Obama refuses to sign Eagle certificates

[GernBlansten]

Just got this email from my conservative relatives.

I can't believe Obama would trash the BSA like this! Thank God for Glenn Beck to bring this to our attention.

 

Email text:

It is with tremendous sadness that I send this to my friends,

unfortunately this information goes a long, long way to confirm the

worst possible motives behind the man who fooled so many gullible American people

into voting for him. The story you heard yesterday about President Obama refusing

to sign Eagle Scout Awards is true.

He won't sign life saving awards either.

Every President since 1912 has been the honorary President of the Boy

Scouts of America. President Obama refused that honor. Did you hear

anything about the Boy Scouts 100th Anniversary? Why did the press ignore it?

Let's see, they promote honor, integrity, putting others first, love of

country and of course they believe in God. Not much press coverage on this story,

the first president in 100 years to insult his finest citizens, Eagle

Scouts.

 

John Beauregard, CEO of the South Texas Council of the Boy Scouts of

America joins us just after 7AM.

David Haynie has two sons who have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

Dave Hiser's son is working on his Eagle Scout award now.

 

This is the E-mail Linda Thacker, sent to Glenn Beck and I forwarded

to Glenn's producer Adam:

 

Dear Mr. Beck,

On March 24, 2009 I had the honor of attending my Grandson, David

Osborne's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. I imagine you have attended one

of these wonderful ceremonies. I also feel confident that you are very

knowledgeable of what it means to have earned the status of Eagle Scout. Our entire

family is so very excited and at the Court of Honor we were all just beaming

as our wonderful young man was honored for his achievements. After the Court

was closed David's leaders pulled him aside and explained to him that they

regretted to have to explain to him, as sad as it is, that his

certificate was different from others they had presented because his certificate did

not have the signature of the President of the United States. They

explained that Obama does not support the Boy Scouts of America and therefore does

not sign the Eagle Certificates. To date I believe there may be as many as

10,000 of this countries finest young men who do not have the signature of

the president of the country they have taken an oath to respect and serve

on their Eagle Certificate. To my knowledge Congress chartered BSA in 1916

part of which the President of the United States is the Honorary President of

The Boy Scouts of America and President Obama is the first sitting

president to personally refuse to sign these certificates. I believe if the country

were to be educated on national television of what the Boy Scouts of

America stands for they would join those of us who already know, and would be

as outraged as we are!

 

 

Also, your good friend Jim Lago was also in attendance at this Eagle

Court of Honor. I had the privilege of speaking with him this morning on his

radio talk show here in Corpus Christi and shared with him this same

information. He was equally alarmed to say the least.

This information should ignite in every parent the urgency to instill

the great values held by the Boy Scouts of America in their young men for

the cause of maintaining this great nation. We must stand united.

With appreciation, Linda Thacker, grandmother to eleven of Americas

finest future citizens, David, Erikka, Adam, Ryan, Hailey, Tygh, Mana,

Gerritt, Maya, Ezra and Lynden Osborne.

 

 

So, that's the story thus far, calls have been made, citizens are

angry, especially the parents of Eagle Scouts. Wouldn't it be wonderful if

ex-president Bush announced, he would be willing to sign all Eagle

Scout Certificates for as long as President Obama is in office?

 

We have a very small man in a very big office. Don't you think it's

time to get rid of this Un-American Muslim Traitor and get a real American

back to running our country, like what we grew up with. Because I have had

enough. WOULD IT NOT ALSO BE GREAT IF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANIDATES IN

2012 WOULD PROMISE TO SIGN ALL EAGLE SCOUT CERTIFICATES IF ELECTED.

If you feel like I do please pass this on.

 

[NJCubScouter]

This is false. See:

 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/eaglescouts.asp

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/e/obama-eagle-scouts.htm

 

Yes, these are Internet sites and therefore inherently suspect, but a lot of the information above comes from the Internet as well. And then there's Glenn Beck, who would never let the truth stand in the way of a good tirade against the President. And besides, snopes.com has built up a pretty good reputation for accurate research and objectivity (I have seen them verify and debunk rumors on both sides of the political aisle.) Interestingly, some of the material in the post above is quoted verbatim in one or both of the pages I linked to.

