Trevorum

Old Grey Eagle was the first Scouter who greeted me on these forums, and he was a constant, steadying hand in navigating the sometimes turbulent discussions. I respected him tremendously and I will miss his wisdom. The wheel has turned.

Since we can't seem to create new threads ...

 

Happy PI day!

 

Makes me miss Ed.

Down here in Texas, we have great success with our annual BBQ take out. Going on 15 or 16 years now, we always net more than enough to keep the troop running for the whole year. We've never done pancakes or spaghetti. Folks down here like BBQ.

Folks, I don't really know what 'flagging' really does so I just flagged the last few posts to experiment with it.

It seemed like a good time to try it out.

"Flag a post feature is ONLY to be used to report spam, advertising messages, and problematic (harassment, fighting, or rude) posts."

 

Since the Super-duper Moderators don't seem to get these "reports", my guess is that only the Quasi-deity Moderator (Terry) recieves them.

We had a gay scout in our troop. He hadn't come out yet, but anyone who cared to contemplate such things easily knew he was gay. He was elected SPL, inducted into the OA, and made Eagle. I was SM and was pretty attuned to the troop and never once did his orientation become an issue. He did not talk about gay issues, did not make it an issue at all. The rest of the fellows just accepted him for who he was - a little weird at times, but cool and a good Scout. He's now in grad school and will undoubtedly become a community leader. I hope he becomes a Scoutmaster. He'd be great.

Dan, yes. I'm sending you my bugle. Have your son learn to play Tattoo on it for me. That's a good trade.

 

 

Cool. I like the new software!

Dan,

PM me your address. I have a great bugle i can send you.

 

Trevorum

 

And the winky faces don't seem to work. That's important etiquette, ya know.

how about goggles? Can we wear goggles?

 

 

 

Well, how about that. I've been promoted.

 

I can't wait to learn the secret moderator handshake!

 

 

So, now I can give that Diversity and Inclusiveness presentation without a mental asterisk.

 

... testing 1-2-3 ...

Testing! ONE TWO THREE !

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Terry, thank you for your service. Not only in providing the lightening rod IP forums, but in facilitating countless small interactions between Scouters, all of us trying to create a better program for our youth. Scouting is stronger in thousands of units because of your vision, and your persistence. We all salute you.

Yeah, well the cat's out of the bag, now.

There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

But they can't go back. That would be like Lincoln saying he was only testing the waters with that whole emancipation thing...

I was off by a few years.

But,

 

I TOLD YOU SO!!

 

 

(ahem. Very sorry. Couldn't help it...)

qwaz, yes, I recognize you have your own perspective on this issue. My point was that a majority of Americans do not view this as taking life and certainly not as violence, any more than other medical procedures.

 

In contrast, I would submit that everyone would acknowledge a school shooting, a drive-by shooting, a domestic shooting to be violence.

 

Is hunting violence? Yes, and of the most ancient and sanctioned kind.

 

Is playing first-person-shooter video games violence? Probably not, but a strong argument can be made that it dulls sensitivity to violence.

 

Qwaz, that behavior is not violent, occurring will the consent of all and in a peaceful context. Moreover, a majority of Americans do not see it as taking life. Your feelings on the issue are noted, but, respectfully, the issue does not really bear on the topic under discussion.

Kahuna,

Kudu would be proud.

In all liklihood, the incidence of mental illness has not changed much over time (Maybe today we have more people on medication, but we probably also have fewer people locked up). There have always been serial killers, mass murderers and sociopaths.

 

I think one thing that HAS changed is the glorification of graphic violence in popular media. Does this incite more of the crazies to act out their impulses? Perhaps. It's hard to say.

 

Another thing that has changed is the availability of firearms. Members of the hunting subculture have always have ready access to guns but, as Packsaddle notes, today almost anyone can legally purchase a firearm within a few hours of deciding to do so. Is this opportiunity protected by the Constitution? Perhaps. It's hard to say...

 

 

OGE, I'm not at all sure I have an answer, but it seems to me that all societies have had stories of violence. The Heroes of all ages have all engaged in violence, and we have always reveled in their tales, around the campfires, at the feet of the elders, from actors on stage, now in movies. I also remember those Westerns, tales of bygone days. But, while violent, it was somewhat sanitized, no? Today, the violence in film, on TV, and in games is graphically intense, and often WE are the perpetrators, as in 1st person shooter games. I find that substantially different from the 1960s. Although it would probably take a Sociology dissertation to make the point stick.

Beav, as much as I respect your views, your PR response totally misses my point.

 

Sentinel, yes clearly hyperbole. But it captures the sentiment. And, thanks!

 

BDPT00, that line of thinking (aka Camels Nose under the Tent) is a classic logical fallacy. Try again.

Yesterday afternoon I was socializing with a group of colleagues, chatting about the inauguration speech and so forth. Diversity was a theme, we agreed. One fellow, noting the President's forthright acknowledgement of gay rights, and knowing that I am a volunteer adult Scouter, asked me "when is your BSA going to realize that it is the last bastion of anti-gay bigotry in this country?"

 

And this was from a life-long conservative.

 

I was deeply embarrassed for Scouting and I had no good answer. I felt that I had to defend myself, personally, for being associated with -as we are percieved- such a small-minded and socially regressive group of people. I see all the wonderful things that Scouting does and the character it builds in young people and I despair at how we have gotten to this place, where our once iconic American institution has become synonymous in the public's mind with intolerance and bigotry.

 

To survive, we need to change this perception. We need to change. We need to reflect America's diversity and America's values. Not those of the last century, but those of today. We need to adapt or we will become in the 21st century a fringe movement that appeals to a declining mere fraction of American families.

 

 

I'd like to know where these weapons are. How many are kept in car trunks? How many under the bed? Hanging on the wall? In locked wooden cabinets? In gun safes? How many gun owners have one? Have two? Have more than five?

 

Does anyone know? Are any reliable data available?