Gov. Richardson would not accept honorary BSA chair if elected

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/09/092707richardson.htm

 

(Hanover, New Hampshire) Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday night

that he is if elected president he would her would refuse to accept

the position of Honorary Chair of the Boy Scouts of America because of

Scouting''s ban on gays.

 

The New Mexico governor made the pledge during a Democratic

presidential debate in Hanover, New Hampshire.

 

Richardson was asked if he would accept the chair of the organization,

traditionally offered to presidents.

 

"No, I wouldn''t, because I think as president I would commit myself,

number one, that I will be a leader that prevents discrimination on

the basis of race, gender and sexual orientation," he replied.

 

No president has refused the offer of chair of the Boy Scouts.

 

In 2000 the Supreme Court turned down an appeal from a scout leader

from New Jersey who was fired when the organization learned he is gay

and in a longterm relationship.

 

The high court ruled that the Boys Scouts and its affiliates could

prohibit gays because it is a private organization.

 

The ruling said the Constitution gave scouts the right to choose its

members. The Scouts also prohibits atheists.

 

Membership in the BSA has declined since the Supreme Court ruling.

 

A number of cities banned the scouts from using public facilities, and

charitable groups like some United Way chapters cut off the scouts.

 

But, in cities where agencies like the United Way continues to fund

the BSA it has been alleged that troops are being encouraged to list

fake names as members to boost enrolment making the group eligible for

more money.

 

In 2005 the FBI began an investigation into charges scout leaders in

Alabama, Georgia, and Texas pumped up the number of scouts in their

troops in order to obtain more funding from the United Way and other

charitable organizations.

 

Richardson, like other Democratic candidates, has specifically

targeted the LGBT vote. But during last month''s Democratic

Presidential Forum sponsored by Logo television, which owns

365Gay.com, and the Human Rights Campaign Richardson in response

to a question said, that he believed that sexual orientation

was a "choice."

 

He later apologized saying he had misunderstood the question.

 

Richardson has a record of being generally supportive of LGBT issues,

although he opposes same-sex marriage, preferring civil unions

instead.

 

Last March Richardson recalled the New Mexico legislature to deal with

several bills including domestic partner legislation that died when

the session ended.

 

In 2003, he issued an executive order providing state employees, both

gay and straight, with the option of providing their partners health

insurance through domestic partner coverage. Under the order, domestic

partner coverage is not available to employees after they retire,

while spousal coverage is provided.

 

Late last year Richardson joined LGBT activists in calling for a

statewide domestic partner law that would provide the same benefits

as marriage.

 

The measure passed the House but the Senate stripped out many of the

bill''s provisions, making it according to gay rights groups

meaningless. When the revised bill returned to the House the original

language was restored but the session ended before the Senate could

vote again.

 

Richardson in March was the keynote speaker at a major event in Los

Angeles sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign.

[evmori]

Lot''s of truth stretching in this article!

 

Membership in the BSA has declined since the Supreme Court ruling.

 

As of the end of August 2007, membership is up compared to August 2006.

 

But, in cities where agencies like the United Way continues to fund the BSA it has been alleged that troops are being encouraged to list fake names as members to boost enrolment making the group eligible for

more money.

 

Partial truth. The inference is every city which is a total falsehood.

 

Richardson is a waffler anyway! His chances of being elected are slim to none! This is nothing more than a political ploy to get votes! And an inaccurate political ploy! If ya wanna hitch your wagon to this guy, go ahead! The line is short!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Trevorum]

Ed, I wouldn''t vote for him either, but you are missing the point. Regardless of one''s personal politics, it is significant that a major and serious candidate for the US presidency has publically repudiated the policies of the BSA. This would have been unthinkable a generation ago, even for a fringe candidate The message is clear: to a significant proportion of the US population, BSA no longer holds the moral highground. That is truly sad.

[BrentAllen]

"The message is clear: to a significant proportion of the US population, BSA no longer holds the moral highground. That is truly sad."

 

And there''s the rub - do we compromise our values to appease a small segment of our society? Or do we stand firm, supported by the vast majority of Americans, and by the Constitution?

