Re: 2Gs, any Gs, no Gs please
Ted Burton (tedburtn@CRIS.COM)
Sat, 2 Sep 1995 12:29:01 -0600
Greg Gough, who is an Eagle and an Owl, and others, have been writing here
about homosexual/gay people and Scouting. I wish to speak of freedom and of
freedom from this conversation.
Greg said something scary, from the bottom of his heart, and possibly
without careful thought:
>Everyone speaks of tollerance
[snip group Greg says seeking tolerance]
>why? This is
>a country founded on majority not minority rule.
Careful, Greg. This is scary stuff to say that an unpopular minority may be
silenced, that we may be intolerant toward it. This Country was founded on
majority rule, but subject to absolute rights of the minority. Shoot,
'unpopular minorities' of the moment include Democrats; a few years ago it
was Republicans. Or I can find lots of other unpopular minorities to
defend.
Persecuted European and Vietnamese Catholics found a home here. Persecuted
Protestants from France and England found a home here. Persecuted Jews from
Russia and Germany found a home here. Newly freed Blacks found a home here.
Persecuted Chinese found a home here. Persecuted Native Americans are
hoping to find a home here again. Even a few Scots were sent here because
they resented English rule. None of those groups are necessarily the
majority here. Majority rule does not mean outlawing the minority. The
majority itself is an alliance of various minorities.
>Why have small
>outspoken fringe groups been allowed a chance to legitimize their
>lifestyle?
Neither Congress (nor any State) shall make any law abridging the freedeom
of speech. "allowed> a chance" is American freedom. Freedom is not built
upon not allowing a chance.
>Just because a group is loud and outspoken does not make
>them right.
Absolutely right. Still, being loud and outspoken does not make a group
wrong, either.
There is a group in this society who feels that God (Judeo-Christian God)
has forever damned homosexuality, that it is a crime and an abomination.
Fine; they are entitled to speak and to be heard. Maybe I agree with them,
but that is not the point.
There is a group in this society that believes that some portion of the
nerve cells in the skull dictates homosexuality, that it is biologically
determined, and that it is no more a matter of choice than being
white-skinned is a matter of choice. No matter that you can dye your skin
and pretend that it is black if you want to, or marry and pretend to be
'sraight' if you want to. They believe that sexual orientation is
involuntary and unchangeable, and that being a biologically determined
matter, it is one they are free to defend. Fine. they are entitled to speak
and to be heard. Maybe I agree with them, but that is not the point.
BUT NOT HERE PLEASE. We are trying to run a discussion group on how to be a
better Scout/Scouter, and sharing experienes with the program, being a
resource for each other. That is why this group exists. If there are those
of us who feel that life's mission is to stamp our evil or prejudice OTHER
THAN THROUGH CARRYING ON WITH SCOUTING PER SE, go to rec.scouting where I
can filter you out.
Self control in matters sexual is a part of trustworthy, loyal, courteous,
kind, obedient, clean, reverent, etc. That is why I keep such matters at
home with my wife. That is what we should concern ourselves with, obeying
the Scout Law, and not with pigeonholes & categorizations. I don't want
someone to go into a frenzy because my Troop Committee should happen to
have an attractive woman on it.
And Greg, please don't ever tell me that someone should be silenced, or
forbidden their beliefs, or denied their practices, because and only
because they are a minority, or because your Bible says so. (My Bible may
not read to me as yours does to you.) The law should stop at preventing or
punishing a perpetrator's harm to others; that is my goal as a Prosecutor.
The law should not prevent advocacy of change in the law. That is the guts
of American freedom.
Peace.
=-=-=-=-=-=- II <<<=-=<I=-=<<< II -=-=-=-=-=-=
"Alappiechsin Wiechcheu, FastTalking Wolf"
Tukarica Lodge 266, Ore-Ida Council 106
Chapter Adviser, Hemene Chapter
Post 246 COR, D. Eagle Rep., Troop 246 MC
------------ "a good ol' Fox too..." ------------
YIS,
Doc Fox
who is netAddressed for, personal use, as: tedburtn@cris.com
and for business use as: tedburtn@halcyon.com
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
