Scouting Legal Defense Fund "Poll"

This little gem came in the mail yesterday. It's from an organization called the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, whose parent organization is actually the American Civil Rights Union. That's right, the ACRU. Very tricksy. Just one letter away from their nemesis, the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU. In this case, they're fired up about homosexuals in the Boy Scouts.

Back in 2000, the Supreme Court decided that in the case of Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale, the Boy Scouts, as a private, not-for-profit organization, can in fact discriminate against homosexuals. While this policy of hate and exclusion is undeniably wrong and despicable, the Boy Scouts, as a private organization, have the freedom to discriminate. It's not fair or just, but it's freedom. That I grudgingly have to accept. The old "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend your right to say it" adage. Sort of like the KKK and the Nazi party. Well, not just like, but you get my drift about the freedoms of private organizations.

Case closed, right? Wrong. Fast forward seven years, when this is received in the mail. Play close attention to the wording.

Boy Scouts of America
v.
American Civil Liberties Union

Nationwide Poll conducted by the Scouting Legal Defense Fund

DIRECTIONS: Please carefully consider each of the following questions on the Boy Scouts v. ACLU National Poll and mark your answers accordingly. Be sure to complete both sections of your Poll Ballot , including the Reply and contribution decision. Please do not delay your response. Your answers are needed at once so as not to delay the final Poll tabulation. A pre-addressed envelope is enclosed to speed the return of your Poll Ballot.

Part I: Poll Ballot

Question 1. Extremist ACLU lawyers claim that the Boy Scouts are biased against homosexuals. But the Constitution guarantees the right to "freedom of association." In your view, does this mean the Boy Scouts have the right to reject avowed homosexual Scout Masters?

___Yes ___No ___Unsure

Let's start at the top. The claim that the BSA is biased against homosexuals. Bias is an unfair act or policy stemming from prejudice.

According to BSAlegal.org, "Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. Scouting’s moral position with respect to homosexual conduct accords with the moral positions of many millions of Americans and with religious denominations to which a majority of Americans belong. Because of these views concerning the morality of homosexual conduct, Boy Scouts of America believes that a known or avowed homosexual is not an appropriate role model of the Scout Oath and Law for adolescent boys."

So, yes. Because of the prejudice that all gays are immoral and dirty in thought, word and deed, yes, the BSA is biased. Other article I found disgustingly assumes that being a homosexual male is the same as being a pedophile.

But notice they don't ask that. They ask if the BSA have a right to the freedom of association. They do. Supreme Court said so. Here, as a liberal, I'm forced to check yes.

Question 2. Would accepting homosexual Scout Masters damage the Boy Scouts' mission to instill values and morality in school age children?

___Yes ___No ___Unsure

Well, since this is a conservative Christian mailing going out to conservative Christians, this one is a gimme. The answer to this one depends on your personal views of values and morality. I'd personally rather leave my kids with an "avowed" gay man than a Catholic priest, but hey, that's just me.

Question 3. In your opinion is the ACLU campaign to force homosexual Scout Masters on the Boy Scouts really just an attempt to crush and destroy the entire Boy Scout Organization?

___Yes ___No ___Unsure

Wow. Just... wow. Forcing homosexuals on young boys. Nicely worded. Great image, too, thanks.

The latest action (that I could find) from the ACLU and the BSA's discrimination stems from the BSA not admitting atheists. The ACLU successfully brought an end to local governmental funding for troops. This is not about forcing anything on any private organization. The BSA can do whatever they want, the Supreme Court decided that. But a private organization that exercises policies that would not be accepted in a public one should not receive public funding.

BSA wants public funding, they should go public and let in all the gays, girls, and atheists. Somehow doubt that's going to happen. This one gets a NO.

Question 4. Former Ronald Reagan's Attorney General, Ed Meese, once called the ACLU "the criminal's lobby." Do you think the ACLU is qualified to pass judgment on the Boy Scouts of America?

___Yes ___No ___Unsure

The obligatory Reagan reference. We'll be seeing it again in the future. Conservative Christians love them some Reagan. And of course, this reference has absolutely nothing to do with the question they ask.

Is the ACLU qualified to pass judgment? No. But that isn't what they do! The courts pass judgment! Not the ACLU! The ACLU simply helps those who have been wronged when it comes to civil liberties! Argh! One more.

Question 5. Should the Boy Scouts fight against the ACLU and others that with to destroy the morals, ethics and values that have been the bedrock of the Scouts for almost 100 years?

___Yes ___No ___Unsure

And now we're back to the ol' "Gays destroying America!" bit. God hates fags, yeah, we've heard it all before.

We don't want to see the BSA destroyed. Nobody wants that. I love their popcorn. I love that they get boys active, making friends, volunteering, camping, that's all great stuff. But only allowing those considered worthy enough to take part in such a great organization? That's wrong.

So, getting back to the point. Gays in the BSA was settled back in 2000. Why am I getting this in the mail now, in 2007?

The answer would be in part two of the poll: donations to the cause.

The current political climate and increasing hatred and intolerance towards the gay community makes it great timing for getting some cash. Remember not too long ago when gay was still kind of cool? Will and Grace, Queer Eye, the Metrosexual movement? That passed. It's over. Now the cool thing is hating gays, and this "poll" is taking advantage of the fact. Most people will have completely forgotten the Supreme Court Decision by now, and assume this is new news. It's not.

It's propaganda. It wants to get you fearful, angry, and fired up. And it's full of complete and utter bullshit.