 

Have we ever discussed this before? ;^)

[OldGreyEagle]

Well Trev, one could say that Boy Scouts have lost the moral highground or that presidential candidates no longer seek it. It is in the eye of the beholder...

 

As interesting sidelight, let''s say Senator Clinton becomes president. That would make her the Honorary President of the BSA, which she may or may not accept, but thats not the issue. The spouse of the president has traditionally been the honorary president of the GSUSA. Now, keeping with tradition that would make her husband the honorary president of the Girl Scouts and can you imagine the costernation that could cause?

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

It looks like being elected honorary president of the BSA isn''t automatic, but is voted on by the executive board. But there also doesn''t seem to be an option for anyone else to be elected as honorary president, only honorary vice-presidents.

http://marketing.scouting.org/resources/factsheets/02-531.html

I can''t find anything official on the honorary head of the GSUSA; it looks like first ladies as honorary president started with Ladybird Johnson, as she''s the earliest listed.

 

[fixed URL](This message has been edited by Merlyn_LeRoy)

[scoutldr]

I wish Bill Clinton had declined. And my Eagle certificate is "signed" by Richard Nixon. I''m not too proud of that, either. But I took it for what it was...just one of thousands of honorary titles and degrees that are bestowed on the sitting President. None of them really mean anything.

 

I think the last President that actively engaged the BSA was FDR...or maybe Gerald Ford.

[acco40]

scoutldr - My son''s Eagle Certificate is signed by the President of the United States of America. I''m extremely proud of that. The President happened to be George W. Bush - a politician I''m not very fond of but I have high respect for the office.

 

Now, if Mr. Richardson does not like the current membership criteria of the BSA he has every right to decline any honorary titles. Atheist groups lobbied Bill Clinton to step down as honorary head of the BSA.

 

What peaks my interest is what would the BSA do if Barney Frank were elected President of the USA? :-)

[BadenP]

Or even Rudy Guiliani with his colorful sexual exploits, including the stories of his own homosexuality. What about Fred Thompson and all his time in Hollywood and a wife young enough to be his daughter. Life is always full of surprises isn''t it.

[eisely]

The more I learn about the governor of New Mexico, the lower my opinion goes. He is far from the worst of the candidates vying for the nomination, but his statement regarding BSA is nothing more than pandering to a particular constituency. He may find that he needs BSA more than BSA needs him.

[evmori]

Actually, Trevorum, I''m not missing the point. Richardson is stumping for votes & will probably say just about anything to get as many as he can! Tis the season!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[epalmer84]

According to http://www.girlscoutstotem.org/news/News_pdfs/HistoryofGS.pdf Edith Wilson was the first honorary president of the Girl Scouts in 1917.

 

Lou Henry Hoover was probably the first lady who supported the Girl Scouts the most. She was the president of the Girl Scouts from 1922 to 1925, chairman of the National Board of Directors from 1925 to 1928, honorary president from 1929 to 1933 and president again from 1935 to 1937.

 

Ed

[Trevorum]

"Richardson is stumping for votes & will probably say just about anything to get as many as he can!"

 

Ed, that is precisely my point. Regardless of what the candidate thinks, he knows that a large segment of the voting population - large enough that he wants their votes - no longer sees the BSA as reflecting positive moral values. To this segment, BSA represents the prejudice and bigotry against minorities of the past century.

 

And Brent, I''m not so sure that a "vast majority" of Americans supports the BSA style of prejudice against homosexuals. National poll data on changing attitudes towards homosexuality would seem to suggest otherwise. It may well be that the vast majority of your friends and aquaintances feel this way, but they may not be a statistically valid sample of all Americans (just as I know my own friends are skewed )

[scoutldr]

acco,

 

I respect the Office as well. Apparently more so than Nixon and Clinton did.

 

As for Barney Frank, I think the title of "Honorary President" would just quietly disappear.(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[Trevorum]

BadenP,

I''m not sure I follow your comment about Fred Thompson. Having a much younger wife - is that a good thing or a bad thing in your thinking? (and why?)