perdidochas

Theoretically, I agree that full auto (or large calibers or even RPGs) shouldn't be extremely restricted as they currently are. Keeping them virtually banned is a compromise. It doesn't decrease crime. People who don't obey the law will (and do) obtain pretty much what they wish to have, from full auto weapons to illegal drugs.

The horrific events were not caused by God. They were caused by a man. God allows evil. Without evil there can be no good. It is our job on earth to work for the good.

Joebob, Exactly. Restricting or otherwise stopping the flow of ammunition won't affect anybody but the law-abiding. Ammo has a pretty long shelf-life. I can recall in the 1980s reading a test of WWII surplus ammo (40 yr old). It had maybe twice the malfunctions of new ammo, but nothing that would be of major concern. To answer the question: Reasonable is current standards. They aren't too onerous to law-abiding citizens, who are basically the only people they apply to. No restrictions stop criminals.

Basement, So do you also reject first aid kits, life jackets and helmets? The same thinking (and fear) go into carrying those as carrying guns. I don't carry a gun, but I have them in the house. Why? Hurricanes. Not quite zombies, but there is a possibility that I will be in my house without power or method to contact the police for a week or so. There are no reasonable gun restrictions that would have stopped this last horrific mass killing. The mother was apparently a very law-abiding citizen with a lot of money. There was no reason to disallow her from owning guns.

The horror in Connecticut was not caused by guns, it was caused by a failure in our mental health system and his mother. This boy needed help, and didn't get it. No "reasonable" gun control scheme I've heard suggested would have stopped this.

Motor voter is federal law. A state can't get rid of it without losing federal money.

Motor voter laws eliminated? That is the first I've heard of that. Please show evidence that they have been eliminated, Calico. Since it's a federal law, I'd be very surprised to hear that. It has not yet been established the reason for the long lines in certain precincts in Florida. There are at least two explanations, and they are being investigated. One is that it could be Republican voter suppression. The other is that they are a result of local Democratic Party politicians incompetence. The second explanation is more plausible in Florida, considering that county level election officials are responsible for determining the number of voting machines needed. The county commissions do the funding for voting machines, not state officials.

We are quickly losing our Fourth amendment rights, which are basically privacy rights. The amount of things law enforcement can do to nose in your business without a warrant is becoming very bad. In addition, we are losing our First Amendment rights to freedom of religious expression. When religious based organizations can be forced to pay private industry for procedures that they find to be wrong, our religious freedoms are in danger. To blame--politicians over the past 100 yrs or so, and those of us who have elected them. Basically, we are choosing security over liberty.

I'm actually not worried about the cool factor. I think, as AZMike said, coolness is going away. I'm concerned with making Scouting more outdoorsy. That is the thing that makes Scouting unique and different among the different options that youths have to participate in. Bookwork MBs are just bookwork, the same thing that the Scouts are getting 8 hrs a day at school. I do agree with quayze's list. Those are all great things to do.

I agree with AZMike on the increased acceptance of nerdiness/dorkiness. It may can work in our favor, but I do agree that we need to streamline the homework MBs and increase the outdoor MBS required for Eagle. I would reduce the three citizenships to one MB. I like the new cooking MB requirement, and I would bring back the 4 historical MBs, and require one of them for Eagle. I'd kill Sustainability right now, but maybe replace it with a LNT MB, which would be the equivalent of a LNT trainer. I'd add a nature study MB option: One of the following: Bird Study, Reptile and Amphibian study, Fish and Wildlife management, Insect Study, Mammal Study, Oceanography or Nature. I'd also add an outdoor activities requirement: One of the following: Backpacking, Kayaking, Canoeing, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Geocaching, Snow Sports, Scuba Diving, Climbing, Water Sports, Rowing, Skating or Small Boat Sailing.

It's not "Thou shalt not kill." That is a mistranslation (St. Jerome did a poor job on that one). The better translation is "Thou shalt not murder."

I'm pretty sure my sons would not want to wear their Class A's (yes, I know it's not the official term, but it works) to school, but they love wearing their camporee shirts as well as other scouting related T's. Can't quite figure out the relative coolness of Scouts in my area, as my sons pretty much march to the beat of their own drummers anyway.

Desertrat, I disagree. The problem is not computers, the problem is that the council staff doesn't care enough about the paperwork to keep it straight. Heck, they don't even respond to my emails asking about my status as Merit Badge Counselor. Honestly, I'm almost at a point where I think we need to go to an all volunteer organization. The "professional" staff is hardly professional to even minimal standards.

