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Omaha Tribe Elder and Others - disrepect at National Mall


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My take: people of various affiliations who gathered together on a national plaza expressed their dislike for one another's associations. Nobody was shoved, punched, stabbed, blugeoned, or shot. It was a good day for freedom of expression in America.

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David, you and I have often disagreed in the past but in this I think you are absolutely spot on.   There are a number of different vids of this on line. Some 20 minutes long some only 2 or 3.  If you

Because it would make great news if something happens. I don't know these boy but I think they did a great job at handling the situation, they did some high school spirit chants to the drum beat,

I have been to pro-life activities with teens. This is exactly what they are taught to do when confronted by hostile and aggressive opponents.  Smile. Say nothing. Do nothing. Just hold your ground an

1 hour ago, DuctTape said:

Not sure how this thread is relevant to the forum, even in the issues/politics category. Mods, please correct me if I am off-base, but I thought the I/P forums still needed "some relevance" to the general scouting theme.

Lets make this relative then - I always tell my scouts (who are boys) that they need to always act like a scout when wearing the uniform because people are watching ( I know they should always act like a scout). Someone is always watching and everyone has a camera. These Catholic boys did a good job being respectful and wondering how many are scouts.

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2 hours ago, TMSM said:

Lets make this relative then - I always tell my scouts (who are boys) that they need to always act like a scout when wearing the uniform because people are watching ( I know they should always act like a scout). Someone is always watching and everyone has a camera. These Catholic boys did a good job being respectful and wondering how many are scouts.

Thanks for the save. As to @DuctTape point, I misunderstood the incident and thought a scout act of kindness directed towards one of the groups might help. I should have been better informed; I failed the "Covington Catholic Test"

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I think this thread is very relevant to scouting. If this had been a scout group visiting the Washington Monument, they might have faced the very same kind of harassment that we saw directed at the Covington Catholic boys.  Do our scouts know how to react/respond to these sort of provocations?

Maybe our scouts need to be prepared.

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If the Scout relevancy of this thread is "could this happen to a Scout Unit?"  I say perhaps.

BSA has officially made some decisions and adjustments in it's policies that are praised by some and ridiculed by others.  In this present situation, Mr. Phillips saw two groups with seemingly opposing opinions and (so he stated) tried to come between them to help prevent possible violent confrontation. In this he succeeded, but not the way he expected.  

How would a Scout Unit react if confronted with a loud, verbal assault on it's merely being a Scout Unit?  I have heard of local Girl Scout, Boy Scout, Cub Packs being verbally abused because (pick an issue) while selling cookies and popcorn and (holiday) trees in front of stores.  Fortunately, nothing really bad happened, so it didn't get on the 9pm news.  But still.... 

Maybe that is the topic.....

 

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7 hours ago, David CO said:

I think this thread is very relevant to scouting. If this had been a scout group visiting the Washington Monument, they might have faced the very same kind of harassment that we saw directed at the Covington Catholic boys.  Do our scouts know how to react/respond to these sort of provocations?

Maybe our scouts need to be prepared.

I agree with the whole "Be Prepared" thing.  Scouts from around the country will be visiting D.C. as a side-trip while going to the Jamboree this summer. It's pretty much a tradition.  In the past, there has not been quite as much "programmed and professional protesting" at the Washington sites. That has drastically changed in the last couple years.  Those Scouts who visit there really need to be taught how to not engage, but ignore.  

IMHO, the streets of our Capitol, and other major cities, have become sort of a demented Piccadilly Circus. 

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13 hours ago, RememberSchiff said:

Thanks for the save. As to @DuctTape point, I misunderstood the incident and thought a scout act of kindness directed towards one of the groups might help. I should have been better informed; I failed the "Covington Catholic Test"

Good link, and oh so true.

I was reminded of this story from 2017:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/girl-scout-threatened-neo-nazi-protesters-photo-far-right-rally-czech-republic-a7723756.html

Though that was much more straight forward so it seems that this latest culture clash.

