Are the Girl Scouts Anti Semitic?

[eisely]

Here is an interesting twist on political correctness. The source for this is the Jerusalem Post.

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Jewish Girl Scouts win right to march

By LAUREN GELFOND

 

Jewish Girl Scouts in New York, who were warned by the national Girl Scouts against marching in uniform at the annual Israel Day Parade because it would be "insensitive to Arab Scouts," have at the last minute received an okay, a troop leader told The Jerusalem Post.

 

The troop of 11-13-year-old girls in Scarsdale, who recently launched a pen-pal project with Palestinians, was dumbfounded by the initial admonition.

 

Uniformed Girl Scouts in the US, with the strong endorsement of Scout officials, join such festivals as Mexican pride, Hispanic heritage, and Asian New Year. They have also been encouraged to become "honorary Irish" for the St. Patrick's Day parade, which is overseen by clerics who prohibit the participation of Irish groups that do not observe Catholic ideology, including homosexuals and lesbians.

 

Though the national Girl Scouts urge its scouts to join parades of other cultures as a gesture of solidarity, it has told Jewish troops in the past that a parade for Israel is different because it is political and other parades are ethnic.

 

Critics argued that most parades have a political element, like the socialist affiliation of the Mexican celebration, and that the Girl Scouts do not consider the political issues of any other country before determining if Scouts should march in its parade.

 

Two years ago the Girl Scouts back-pedaled on their edict, following strong public pressure.

But the issue returned to the table because of safety fears and differences in how local and national councils interpret by-laws, said Mary Stroock, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Westchester Putnam: "Some people see it as a political parade."

 

After intensive meetings, the local council, directed from national, gave approval for Scouts to march in the Israel Day Parade.

 

Long before the parade became contentious this year, the Shabbat-observant troop had already launched a pen-pal project to get to know their Palestinian peers.

 

"The girls are coming at it from a more innocent point of view [than adults]," says troop leader Judy Lederman. "They are learning that the Palestinian girls are people first they are just little girls, not terrorists, they have similar interests, want to know about [things like] Brittany spears."

 

Since the writing started, dozens of Palestinian girls have signed on to correspond with their Jewish American counterparts, who are scurrying to answer the slew of letters. This week they are shipping off packages of candy, Cracker Jacks, stickers, hand-made signs in Arabic spelling 'hello' and of course, Girl Scout Cookies.

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Comment: The last three paragraphs describe something very positive that this girl scout troop is doing. However, the less than even handed attitude towards parades emanating from the national organization raises a question about that organization.

[Fat Old Guy]

I'm sure that if the Muslim Girl Scouts had wanted to march in Arab pride day parades, they'd have been encouraged to do so.

[Bob White]

How can you ask if the Girl Scouts are ati-semitic when the headline is "Jewish Girl Scouts"? It seems to me if they were anti-semetic there wouldn't be any "Jewish" Girl Scouts.

 

It's a complicated world we live in, and there are people who will try to use non-partisan organizations as devices to a political end. You cannot blame these organizations for being wary of that, or for not being as skilled in how to respond. Dodging politics is not what they are best at, or what they want to spend their resources doing.

[NJCubScouter]

Are the Girl Scouts Anti Semitic? No, just misguided occasionally -- a trait that they share with their male (er, mostly male) counterpart organization.

 

Bob says:

 

It's a complicated world we live in, and there are people who will try to use non-partisan organizations as devices to a political end.

 

Yes, there sure are -- though I suspect we are not necessarily talking about the same people.

[Bob White]

NJ

Note that I said political goals not value based goals. The BSA has no political interests. They do not look to control a government, elect a specific party, or make any rules outside their own membership. They have not tried to pass or alter any legislation that would infringe on the rights of others.

 

Now if you were talking about the efforts of political activist organizations who seek to alter the constitutionally protected rights of the BSA, now there you would have a solid point. That is indeed political.

 

You made a nice effort, but it lacked accuracy.