An interesting choice for a speaker

[SR540Beaver 116]

Trail Pounder,

 

I believe the hostages had pretty much outlived their usefulness to the Iranians. They had got their point across. I believe (and this is just my opinion) that the only reason they were not released prior to Reagan taking office was to rub salt in Carter's wounds. If you'll recall, Carter ordered a rescue operation that went very badly operationally. Carter was man enough to let the buck stop at his desk and took full responsibility for the failed attempt. On the other hand, Reagan, Bush and North broke the law, negotiated with terrorists and sold arms to our enemy. Not something to be proud of. I appreciate North's service to his country as a soldier. However, I have no respect for the way he disgraced his uniform by his later actions. He should have done hard time and was lucky enough to get off on a technicality. If you watch him on Fox News (I turn the channel when he comes on), you'll notice that he has a political axe to grind. That is his schtick. That is what he will speak on at a BSA function. He is an imappropriate speaker for a BSA function just as Bill Clinton would be too.

[CubsRgr8 10]

The appropriateness of Mr. North as the featured speaker at a BSA function all comes down to this. Has he publicly repudiated his past activities which were in opposition to the values of BSA? Has he done his best to live his life since then in conformance to the values of BSA? The answer to both questions must be "yes" before I'll be attending or promoting that function.

[Proud Eagle 13]

I don't really have a problem with North as a speaker. However, he would need to tread lightly on the partisan politics. (That doesn't mean the subject is off limits. Anyone that knows who he is well enough to buy tickets to a speaking event would expect at least a little bit of politics.) I would also want to make certain that he supports the values of the BSA. Does that mean his life has to be a perfect example of living the Oath and Law? No. Does that mean a public confession is required for any past mistakes? No, not in my book. I have made plenty of mistakes that I have not published in the papers or told all my friends and family about.

 

Now someone brought up North saying Reagan knew and Reagan saying he didn't know. Isn't it possible that someone lied to North and told him Reagan knew? I don't know all the details of Iran-Contra, but that certainly seems like a very reasonable possibility.

 

At the Lodge winter banquet a couple of months ago we had a state Senator for a speaker. He happens to be a Democrat, which automatically makes him suspect for most of the people in the lodge (at least at the leadership level our lodge is a very conservative sort of group). However he happens to be an example of a conservative, or at least centrist, Democrat. He is the sort of old fashioned democrat that are still seen in state and local elections in some parts of the country, but like Joe Liberman has no hope of being the Democratic candidate for president. He was probably a decent choice for a speaker, but no one coached him on the nature of the event or gave him any pointers on good speaking topics. So, he basically just winged it. It wasn't a very good speach because it didn't really have a point and sounded like something better suited to a chamber of commerce dinner. It went down hill when he realised he wasn't connecting with the audience and opened the floor for questions. That brought out all sorts of obscure policy and politics questions that totally missed most of the audience. (I am usually the sort that would be asking such questions, but the lost reaction coming from most of the audience made me think I should be nice and spare them.)

[nldscout 18]

Years ago our council here in Northern New York had Oliver North as a guest speaker. The dinner was a rousing success. However the end fallout was so bad it almost bankrupted the council in subsecquent years. A large number of scouting supporters who saw him as a bad example for scouts spoke with their pocketbooks, they quit giving to the council. The fallout was so great it contributed to the replacement of the CE and eventual caused the coubcil to be merged due to financial fallout.

 

Scouts should stay away from speakers who stir up such strong feelings as Oliver North does

[firstpusk 10]

North was at the center of policies that promoted torture, terrorism, assassination and mass murder. There is strong evidence that the operation was involved in extensive drug trafficking. For the life of me, I can not understand any scouter supporting this man speaking at a scout function.

[Fat Old Guy 11]

" appreciate North's service to his country as a soldier."

 

Excuse me but Ollie wasn't a solider, he was a Marine. There's a difference.

 

 

 

[Fat Old Guy 11]

"North was at the center of policies that promoted torture, terrorism, assassination and mass murder."

 

In the 20th century that describes nearly every President. Quite a few in the 19th century too.

 

 

[RobK 10]

firstpusk says: "North was at the center of policies that promoted torture, terrorism, assassination and mass murder."

 

And yet Fidel Castro's Cuba is a model of education and good medical care! A murdering tyrant is lauded by the left for the few supposedly good things he does, but someone trying to do good and help the cause of freedom gets completely and utterly condemned for his mistake. Oh, I get it. It's OK for Fidel to murder and torture, because in Cuba it's not illegal for him to do so! It's legal, so it's OK!

 

"...a former government official who participated in the hijacking of the government to serve an ideological crusade..."

 

Who do you mean, NJ? Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Hancock, Franklin...? I think your description aptly fits all of them.