Social media and the press seem to lap up these clashes of opposites, it makes a good story, it makes a good contrast, it's a striking picture.

 

3 hours ago, WAKWIB said:

I agree with the whole "Be Prepared" thing.  Scouts from around the country will be visiting D.C. as a side-trip while going to the Jamboree this summer. It's pretty much a tradition.  In the past, there has not been quite as much "programmed and professional protesting" at the Washington sites. That has drastically changed in the last couple years.  Those Scouts who visit there really need to be taught how to not engage, but ignore.  

 

Yes, I believe at least one of our county units will be doing that. I think their itinerary is

UK->New York->Jamboree->Toronto->Washington->New York->UK

And yes, it's a tricky skill that you need to learn when people take an interest in you, for good or ill, because you're in a scout uniform. It has varied from cafe owners seeking me out to praise my explorers on their behaviour, to people in almost apoplectic rage that decide your scouts are the source of all their troubles. I prefer the former I'll be honest.

3 hours ago, WAKWIB said:

IMHO, the streets of our Capitol, and other major cities, have become sort of a demented Piccadilly Circus. 

Last time I went to Piccadilly Circus (just last year I think) it was partly pedestrianised, and there were loads of tourists sitting about on the statue and/or taking selfies. Mostly Harmless.

 

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So very sad. I will say that I have felt hostility toward white and religious people from members on this forum. If it's here on this forum, it is certainly out in the community.

Our troop once experienced this sort of tension when visiting a popular zoo in another state. In general, wearing the BSA uniform brings out the best of people we meet in our travels, but not during this visit. That was about 15 years ago. I can't imagine such a visit today.

Yes, in the light of the scout law, we should probably prepare the scouts in how to respond to this sort of open hostility and confrontation. 

Barry

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On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 9:40 PM, David CO said:

His so-called "smirk" might have simply been his attempt to smile (as instructed) while being faced with a very uncomfortable situation.

Agreed.

Considering his age, who are we (or who is anyone) to attack him based on an inference of what his likely nervous smile should mean? Heck, my wife "smirked" at me last week, good thing no cameras were there.

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21 hours ago, qwazse said:

My take: people of various affiliations who gathered together on a national plaza expressed their dislike for one another's associations. Nobody was shoved, punched, stabbed, blugeoned, or shot. It was a good day for freedom of expression in America.

Yes and no. The issue that can happen is if these young people are identified and demonized for life, college acceptances revoked, etc.  There is a trend towards judging and punishing people because of social media, and that is dangerous territory.  Hopefully nothing like that will come of this situation, but it is a real risk.

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21 hours ago, qwazse said:

My take: people of various affiliations who gathered together on a national plaza expressed their dislike for one another's associations. Nobody was shoved, punched, stabbed, blugeoned, or shot. It was a good day for freedom of expression in America.

If only it would end there. I have seen information copied from social media where the contact information for the school, the principal, the superintendent, and the diocese has been posted to allow people to share their "opinion" about just how wrong the students were.

With the rush to judgment comes for some the rush to respond - usually in less than helpful ways.

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18 minutes ago, RememberSchiff said:

I would hope on a scout outing, that our adult supervision would quickly intervene and move youth to a safer gathering point.

My $0.02

Agreed, most scouters would step up and difuse the situation, move the boys to another location, thank the vetran for his service and ask to be let alone. They reason I heard that the stayed was that they were waiting for a bus but they seem to there for over an hour. 

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35 minutes ago, TMSM said:

Agreed, most scouters would step up and difuse the situation, move the boys to another location, thank the vetran for his service and ask to be let alone. They reason I heard that the stayed was that they were waiting for a bus but they seem to there for over an hour. 

According to the school spokesperson, it was a pre-arranged gathering point.  The youth broke into multiple groups to site-see for the day, and that was the location they were to meet at before boarding buses for their return trip home.  

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