 

As discussed in other threads, it did take awhile for the President's signature to appear on the certificates, but the evidence is that it is there now. I would look at my son's certificate to check, but he hasn't had his COH yet and according to one of these articles, the President's signature appears on certificates for young men who had their EBOR after a certain date, and my son's was a few months before that. (So why hasn't he had his COH yet, you may ask? You may, but not in this thread.)

 

I read Gern's post a couple of times for some hint of irony, some recognition that this isn't true, some acknowledgment that Glenn Beck isn't someone you should quote if you want to convince someone of something, but I didn't see it. So if this was a little joke and I was fooled, well, it wouldn't be the first time. Just ask my son, the practical joke king.(This message has been edited by njcubscouter)

[AlFansome]

Indeed, it's good we have Glenn Beck to rely on to give us the truth. A true American patriot!

[AlFansome]

NJCubScouter-

Me thinks you don't know Gern so very well... :-)

[NJCubScouter]

AlFansome, well, I did realize that possibility, but I didn't see a punch-line anywhere. I also figured that if I, a non-hater of the President, didn't quite get that it was a joke, those around here who have a much less favorable view of the President, would get it even less.

[Scoutfish]

Every time I see something that starts out" I got this e-mail..." I see flags and hear bells.

 

It could be false or could be true, but if it starts with "I got this e-mail"....., I'm skeptical right away!

[CalicoPenn]

Any chance this thread can be shut down and deleted now before anyone thinks the claims are real?

[vol_scouter]

I agree with Calico. This thread is best terminated since apparently the White House is currently signing the certificates.

[GernBlansten]

WHAT?

Are you saying that something that Glenn Beck is reporting is patently false? That he doesn't check his facts before broadcasting it? That FoxNews isn't Fair and Balanced?

Please!

Next thing you will tell me is that Breitbart didn't take that racists speech out of context. That Fox news doesn't fact check their stories.

Come on, throw me a bone here!

[GernBlansten]

VolScouter: "I agree with Calico. This thread is best terminated since apparently the White House is currently signing the certificates. "

 

Anyone else agree that a discussion of an email with scouting relevance being passed around within conservative circles should be shut down so we don't talk about it?

 

Is that scoutlike? Perhaps a review of Citz in the Nation is in order.

[NJCubScouter]

Gern, is today Don't-Make-A-Direct-Statement Day, and I missed the memo?

 

I know that Calico's heart is in the right place, but I'm not aware of any rule or precedent in this forum that would justify the deletion of this thread. On the other hand, I would feel better about it being here if the initial post had made clear, after stating this false rumor, that it was false. If you (Gern) thought that everybody would "get it", you apparently have a higher opinion of humanity than I do. But hopefully, they will also read the three posts after your initial one, and "get it."

[sherminator505]

Show of hands - who bought it? (My hand is down, BTW)

[bacchus]

Yeah Sherm, I was about to check Snopes myself until I saw NJCub's response. We see these hoaxes all the time.

 

Although it does say a bit about peoples' predisposition to believe that if Beck said something that it must be some form of quackery. Clearly, that's Rush Limbaugh's job.

[Gags]

This was already discussed (and resolved?) back in December of '09: http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=260065

 

And Gern - your post was very difficult to interpret. I know many of you see the words "Beck" and "Fox", and then take everything else at face value, but was anything you posted actually said on-air by Beck?

 

I agree that the USDA fiasco wasn't exactly a bright spot in Breitbart's career, but I've watched Beck enough times to doubt he actually uttered the words "Don't you think it's time to get rid of this Un-American Muslim Traitor and get a real American back to running our country, like what we grew up with." It seems like these are the words of original writer of the email. (If he said "Un-American Socialist", then maybe I could attribute it to Beck. :-) )

 

That said, I agree that this thread should be either deleted or re-titled by the original poster or moderator. Perhaps just changing the title to "Did Obama refuse to sign..." would make contents of the thread clearer.

 

YiS,

 

Gags

[desertrat77]

I vote to leave the thread as is. The email was proven false, and if a reader isn't going to spend an extra 30 seconds scanning the thread to comprehend that, then they probably will jump to other conclusions as well.