By Mary Mostert, Analyst, Banner of Liberty (www.bannerofliberty.com)
August 8, 2001
According to a news report from the San Francisco Chronicle "A group of Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts from Japan found the welcome mat at Berkeley City Hall yanked out from under them yesterday after a (homosexual) city councilmember objected to the Boy Scouts of America's policy on gays."
What was at stake was the ceremonial highlight of a weeklong visit to America for a group of Boy and Girl Scouts from Sakai, Japan, Berkeley, California's sister city. For 22 years the Scout exchange has been taking place between the two cities. For 22 years youngsters from Sakai have presented a letter from their city to the Mayor of Berkeley in a ceremony at City Hall. But not this year. Why? Because Councilman Kriss Worthington decided the time had come to discriminate against the Japanese Scouts.
And, for some strange reason, he was able to discriminate against a group of children from Japan and embarrass the entire city of Berkeley with the active assistance of Berkeley Mayor, Shirley Dean. Not only did Mayor Dean refuse to meet the Scouts in City Hall, she won't even meet them in the city of Berkeley. The Chronicle reports, "The Scouts are scheduled to meet with the mayor later outside the city at a location that Dean and organizers have kept secret. "
What the Japanese youngsters, some as young as ten, have to present to the Mayor of Berkeley is a proclamation. If it is to be handed over at some secret location, that sort of nullifies the whole effort on the part of Sakai city officials and the Scouts. There obviously will be no press coverage, if the location is secret.
And, this is not the only discrimination against the Scouts that Berkeley has adopted, according to the article. Three years ago the Berkeley City Council ended a 60-year tradition of providing free docking space to the Sea Scouts claiming that "City policy forbids subsidies for any group that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation as well as race, gender and other factors."
So, the solution, in the twisted minds of Worthington and his supporters, is to discriminate against a group of kids because they are in Scout uniforms. And, Worthington doesn't plan on stopping at trying to wreck the children's visit to America. He is determined to track the kids down and cram his twisted views down their throats. He is quoted as saying he would like to know the location of the meeting later in the week, because he would like to give flyers to the Scouts urging them to oppose the Boy Scouts of America policy on maintaining its standards. Worthington had also wanted such flyers given to the Scouts if they had come to City Hall.
When it was pointed out to Worthington that some of the children were only 10 years old, he responded that "There is no age too young to learn that sexism, racism and homophobia are unacceptable."
So, if we are going to make sure that little children understand what Worthington says is "unacceptable," folks, be prepared to try to explain homosexuality to your pre-schoolers, lest Worthington accost them in some public place with one of his flyers.
George Fosselius, who is assisting the Boy Scouts, was quoted as saying that two places are under consideration and that the adults want to protect the youth from "embarrassment" and "unwanted intrusion into their cultural exchange and scouting activities."
That certainly is commendable of him. However, it's not the children who need to be embarrassed by this kind of behavior. THEY haven't done anything to be embarrassed about. It's the entire city of Berkeley that needs to be embarrassed. They appear to have elected a group of people who can't seem to comprehend that the Constitution of the United States gives the Boy Scouts the right to maintain their nearly 100 year old Scout Oath and Law.
I find it amusing that the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has chosen "Teaching Respect for All" at its conference this year. Worthington and his supporters have shown total disrespect for a group of Japanese children who were trying to deliver a proclamation from their city government to the people of Berkeley, and this action is supposed to encourage the rest of us to respect him? I don't think so. Instead of being graciously received, a group of children from a foreign land were insulted and kicked out of City Hall. How about homosexuals learning to show a little respect for others? Japanese children, for example?
I suggest that City Hall is not the property of Kriss Worthington or any other like-minded bigot. If Worthington thinks his despicable behavior in mistreating a group of children is going to somehow bring lots of people to his defense and earn him "respect" for his homosexuality, he's out of his mind.
To comment: mmostert@bannerofliberty.com