It's nice to know who your friends are

[eisely]

The column below appeared in The Washington Times. Nat Henthoff would probably be offended if you called him a conservative. He used to write primarily for The Village Voice many years ago. The list of organizations opposing the boy scouts contains a few surprises, but not many.

 

Cut America's Boy Scouts a break

 

 

 

Nat Hentoff

 

A year ago, the Boy Scouts won a vital First Amendment victory in the U.S. Supreme Court, which declared that the Boy Scouts right of free association enabled them to remove James Dale from a leadership position after in violation of the Boy Scouts principles publicly declared his homosexuality.

Since then, the Boy Scouts have been treated like pariahs around the country. Cities have barred them from schools. In some places, police can no longer sponsor Boy Scouts programs in areas where kids have no other after-school activities. And "public-spirited" private organizations have stopped funding Boy Scout troops.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) affiliate in San Diego as George Mason University law professor Peter Ferrara noted in the Weekly Standard "is suing the city to evict the Scouts from Balboa Park, where they built and have long operated excellent camping and recreational facilities open to the public."

The national ACLU, in one of its excursions into extreme political correctness, opposed the Boy Scouts when Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale went before the Supreme Court. In doing so, the ACLU, which was founded to protect the First Amendment, ignored Supreme Court precedents. One such precedent states: "The First Amendment guarantees the . . . freedom to associate or not to associate." It is the "freedom to identify the people who constitute the association, and to limit the association to those people only." (Democratic Party of U.S. vs. Wisconsin, 1981).

Should the NAACP be forced by the courts or by the ACLU to allow adherents of white racist organizations to take leadership positions in the NAACP? Should disability-rights groups be compelled to have disciples of Dr. Jack Kevorkian in leadership roles?

In a significant Florida court decision, the Boy Scouts First Amendment rights have been upheld after they were evicted from the Broward County public schools. The court said that once school facilities are open to other organizations, they cannot be denied to a group because of its views.

Now, Rep. Van Hilleary of Tennessee has successfully introduced in the House an amendment to the large-scale education bill called the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. His amendment requires schools that receive federal funds to give the Boy Scouts the same access that they provide to other groups.

Says Mr. Hilleary: "Denying the Boy Scouts equal access to schools cuts against court precedent, the Bill of Rights and common sense. This amendment effectively ensures that schools wont be able to discriminate against the Scouts or force them to go to court to have their rights upheld."

The Hilleary amendment passed the House by voice vote, and a companion amendment by Sen. Jesse Helms passed last week. But on the House floor, during debate on the amendment, Lynn Woolsey of California presented a letter opposing the amendment. It was signed by a long list of organizations. Their names reveal how pervasively political correctness has infected Americans who cherish their own right to associate with like-minded people, but would allow local school boards to deny that right to the Boy Scouts. This is a list that exposes how much education in constitutional rights is needed in our schools and school boards. Among those on the list opposing the Boy Scouts are the following organizations:

The American Association of School Administrators; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; AFL-CIO; American Federation of Teachers; Anti-Defamation League; Council of the Great City Schools; Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; National Association of School Psychologists; National Association of Secondary School Principals; National Council of Jewish Women; National Council of La Raza; National Education Association; National PTA; National Rural Education Association; National School Boards Association; National Womens Law Center; NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund; People for the American Way; Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations; United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries.

These are good, decent people, and they desire diversity but not the diversity of viewpoints that is guaranteed by the First Amendment. They do not understand what Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor has emphasized:

"Protection of (an) associations right to define its membership derives from the recognition that the formation of an expressive association is the creation of a voice. And the selection of members is the definition of that voice."

The Helms amendment passed the Senate on June 14, along with another amendment prohibiting discrimination against any youth group, including the Boy Scouts, on the basis of viewpoint on sexual orientation. Both amendments support the First Amendment.

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

I saw that column and almost wore my fingers to the nub trying to find an electroninc posting. Then again, as saturday, June 16th was my son's Eagle project I didnt get back to it on sunday as there was the clean-up.

 

Hr Henthoff does a very good job of putting forth the real issues and laying out the rational. After all, why couldnt I campaign to be the co-ordinator of next years West Hollywood Gay Parade?

[eisely]

I think that I found this piece by Henthoff in the electronic Washington Times. I get the impression that he is writing for that paper regularly now. Go figure.

[jbroganjr]

I believe the access issue is a whole lotta of nothing but politicians blowing hot air. Access to public institutions does not need another law. BSA will prevail on this issue.

Please keep in mind, IMHO, that BSA knew this would be one of the downsides of fighting the Dale Case.

As for charter organizations abandoning BSA, many of them have their hands tied by public law...the same law BSA is standing upon. It will mean a rededication of parents to find new charter organizations to keep up the great scouting program.

It is my wish that the hypocrosy of many scouters be realized... It is o.k. to discriminate against homosexuals but nobody better discriminate against us... I think taking a dose of our own medicine is a worthwile endeavor, as it puts us in other peoples shoes. The only difference is that we will be allowed to continue scouting.