Boy Scout incident

[Stonepounder]

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/alabama-boy-scouts-hurled-racial-slurs-threw-rocks-ethiopian-troop-member/

Re: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2100049

I sent the following email to the BSA Headquarters:

A Georgia Boy Scout experienced racial bullying while on a camping trip. The boy, who is the son of an Ethiopian immigrant was called the N-word, and had rocks thrown at him by Boy Scout members of another troop.

The 14-year-old boy, who is a member of Scouts Troop 10 from Johns Creek, Georgia was on a week long camping trip in Alabama. Members of Boy Scouts Troop 76 from Vestavia Hills, Ala., were camping next to them and began using racial slurs to bully the young boy.

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This incident MUST be investigated and if this story is accurate, then I would expect the boys involved and their Scoutmaster should be removed from the BSA organization. This type of behavior is so far from the ideals that Scouting teaches that is simply cannot be allowed or in any way condoned. Otherwise you might as well change the name of your organization to the "Trump Youth".

Please respond and let me know the results of your investigation.

--

Today I received the following reply:

Thanks for reaching out.

This behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect Scouting’s values. Scouting members are always encouraged to treat all people with kindness and respect. Upon learning of this incident, we separated the individuals and took the appropriate action in response.

Ethnic, religious and gender diversity are very important to Scouting. We welcome youth that accept Scouting’s values, including being friendly, courteous and kind, regardless of race, ethnic background, gender or orientation.

We apologize to this Scout, and any Scout who faces bullying or harassment of any kind. We strive to create a safe and welcoming environment for all youth members and volunteers.

On background, Scouts, parents, and adult volunteers are required to complete training that teaches how to recognize, respond to and report situations that may be unsafe. Furthermore, Scouting encourages both youth and volunteer leaders to advocate for those that may face bullying or harassment, and offers resources, including a dedicated 24/7 Scouts First Helpline to report any inappropriate behavior.

Also on background, out of respect for the privacy of our members, I hope you understand we cannot comment on any disciplinary action taken by the council on our Scouts.

Member Care Contact Center

It isn't all I hoped it would be, but at least they acknowledged the incint and indicated they took action.

[lark]

1. Yeah, doesn't sound bad.

However, I'd be totally shocked if they even said a word about this to the AL troop.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

2. Boy Scouts must stop excluding atheists

The Boy Scouts of America is busy dismantling barriers left and right but still egregiously retains a rule barring atheists and nonreligious members.

Stridently repressive and anti-gay in the past, the Boy Scouts started to shed its Religious Right image when it repealed its prohibition against gay boys and their families. Recently, it announced it will accept transgender boys. And today, it announced yet another huge reform: It is inviting girls to join, something some girls and their families have long agitated for, but a development not welcomed by Girl Scouts of America.

Whatever your views over this change, one thing is clear: Nonreligious boys (and now girls) and their families are not welcome in the Boy Scouts. With 38 percent of Millennials identifying as nonreligious, this attitude is not only ugly and discriminatory, but verges on head-in-the-sand regressive.

The official position of the group — "No member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing his obligation to God" — turns secular boys into pariahs and second-class citizens and defames nonbelief. This is a bias exclusively belonging to the U.S. division of Boy Scouts, which makes the religious litmus test all the more inappropriate in a secular country that welcomes citizens, of all religions or no religions. Furthermore, Boy Scouts has a congressional charter as a fraternal (not a religious group), and the president serves as the honorary commander in chief, all additional reasons why its religiously discriminatory policy must go.

The bigotry spans nearly four decades of official shunning of nonreligious boys, including high-profile cases in which exemplary troop leaders or Eagle Scouts, or even 10-year-olds spotted not repeating the "God" part of the Boy Scout oath, are expelled and treated as undesirables.

While many local troops undoubtedly look the other way, Boy Scouts officially pushes a Declaration of Religious Principles. Leaders have even turned away crying 6-year-olds from recruitment events held in public schools after advertising that "Any boy may join."

The Girl Scouts dropped its requirements long ago that girls, to join, must believe in God. While the group did not drop religion from its oath, it announced an official position that girls need not be religious or recite that part of the oath in order to join.

The Boy Scouts of America has nothing to lose in adopting a similar policy. Part of its harsh new approach to expel and reject nonreligious boys starting in the 1970s undoubtedly stemmed from the influence the Mormon church had on the organization, with Mormon scout troops heavily dominating. The Mormon church has eschewed Boy Scouts entirely since it liberalized its stance on permitting gay boys, so the Boy Scouts is no longer beholden to conservative religious troops.

It's time for the public to demand an end to this un-American and hypocritical exclusion of atheists and other nonreligious children. Such discrimination against religious minorities or racial minorities would not be tolerated. Why is it still socially acceptable to exclude boys from nonreligious homes? Boy Scouts should be teaching harmony, not bigotry.

https://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/30616-boy-scouts-must-stop-excluding-atheists

[juxtaposed]

6. I was an atheist when i was a scout and had a few friends that were also back in the 70's. the scou

ts never had a problem back then.. from what i remember.

[FreeState]

8. It depends on the troop, or at least it use to

Much like becoming an Eagle Scout, the scouting organization was very fragmented when I took part. If you were in a Mormon group all you had to do was show up every week and you would get an eagle with minimal effort. On the other hand, mention you dont believe in God, and you would be gone (if your family wasn't LDS).

[juxtaposed]

9. never knew

[dhol82]

3. It's more than what they did in the past.

Good for them.

[juxtaposed]

4. there are a lot of DU's that where scouts. That said, from a former scout they seem to be listenin

g now.

[Stonepounder]

5. I was a Scout way, way back in the 50's.

[juxtaposed]

7. how did that work out?

[Stonepounder]

10. Well, I had liberal parents who would probably disowned me had I been involved in an incident like

the one in Alabama. Between the scouts and my parents I was taught to respect my elders, treat all people with respect, to try and live up to the ideals that all people are created equal and that race and/or color of skin is irrelevant to determining who that person really is, that your freedom to swing your arm ends where my nose begins, to do my best to help people less fortunate than me, to not really care about your religion (or lack thereof) but to look at how you behave to others, and so on.

I still carry those beliefs with me today (although treating my elders with respect is getting easier because there are so many fewer than there were back then). So, as far as I'm concerned it seems to have worked out OK.