From: dpfabie@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (David Paul Fabie)
Subject: Re: Scouting Magazine Article
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 17:19:23 GMT

I have been reading all the hubub over the decision of Levi Strauss and 
Bank of America et.al to pull support for the BSA over the Homosexual
issue.  For those of you who were not down in Knoxville TN last week for
the National Order of the Arrow Conference, you may not have heard that
Gay activitsts had threatened to disrupt the conference.  Order of the 
Arrow National Director, G. Allen Mossman warned the staff on Sunday
night about the possible trouble.  As it turned out nothing happened.

My largest complaint with those who are attacking the BSA is that
it is NOT a desire to "right a wrong" that is the prime motivation.
The BSA is just a stepping stone.  These groups hope that by winning
against Scouting they can then go on and fry bigger fish (ROTC, The
Department of Defense etc..)  They truly don't care if they destroy
the BSA in the process.  The reorganization of the six regions into
four for done  so that 3 Million dollars we save, could be used to
pay for the BSA legal fees.

The Boy Scouts of America is a private organization, pure and simple
The reasons for a ban on gays is not so much a matter of Youth
Protection (Statistics support the claim that the majority of 
child molesters are not gay)  But rather one of role modeling.
Just as there is freedom from religion as well as freedom of
religion there has to be a place where the rights of those
who do not agree are respected.  If gays were attacking the BSA
so that the homosexual community could benefit from those programs
and values that scouting has to offer, that would be one thing.  But
all I read here are people screaming "bigot! bigot!" and pointing
fingers.  The motives of those who are attacking scouting are 
suspect at best.  The BSA has never claimed to be anything but
what it actually is - a private organization.  Just as Levis has
the right to not support scouting, scouts have the right to not
support Levis.  There have been people on this net who are saying
 that I'm a bigot because I will no longer buy levis.  That's 
a telling factor in just how the motives of those who are against
the BSA have nothing to do with helping others enjoy scouting, but
rather they will not rest until there is no longer a BSA.  I have
news for you folks. . . call me a bigot, call me homophobic call
me whatever you want, but the greatest crime would be to stand by
and let the gay community kill the BSA for its own political gain.
There are lots of heterosexuals in scouting who up until now were
somewhat sympathetic to the promotion of civil rights for all groups
including gays.  What you have done is drawn battle lines and turned
many of your friends into enemies.

-- 
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David Paul Fabie                   * "Remember! Editors never reject.  We
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee  *  merely select." - David Kirby
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Newsgroups: rec.scouting