By: Mary Mostert, Analyst, Original Sources (www.originalsources.com)
September 1, 2000
I have been involved in politics and social issues such as the Civil Rights movement, the effort to ban the testing of Nuclear bombs in the atmosphere, etc. for more than fifty years. Only occasionally in those fifty years have I seen this nation suddenly rise up and change course quickly. In fact, it is America's ability to do just that, combined with its Constitution, which gives all of us the opportunity to choose those who serve in our state and federal governments, that have enabled this very diverse nation of people to avoid civil wars over the years.
The first time I witnessed America's ability to turn itself around, after years of public policy in the opposite direction, was in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed. I was only 12 years old, but I remember not only being the first in my family to hear the radio announcement of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but going to my mother and older siblings and asking, "Where's Pearl Harbor?" My mother stopped what she was doing and said, "It's in Hawaii. Why?" "It's just been bombed," I replied.
Everything stopped and we all listened, as my mother wept. She knew what it meant. She also knew her sons were old enough they would probably be involved, if the war lasted a few years. She also knew that the bombing put an end to all the discussions about whether or not America should get involved in "Europe's war" or remain aloof, as it had done while Hitler invaded one country after another. Two days after Hitler invaded Poland, exactly 61 years ago today, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in a fireside chat, announced to the world, "This nation will remain a neutral nation."
America changed course on December 8, 1941 when, with only one dissenting vote, the United States Congress declared war on Japan and thousands of young men who had pledged NEVER to go to war, lined up to join the Army, Navy or Air Corps.
In recent years, another war has been raging in the world in which most Americans have tried very hard to remain neutral - the culture war. From the 1960s, a rebellious generation of young people who wanted no part of the World War II generation's bitter memories of staying neutral too long, unceremoniously dumped their parents' culture. A large number of the 1960s generation of youth demanded the "right" to evade the draft, have many sex partners outside of marriage, get abortions and consume a truly amazing amount of illegal substances.
While there have been some indication that the Sixties thinking was wearing a bit thin, in spite of one of its most stereotypical members winning two elections as President, there has been no real about face in our culture comparable to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the sudden rejection of McCarthyism in the 1950s, or the Anti-War riots on College campuses in the 1960s.
However, I am beginning to see a real rejection of the Sixties culture war in the past few days in, of all things, the unbridled attack on the Boy Scouts of America which began in earnest in July when eight Eagle scouts who were posting the colors on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles were booed. This followed two events in June that didn't seem to be real turning points at the time, but in retrospect obviously were:
On June 23rd, President Bill Clinton issued an executive order which was hardly reported at the time entitled:
"Executive Order 13160 - Nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, and status as a parent in Federally conducted education and training programs.
On June 28th, Supreme Court Chief Justice Rehnqust, in a 5-4 decision in the Boy Scouts of America vs Dale, declared that New Jersey's law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of "sexual orientation" did not apply to the Boy Scouts and New Jersey violated the First Amendment in trying to force the Scouts to retain a homosexual, James Dale, as a Scoutmaster. Justice Rehnquist wrote:
"The Boy Scouts asserts that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the values it seeks to instill. Respondent is James Dale, a former Eagle Scout whose adult membership in the Boy Scouts was revoked when the Boy Scouts learned that he is an avowed homosexual and gay rights activist. The New Jersey Supreme Court held that New Jersey's public accommodations law requires that the Boy Scouts admit Dale. This case presents the question whether applying New Jersey's public accommodations law in this way violates the Boy Scouts' First Amendment right of expressive association. We hold that it does."
While legislation exists concerning nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, disability, religion and age, Congress has passed no law that added "sexual orientation and status of a parent." Clinton has attempted to create law in his executive order. Five days later, a co-equal branch of government, the Supreme Court, ruled that the Boy Scouts' First Amendment rights were violated by the State of New Jersey in its attempts to require the organization to alter its message and accept all forms of "sexual orientation."
Coming, as it has, two months before the Presidential and Congressional elections, this situation sets up a Constitutional conflict that will be settled conclusively by the November 7th election. Will the public accept this new "law" issued by one man, Bill Clinton, or will it demand that the next Congress and President take the nation another direction?
Clinton's vice-president, Al Gore, has already shown by word and deed that he is fully supportive of Clinton's Executive order. If he is elected, with a Congress also controlled by the Democrats, Executive order 13160 will become the law of the land and Gore appointments to the Supreme Court, approved by a like-minded Senate, will force not only the Boy Scouts of America, but eventually every other private group, private school, churche, business, and social group, to accept the notion that the undefined sexual gratification called "sexual orientation" is a "right" that cannot be opposed. Discussion on the international level clearly indicate that making "sexual orientation" a "human right" permits any kind of sexual practice, pedophilia, homosexuality, bi-sexuality, trans-sexuality, bestiality (sex with animals), and even sexual sadism.
