The Boy Scouts Thing is Just Depressing

[PhilliesDeacs]

There is just something so strikingly sad and depressing to me in photographs like this one. I would bet that these children didn't take it upon themselves to paint signs and protest. I imagine they're holding them because their parents made the decision to do so and are imparting their beliefs - ignorant at best, hateful/bigoted at worst. I don't think there is any situation where I could imagine guiding my child/children into some kind of public protest - at least not until they're old enough to look at the facts and come to their own conclusion.

Note: though I personally believe organizations like the Scouts, which are meant to foster healthy growth in children, should be open to all people regardless of "category", I also believe in their right to be discriminatory if they so choose, given the private nature of the organization.

 

[RJKarl]

If they discriminate, they should not be able to use school facilities or public parks.

 

[BarcaDeac]

it reminds me of the huge Rally for Life they have every year here in DC (occurred a couple of weeks ago). you see thousands of young people (toddlers to teens) there with signs and marching, but most of them probably don't even know what an abortion is. pure indoctrination. and for me, the thing I hate most of all from that rally is the how they just trash the city. I live a block away from a park which is near the Mall and is used as a meet-up point. every year when I walk home through the park there are thousands of discarded signs and flyers strewn all over the ground. you've brainwashed the kids to march for something they don't comprehend, at least teach them to pick up after themselves.

 

[bmoneydeac]

i had a coworker who brought her son in to work the day after the amendment 1 stuff in NC. he asked his mom if "we won" and she said yes to which he pumped his fist and did a little happy dance. the kid was 11 years old. what are the chances he ends up being open-minded, accepting, etc.? indoctrination is a good way of putting it.

 

[BillBrasky]

If they discriminate, they should not be able to use school facilities or public parks.

If the Klan or the Black Panthers can use public spaces, so can the Boy Scouts, regardless of their policies towards homosexuals

 

[ToughLoveDeac]

Agree that this is pretty sad, but it can go the other way as well. I remember going to the Anti-War rally in DC back in 2006-2007 (can't remember the exact year), and there were a bunch of kids there sitting on their parent's shoulders holding signs and whatnot. Kids probably had no idea what was going on.

Not making a moral equivalence between being anti-gay and anti-war, I'm just saying that both liberal and conservative sides use kids as props.

 

[Deadbolt]

My wife does an experiment every semester in her classes where she asks her kids if they support or oppose a specific issue (Amendment One was on of the more notable ones). Then she asks why they feel one way or the other. Then she presents some facts from both sides of the issue, and asks again at the end of class.

Unsurprisingly, the kids are almost always grossly misinformed, and usually the numbers of support/opposition change drastically from the start of class to the end of class.

 

[lbE08]

My wife does an experiment every semester in her classes where she asks her kids if they support or oppose a specific issue (Amendment One was on of the more notable ones). Then she asks why they feel one way or the other. Then she presents some facts from both sides of the issue, and asks again at the end of class.

Unsurprisingly, the kids are almost always grossly misinformed, and usually the numbers of support/opposition change drastically from the start of class to the end of class.

does she ever get angry letters from parents?

i love that she's doing it, and would be frustrated along with her if parents tried to get her to stop or disagreed that she was teach both sides (or at least the other side).

 

[Deadbolt]

does she ever get angry letters from parents?

i love that she's doing it, and would be frustrated along with her if parents tried to get her to stop or disagreed that she was teach both sides (or at least the other side).

I don't think she's had any angry parents over this exercise, yet.

She did have one kid this semester who had a nutjob parent, though. She had a purple mohawk and accused my wife and the school principal of being racists...and this was the mother. :tard:

 

[jhmd2000]

If they discriminate, they should not be able to use school facilities or public parks.

Does that same apply to insitutions who discriminate via affirmative action?