Fear of ACLU lawsuits force Scouts to scrap troop charters
Posted on February 9, 2006
Hat tip Uncooperative Blogger
From the Macomb Daily
Troops of Boy Scouts in Macomb County and around the country are scuttling their organizational charter agreements with local governments, fearing legal action from the American Civil Liberties Union for requiring allegiance to God.
An official at the Boy Scouts of America’s regional Clinton Valley Council, which oversees most Scout troops in Macomb and Oakland counties, confirmed this week the group is directing dozens of local packs and troops to seek out new charter agreements in the private sector rather than with government bodies because of fears of possible litigation.
“This will allow us to focus our resources on the children and to continue helping them take part in activities and learn skills, rather than worry about lawsuits and defending the organizations that work with us,” said Kevin Nichols, a supervisor of charter organization and registration matters for the Clinton Valley Council of the Scouts in Waterford.
This pledge, along with any other required acknowledgment of God, poses a government endorsement or sanction of religion violating the Establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution — at least whenever it involves a Scout troop in a charter agreement with a government body, the ACLU has contended in recent litigation.
“There wasn’t really litigation threatened. We sent them (the Scouts) a letter saying that we’d noticed the number of these arrangements with government agencies and we were concerned,” said Ed Yohnka, a spokesman for the ACLU of Illinois where the controversy first originated. “And they’ve responded by informing us they will go ahead and alter those arrangements on their own.”
Rees Lloyd, a former ACLU attorney, has an excellent post at WND on this topic. Having interviewed this man before, I know I can’t say it better than he can.
Millions of American men have had their ethical and moral characters shaped by the Boy Scout’s Oath and Law in the 96 years of its effort to help American boys to “Be Prepared,” and “Morally Straight” and adult men of character. Every president of the United States has been involved with the Scouts in some capacity before election, with one exception. And all U.S. presidents have agreed to serve as honorary president of the Boy Scouts during his term of office.
Notwithstanding, the Boy Scouts of America has been under nationwide attack by the American Civil Liberties Union by multiple lawsuits against the Scouts for their refusal to admit overt homosexuals as Scout leaders and for the Scout Oath to do “my duty to God and my Country.” The ACLU’s hate-litigation attack increased in ferocity after the Supreme Court ruled in 2000 in the Dale case that the Scouts have the right to set their own standards for Scout leaders.
Many schools and other local government bodies have withdrawn sponsorship or support for the Boy Scouts due to the chilling affect of the ACLU’s lawsuits or threats of lawsuits – including threats to seek court-ordered, taxpayer-paid attorney fees – on the ACLU’s claim that the Scouts are a “religion” because of the Scout Oath, and any governmental assistance is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Although most Americans would conclude on a common-sense basis that it is preposterous to contend the Boy Scouts are “a religion,” the ACLU convinced a like-minded lawyer sitting as federal judge in Chicago to hold that Department of Defense assistance to the annual Boy Scout Jamboree – which every president of the U.S. has supported – is a violation of the Establishment Clause because the Boy Scouts is a “religion.”
Congress responded to attacks on the Boy Scouts by passage of the bipartisan Support Our Scouts Act of 2005, which President Bush, himself a former Cub Scout, signed into law on Dec. 30, 2005. It provides that the Boy Scouts cannot be excluded from governmental facilities, programs, or forums.
Many Americans have come forward to stand with the Scouts against the hate-litigation of the ACLU, including, among others, the wartime veterans in the 2.7-million member American Legion, which sponsors over 2,500 Boy Scout Troops:
“The American Legion will stand with the Boy Scouts all the way to the Supreme Court,” American Legion National Commander Tom Bock has pledged, adding: “The American Legion strongly supports the Public Expression of Religion Act, HR 2679, which will withdraw the authority of judges to award the ACLU attorney fees in Establishment Clause lawsuits against the Boy Scouts and public bodies which support them.”
The famous Scout Oath, which now generates so much ACLU hate-litigation despite being in use in building character in boys for 96 years, states only:
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To Keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
The Scout Law provides only:
A Scout is: Trustworthy, Obedient, Loyal, Cheerful, Helpful, Thrifty, Friendly, Brave, Courteous, Clean, Kind, Reverent.
These are the principles the ACLU attacks in its hate-litigation to destroy the Scouts.
The Boy Scouts, despite the drain on its resources in fighting the hate-litigation of the ACLU, has refused to abandon the Scout Oath, or the Scout Law, or its standards in fulfilling its mission to serve youth.
“The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America is the same today as it was 96 years ago,” states Chief Scout Executive Roy L. Williams. “Scouting has remained constant and true to its mission and helping them learn to make better decisions throughout their lives.”
The ACLU should be ashamed.
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Boyscouts, News
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16 Responses to “Fear of ACLU lawsuits force Scouts to scrap troop charters”
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Further proof that “Stop the ACLU” is a necessary organization.
And, further proof that the ACLU cannot stand anything that is decent and patriotic in America. Apparently, they are compelled to drag everything good and decent down to their level of hate and contention and evil.