The strong-arm tactics of the Clinton Administration in trying to gain by executive order what is denied them by the Supreme Court has caused what appears to be causing a major shift in the spirit of America, similar to the bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor. Every family centered organization in America, it seems, is talking about what is happening to the Boy Scouts. The Scouts are being attacked by groups who are determined to destroy them, if they cannot force them to lower their "morally straight" standards in an increasingly hedonistic world.
This is an issue that will erase party lines and ethnic barriers as Americans wake up to the real meaning of the Constitutional crisis that faces them as Clinton orders his department heads to "investigate" the Boy Scouts of America. Representative JC Watts (R-OK), chairman of the House Republican Conference, said, "The Boy Scouts are not a hate group. For the Interior and Justice departments of the Clinton-Gore administration to be investigating the Boy Scouts because they teach our children to have high moral ideals is an absolute insult to families and scouts. This is election year pandering by Clinton-Gore."
According to The Washington Times today the issue of the Boy Scouts and the Clinton-Gore administration's present stance of treating them like a public enemy in need of "investigation" has already become a campaign issue. The White House yesterday defended its probe of the Boy Scouts' use of federal facilities. White House Deputy Press Secretary Jake Siewert confirmed "an effort to determine whether federal agencies are complying with President Clinton's recent executive order banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The bottom line is there's been no final determination yet on the federal government's involvement with the Boy Scouts - whether it violates the order. The Justice Department's developing guidelines, and they are still working on them."
The Justice Department is developing guidelines that the Supreme Court has already declared a violation of the First Amendment?
George W. Bush expressed concern over the Interior Department memo ordering officials to "cooperate" with the Justice Department's probe of the Boy Scouts.
"For many years, the Boy Scouts have conducted Jamborees and other events on public lands and provided thousands of volunteer hours to help maintain our national parks," George W. Bush said. "I hope that President Clinton and Vice President [Al] Gore respect the role the Boy Scouts play in our society and will not allow them to be shut out of federal lands."
Even though Al Gore is a former Boy Scout, he neither apologized to the Eagle Scouts who were booed at the Democratic National Convention nor moved to defend the Scouts. His spokesman, Chris Lehane, said, "Throughout society, we ought to look for ways to guarantee there's no discrimination," he said. "With respect to this specific action, I'd have to look and see what they're doing." Even House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, an Eagle Scout, would not defend the Scouts.
Support for the Scouts did come, however, from a source that is usually staunchly Democrat - the ACLU. Matt Coles, director of the American Civil Liberty Union's lesbian and gay rights project warned that "The government, in our view, cannot refuse to give or make available to the Boy Scouts anything that they make available to other organizations. Their not wanting to have gay leaders is a protected First Amendment activity."
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican and co-chairman of the congressional Scouting Caucus, promised "bipartisan action" when Congress returns to Washington next week.
"I do not understand how anyone who works for the government can believe this gratuitous attack on the Boy Scouts represents what the people of the United States want their government to do," said Mr. Rohrabacher, an Eagle Scout.
Meanwhile, Chase Manhattan Corp. who may be experiencing a backlash after their announcement they would no longer fund the Boy Scouts, announced yesterday it will resume what it had suspended after the Supreme Court decision.
The groups which gathered 55,000 names on a petition in two years demanding that the Scouts allow homosexual Scoutmasters want to use laws enacted by state and local governments that ban discrimination against homosexuals to limit Boy Scout troops' access to public funding and use of public facilities held rallies in 36 cities last week to further their cause.
Late today, however, another petition goes on line at http://www.saveourscouts.com, which reads:
"I support the Boy Scouts of America for their defense of our First Amendment right peaceably to assemble in order to teach boys to do their duty to God and country, obey the Scout Law, help other people and keep physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. I urge the leadership of the Boy Scouts of America to resist all efforts being made today, through lawsuits and financial and social intimidation, to modify the meaning or to abandon these time-tested precepts of responsible manhood."
The group, headed by Gavin Grooms, a former Scoutmaster and father of a 14 year old Eagle Scout, plans on asking Congressional candidates to sign the petition. Those signing the petition will be encouraged to financially support not only the Scouting units that lose funds as a result of the intimidation, but also candidates who support the Scouts and who sign Save Our Scouts petitions.
Now is the time for the American people to make their views known on the Boy Scouts. Do you want the group to continue, or to be destroyed?
To comment, and to get updates on the Scout situation: mmostert@waveshift.com
To Contact Gavin Grooms: ggrooms@bannerofliberty.com
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