From: steve (sblary@BELLSOUTH.NET)
Date: Wed May 03 2000 - 07:31:33 CDT
> Some of you are beginning to discuss your opinions about the
> issue of gays
> in scouting and the rightness or wrongness of the BSA's
> policies on this
> point. We don't talk about this stuff on this list, as per the welcome
> file.
With respect to the author of the above (he is not the only one) I am
getting pretty tired of people taking it upon themselves to say what may be
discussed, what may not be discussed, or when enough discussion has been
held on a specific topic. If there is a problem with this discussion I am
sure that the list owner or one of his appointed moderators will step in and
say so.
a quick review of the welcome page may be in order
(http://www.engr.tcu.edu/~eidson/scouts-l/swelcome.html)
no mention of the 3 G's is found on the page and the following appears:
"... Therefore, you will NOT find here the outlandish language and ongoing
discussions about topics that have no real answer to them. We don't have
time for such nonsense...we're too busy discussing issues that CAN be
resolved."
and in the next paragraph Jon states:
"We try as hard as we can NOT to censure or ignore ANYONE's point of view or
thought on ANY topic, but we have "driven some topics deeply into the
ground."
(NOTE: the words in CAPS are that way in the original text)
and further down the page he states:
"We tend to discuss a particular topic for about two weeks or so. While this
is not a hard, enforced rule, we ask that time is not endlessly spent on
topics which we as Scouters have little or NO control over resolving or
which stray over to other topics. On the other hand, if you have *new
information* to provide (even after the topic has "died naturally"), please
send it to the list to consider"
although the above paragraphs tend to discourage these discussions they
don't prohibit them.
As a Parent and Scouter I try to teach my charges that in our country YOU
can make a difference. The issue in the courts now is something that we all
have the power to effect the eventual outcome on. Maybe we can't make the
outcome exactly what we wish but we DO have the power to help arrive at what
ever the conclusion may be. This discussion DOES have a real answer it's
just that the answer may be different for each of us.
As far as homosexuality is concerned what makes it immoral? Christianity
says that it is, but being a Christian is NOT a requirement for joining the
scouts last time I looked!
YiS,
Steven Blary
Pack 888
Stuart, FL 34997