I wonder which President was not associated with Scouting?
The ACLU should be ashamed, but aren’t. Which is even scarier.
It will be interesting to see how the new court deals with it’s first separation cases.
To the ACLU, the Boy Scouts are a greater threat than are terrorists.
As a cubmaster, I made arrangements with the local VA to charter our cub pack, after the school refused to do so.
Absolutely shameless…
There will be no low step beyond which The American Cabal of Leftist Uber-fascists will stoop.
They are beyond reprehensible.
If the boy scouts want to discriminate against atheists, homosexuals, or whomever else, they should be allowed to do so, but governments shouldn’t put their seals of approval on this discrimination. The ACLU is absolutely right on this issue.
The ACLU is absolutely moronic and wrong on this issue. By permitting citizens to use a school meeting room THAT’S NOT BEING USED AT NIGHT is only the minds of the ACLU and Jason a “seal of approval.”
But then again, the ACLU HATES anything to do with good and right, so it’s natural they would oppose such a good group.
Jason:
The Boy Scouts do not Discriminate illegally against anyone. If atheists, homosexuals, or whomever else, wish to obey the scout law and its rules they can become members. This is not discrimination to require members of an organization to follow that organization’s rule.
What you want is for the Boy Scouts to change their rules to please you. If athiests and homosexuals cannot, without lying, pledge to those rules, then they should go their way and leave the Boy Scouts alone.
If a motorcycle club requires its members to own and ride a motorcycle, are you going to force them to change and let you in if you hate motorcycles?
Finally, what responsible parent could look to the Catholic Church and Bernard Law and sleep at night if they welcomed homosexuals that did not swear to obey Boy Scout rules and laws?
Sadly the bas***** at the American Communist Lawyers Union are happy they have put this much fear into the Scouts. It is unfortunate that the MSM is only covering the riots and not mentioning a word of this.
What you want is for the Boy Scouts to change their rules to please you.
No, you apparently didn’t read my comment. I don’t care what the boy scouts do, so long as they do it with private resources. I’m all for freedom of association. Just don’t make me pay for associations that discriminate.
Jason you didnt read the words.
The Boy Scouts do not illegally discriminate against anyone.
Repeat that a few times and then try to understand it.
Lorna, are you really that dense? I never said that the boy scouts discriminate illegally. I only said that they discriminate. Not all discrimination is illegal, nor should it be.
Jason, dont start name calling. If the discrimination is not illegal, then its not illegal and antidiscrimination laws do not apply. Get it? Then all public funds are OK, get it?
Enough, live your life, but leave the Boy Scouts alone.
Jason, dont start name calling.
Loma, I’m sorry I got your name wrong. The “m” in your name looks like an “rn” on my monitor. Perhaps I need to dust off my screen, or perhaps it’s impending middle age.
If the discrimination is not illegal, then its not illegal and antidiscrimination laws do not apply. Get it? Then all public funds are OK, get it?
There’s a difference between “not illegal” and “worthy of government subsidy.” The boy scounts’ discrimination falls into the first category, but not the second.
Enough, live your life, but leave the Boy Scouts alone.
I’m happy to leave them alone, so long as they keep their hands out of my wallet.
Jason, of course you’re entitled to your opinion, but if you just think about it, much more of your tax dollars go to wasteful and frivolous litigation proposed by the ACLU while they routinely turn down chances to defend far more important impingements on the rights of others. “That” bothers me. It bothers me a lot.
The Boy Scouts do not get anything that hundreds more institutions don’t get who have similar charters or stipulations for membership. They apply for grants from local governments just like anyone else, just like “real” religious organizations, for secular activities like learning programs, job placement, rehabilitation programs, etc. A good deal of their “funding” isn’t funding at all. They simply don’t get charged for using an empty school cafeteria at night, camping in a public park free of charge, etc. And they probably leave their surroundings better than they were when they arrived. They perform many community services for the betterment of all. I’d gleefully consider any funds granted as payment for a service.
The ACLU’s behavior could be better described as a vendetta with the zeal they have for going after an honorable institution.
In the aftermath of Katrina, in each of the states adjacent to Louisiana, Boy Scout troops used their campgrounds and gathered enough volunteers to obtain a ratio of 2 displaced persons for each volunteer.
Since the relief effort being done by the BSA started in September, NEVER ONCE have the displaced persons been refused assistance on account of sexual orientation, race, religion, or any other reason at all. The only criteria was that the people were in need, and the Scouts are helping. There has been NOT ONE INSTANCE of discrimination from the BSA on its hurricane relief.
The ACLU is morally wrong on this issue.
Bravo Fausta.
Long live the Boy Scouts!
And, I am so happy that someone with recent personal knowledge of the good the Scouts do came forward. Well said! Thanks.
Jason: Discrimination is not illegal as you have said. Public resources is also not illegal. The government CAN endorese Boy Scouts, and there is no clause in the Consitution that says otherwise.