssen.
The third behavior Scouts promise to discriminate against is selfishness. A scout promises
To be HELPFUL
A Scout is concerned about other people. He does things willingly for others without pay or reward.
That behavior clearly discriminates against those who only think of themselves and who because of their selfishness, would try to hurt others, such as those who hope to destroy the Boy Scouts for actually obeying the Scout Law Oath and Law.
The fourth behavior Scouts promise to discriminate against is intolerance and hate. A Scout promises
To be FRIENDLY -A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own.
While he is a "brother" to all other Scouts who promise to abide by the Scout Oath and Law, he seeks to understand others and respect ideas and customs other than his own. He does NOT however, promise to adopt ideas and customs that are contrary to the Scout Law. He seeks to understand them. And, certainly, most Scout leaders try to understand boys who adopt self-destructive behavior. They do not, of course, encourage them to continue until that destructive behavior hurts themselves and others. Homosexuality and drug addiction, for example, are self-destructive behaviors. According to the Center for Disease, both behaviors shorten one's life span by 20 to 40 years.
The fifth behavior Scouts promise to discriminate against is rudeness. A Scout promises
To be COURTEOUS -A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows good manners make it easier for people to get along together.
Courtesy today in a young man, of course, is often a clue that he is probably a Boy Scout.
In fact, in some circles, when a young man is courteous, he will be challenged with: "What is this. You a Boy Scout or somethin'!?" However, in spite of rudeness often being the "in" behavior among youth, a dedicated Boy Scout will still discriminate against it and live the Scout Law by being courteous, even if he IS ridiculed for it.
The sixth behavior Scouts promise to discriminate against is cruelty. A Scout promises
To be KIND -
A Scout understands there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. He does not hurt or kill harmless things without reason.
Kindness also will create real problems for young Scouts today. In fact, what is going on, as the Newsweek article states, is that many times a young boy will be accused of being unkind because he is honest and trustworthy and therefore not willing to approve of behavior unbecoming to or opposite to the Scout Law. The thrust of David France's attack on the Scouts, in fact, is that it is being "unkind" by maintaining its historic Scout Law. The debate, even as reported in the article, among young Scouts is how to remain kind while, as one 15 year old, Noah, put it, making sure homosexuals "stay off of you."
The seventh behavior Scouts promise to discriminate against is disobedience. A Scout promises to
Be OBEDIENT -
A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobey them.
Obviously, Scouts who are obedient will respect and defend not only the SCOUT law, but also the rules and laws of his family, school, troop - and even those defined by the U.S. Supreme Court. This, of course, is under major attack, even by some who once were Scouts. Some who once promised to be obedient are being disobedient to a Supreme Court decision that ruled the Scouts can continue to maintain their principles and their Oath and Law.
The eighth behavior the Scouts promise to discriminate against is constantly complaining. A Scout promises to:
Be CHEERFUL -A Scout looks for the bright side of things. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.
This certainly is a behavior that flies in the face of current custom in many schools and neighborhoods. Complaining and resentment and anger are the order of the day. Yet, a Scout promises to stay cheerful in spite of the resentment the youth of the day are expected to display.
The ninth behavior the Scouts promise to discriminate against is the widely accepted and encouraged notion to buy everything you want on credit and to break or tear up things when you get tired of them. A Scout promises:
To be THRIFTY
A Scout works to pay his way and to help others. He saves for unforeseen needs. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.
A Scout, long before anyone ever coined the words "environmentally sensitive" was taught to work for what he wants and needs and to leave a camp area clean and undisturbed by his visit. A good Scout is environmentally responsible.
The tenth behavior the Scouts promise to discriminate against is being a coward. A Scout promises
To be BRAVE - A Scout can face danger even if he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at or threaten him.
This is a behavior that will increasingly separate the Boy Scout from the youth who want to be "accepted" at any price. The Newsweek article claims that membership in the Boy Scouts is down as much as 7% in the Northeast and 4% nationwide. While those figures obviously reflect the lower birthrate in the Northeast, and its dropping overall population, there is no doubt that some boys do not have the courage to withstand the ridicule that is being directed at them by powerful forces, such as Newsweek magazine and even by leaders in the Democratic Party who accepted without censure an anti-Scout group that booed a group of Boy Scouts who were presenting the American Flag. It takes courage to withstand that kind of intolerance for their principles and, undoubtedly, there are going to be some boys who don't have the courage to withstand it.
The eleventh behavior the Scouts promise to discriminate against is filth in body and mind. A Scout promises
To be CLEAN
A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He goes around with those who believe in living by these same ideals. He helps keep his home and community clean.
Obviously, those who wish to sell or film pornography are going to be discriminated against by an honorable Boy Scout. He has promised to keep his mind fit and clean, and that is the opposite of the flood of sexual filth taking place in America. A Scout will not, if he lives the Scout Law, go around with people who are into pornography. In fact, I heard a Scout executive say some months ago that over the years he had removed 72 men from their position as scoutmasters. Two of them were removed because they were homosexual. The other seventy were removed because they were adulterers, gamblers, drug users and into pornography.
And the twelfth behavior the Scouts promise to discriminate against is ungodliness. A Scout promises
To be REVERENT -A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.
This part of the Scout Law has also been challenged in court. The June 28, 2000 Supreme Court decision which ruled that the First Amendment applies to the Boy Scouts of America settled the argument about atheists, homosexuals, adulterers, gamblers, pornographers and others who do not accept the Scout Oath and Law being scoutmasters. However, under America's Constitution, private organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, have the right to freedom of speech and expression.
To be a Scout has always taken courage and high standards. It was a stated goal of Robert Baden Powell to make men out of boys who were good men, men of God, men who would become good husbands, good fathers and good citizens. It is no different today. What is different today is a strange expectation that people who do not accept the standards and principles of Scouting, should be allowed to set the example for boys. As Gavin Grooms, national director of Save Our Scouts said "Why, do you suppose, has there been such a determined effort on the part of people who do not WANT or cannot possibly BECOME a husband or father to force changes in Scouting so they can be members of a Boy Scout troop?"
Grooms was interviewed by Newsweek Editor David France for the article that was published this week, but his comments are nowhere to be found in the article written, since they obviously did not fit France's view of the issue. Apparently France could not figure out how to make Grooms reasoned and non-contentious approach to the subject sound "bigoted."
To comment: mmostert@bannerofliberty.com
To contact Gavin Grooms: scouter@saveourscouts.org
To find out what Newsweek didn't want you to read go to the Save Our Scouts Website: http://www.saveourscouts.org