The problem is burnout and differences in unit characteristics, due primarily to age. I was a parent only for one year, and a Den Leader for five years. I was a Tiger Cub Den Leader, a Bear Den leader (different den), a WDL for two and a half years (first year and a half with the group I was Bear Den Leader for, last year with the group I was Tiger Cub Den Leader for (at crossover of the earlier Den, I became WDL for the next Den). My last year I was counting down. Part of it is that our Pack met in a church gym. Four of the five dens in the same room. It could be chaotic. My last year, I was the grumpy old Den Leader staring down solemnly at the Wolf Scouts telling them to get back to their den, and giving the evil eye to the siblings, telling them to go back to their parents. I can't imagine having to still deal with all of that. As a WDL, I passed down as much knowledge, etc. to the newer leaders as I could. The time to do so was limited by my priorities and theirs.

To clarify, our Boy Scouts cannot stand Cub Scout meetings. Too much noise and chaos. The Boy Scouts are pretty quiet. I will admit as a third year Webelos leader, I felt the same.

I think it would be horrible. I think the break and change is good.

I stand corrected about the single BOR for ranks.

A scout can work on all three simultaneously, and can even have a BOR for all three at the same time. A scout can't get First Class, though, until Tenderfoot and Second Class are earned.

We need to keep the Electoral College. If you look back in history of two candidate elections, the only time the popular vote winner has lost the electoral college is when the results were very close, less than a percent difference. We are a representative republic. When the popular vote is close, the winner of the most geographic area is the winner. Makes sense to me.

Moose, A couple of things. You have misinterpreted a lot of Republican ideas. Moosetracker wrote: 1) put up brick walls to what an individual can do.. 2) It doesn't make up laws to restrict the rights of others in voting. 3) It is not like Michigans Republican Govenor who created some sort of Emergancy take over program that allows the Republican govenor to choose any city he wishes (usually with Democratic local government) and bring in a dictator that can thow all the elected official out, fire anyone they choose, sell off any assets of the town they wish, and force the town to pay them some exorbant salary for all this help. 4) It is not Virgina's Governor Ultrasound.. 5) It is not Arizona's tough immigrations laws.. 6) If you want to stay out of buisness, then why are republicans getting involved in breaking up unions? If Government should stay out of buisness, they shouldn't take sides and try to create laws to favor their side.. That goes for laws targeted specifically to make it impossible for a specific buisness you don't like to function (Planned Parenthood).. 1. What walls are being erected by Republicans on individuals? 2. Foreign observers marvel that we don't require voter ID in most states. How is requiring proof of ID restricting other people's voting rights? 3. Unsure what you are talking about. 4. Agreed on that one, it is too intrusive, although I do think the antis are exaggerating about the exact procedure required. I've never heard of the ultrasound mentioned by pro-choicers until this argument. 5. AZ's laws just enforce federal law. It is illegal for undocumented people to work in the United States. That is not a AZ law. 6. The only unions the Republicans are against in terms of law are for public worker unions, which until fairly recently in history were considered to be unnecessary, due to the high amount of benefits we give civil service workers. Other than that, they are eliminating laws which require union membership for employment, which is pro-worker. Planned Parenthood is not a business, it is a federally subsidized non-profit. The main thing the Republicans want to do is to stop subsidizing it, which is smaller government.

Eisely, I'm with you. I'm a staunch conservative, but I would do what you did. BSA is a non-partisan non-profit. We don't need to risk our tax exempt status.

Sentinel, The tea partiers didn't lose the presidential election. The moderate who pretended to be ultra conservative lost. I support the original tea party movement from 2009 (which was basically a conservative prelude to the Occupy movement). It was a fiscal conservative movement, that was against the stimulus and Obamacare. The idea was to get away from the social issues that too often muddied the conservative movement. Somehow that got perverted to where the tea party became socially conservative as well.

Scouting again, I would imagine for use at Scout events, marijuana would be treated like tobacco/alcohol. IMHO, there are a lot of things that are legal that aren't exactly morally straight. I view marijuana that way. I think the use of it outside of Scouting by Scouters would be up to the COs.

Scouting again, I would imagine for use at Scout events, marijuana would be treated like tobacco/alcohol. IMHO, there are a lot of things that are legal that aren't exactly morally straight. I view marijuana that way. I think the use of it outside of Scouting by Scouters would be up to the COs.

Well, part of it is that our troop rarely uses axes or saws except for advancement and/or earning the Totin' chip. Of course it's a priority for some Scouts to earn those two cards. Honestly, to some scouts, it means more than advancement. I know when I was a Scout it did. My most prized award as a Scout was my Totin' chip. I still have it at age 47.