Peregrinator

Whether or not one feels insulted is a matter of subjectivity. But whether or not one actually is insulted is an objective matter. Did AZMike call you names or belittle your intelligence? Quit whining. As I'm not whining, I find it difficult to quit. Interestingly enough, in working with children (including my own) I've found that a common source of whining is the claim that their feelings are hurt.

Like I said, you don't get to decide if I've been insulted; I do. You should not be surprised that people challenge you when your words don't conform to reality. But it's not a shock that the person who is most comfortable with insulting others in this forum would himself feel insulted.

But Romney's a human being too. Unfortunately politics tends to attract the sort of person that isn't particularly humble. So when we find out that they didn't have perfect childhoods it tends to detract from their image as paragons of leadership and virtue.

Peregrinator, you don't get to decide if I've been insulted; I do. You may be offended but it does not follow that you were insulted. I find it interesting that that was the one part of my post to which you responded. That suggests to me that you're not interested in scouting or working with youth.(This message has been edited by Peregrinator)

AZMike does of course feel welcome to insult me, because he's a member of the BSA, and I'm a second-class citizen according to the BSA. But he didn't insult you. Maybe you should do something constructive, like starting your own group affiliated with an "inclusive" organization like SpiralScouts or BPSA. One of the reasons that the GOP will lose the upcoming election is that they don't have much to say for themselves other than "We're not Obama." They don't give voters a positive reason to vote for them. Similarly, if critics of the BSA never do anything positive, then they will forever be defined by their opposition to the BSA and won't be viewed as a force for change. But then starting your own group takes real work.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

http://www.snopes.com/language/mistakes/noprice.asp Alexander III personally wrote the death sentence of a prisoner with the following words: "Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia." His wife Dagmar (daughter of Christian IX, king of Denmark) believed the man innocent. She saved his life by transposing the comma. The sentence then read: "Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia."

you want to punish Intel because they used to give money to the BSA. Private company stops giving $$$ to private organization. Private individual responds by complaining to private organization and, when that doesn't work, giving his business to private company's competitors.

I find the whole para-military / scout connection humorous... being that the founder was a military man, and how much BSA likes to use the stats on how many astronauts and military cadets / generals were scouts as youth... you can't have it both ways. All true, but, as Baden-Powell said in 1912: "I've seen enough of war to want to keep away from the military idea. Woodcraft, handicraft, and all those things are invaluable. First aid and all that goes with it is excellent; but the boys should be kept away from the idea that they are being trained so that some day they may fight for their country. It is not war-scouting that is needed now, but peace-scouting. The explorers, the pioneers, the persons who are always on the lookout to do something for the benefit of humanity, are the ones who count, and that should be the motto of every boy scout." http://books.google.com/books?id=AYlGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA197&lpg=PA197&dq=%22I%E2%80%99ve+seen+enough+of+war+to+want+to+keep+away+from+the+military+idea.%22&source=bl&ots=r9ik96kV3F&sig=Gx_HAvaMTSCPkKnEKpJbMqqz6Qw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OtFfUP6kF4yL0QGe84DACQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22I%E2%80%99ve%20seen%20enough%20of%20war%20to%20want%20to%20keep%20away%20from%20the%20military%20idea.%22&f=false (Apologies for the long URL)

I don't think withholding donations is "force."

Yes, they really are. They have to follow actual rules. Michael Corleone: My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator. Kay Adams: Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed. Michael: Oh. Who's being naive, Kay?

I'm sorry, I thought it was you who complained that BPSA should care about what the good founder wanted. Indeed I did! And as you pointed out, if he wanted female Scoutmasters to step forward for the "young lads" then he could hardly have had co-ed groups in mind!

But it isn't scouting. What isn't scouting about it? And if it isn't scouting, what was the BSA doing for the first 75+ years of its existence?

When you have 3-4 kids it often doesn't pay for both parents to work.

Makes one wonder why atheists and homosexuals would want to be associated with such an organization.

In my area.....Home Schooling is territory for the rich folks only......Again single parent or grandparent homes.....and if here are two adults in the household both work.... I stand corrected in your situation but YOU are the exception and not the rule. Most of the folks in my circle homeschool, are single-income (Mom stays home with the kids), and run the gamut from lower middle-class to upper middle. I guess we're the exception too.

Agreed about the walkies. They don't need to be recharged; just change the batteries.

generification "Gentrification" is the term you're looking for, and it's not all that it's cracked up to be since it generally means folks with disposable income and no children.

Who needs toilet paper when you have snow? ;-)

Not sure why da family is botherin' with Boy Scouts, though. I think this is the second time I've seen this comment, and the second time it has puzzled me. Isn't scouting about more than simply learning outdoor skills?

I'm not sure hypocrisy is the right word as adults have privileges the boys don't -- and both boys and adults should understand that -- but it is definitely abusing the privilege of having a cell phone.

Because it's an adult going "You can survive a weekend (week) without your cell." Then the adult leader goes off and sits around with his cell? I think implicit in the "you can survive without your cell" is "you don't have to worry about having your cell because you are in my charge". Of course the adult leader shouldn't be sitting around with his cell phone, but as adults have many more responsibilities than boys it stands to reason that they have the greater need for a cell phone. If I go off on a camping trip my wife might still need to get in touch with me. My employer might need to get in touch with me. Etc. If an adult is constantly texting or calling from camp then I would question his dedication.

Why is it hypocrisy for the adults to have privileges the boys don't?

William Jennings Bryan, the "Co-prosecutor" taking the stand and essentially being made to look like a fool by Darrow. That is the part of the history that is false. You can read the transcript for yourself here: http://personal.uncc.edu/jmarks/Darrow.html Yes, Bryan is made to look foolish at points but he also exposes Darrow for the anti-Christian bigot he was. It's worth pointing out too that Bryan took the stand with the expectation that he would be able to examine Darrow, but the judge put a stop to Darrow's examination after an angry exchange between Darrow and Bryan and struck Bryan's testimony from the record.

I think if you are going to ban electronics to youth, you have to ban them to the adults too. Why would you have to ban them for adults if you have to ban them for youth?