Philadelphia punishes Boyscouts for protecting children

[Bill Whatcott]

Philadelphia punishes Boy Scouts because of their beliefs

Dear Bill,

The city of Philadelphia has decided to punish the Boy Scouts of America because it will not allow homosexuals to serve as Scout Leaders. City officials said they will charge the Cradle of Liberty Scouts Council $200,000 a year to use the city-owned headquarters. The Council was paying $1 per year (since 1928). The city owns the land on which the Council's 1928 Beaux Arts building sits.

The city says it is charging the scouts $200,000 a year because the scouts discriminate against homosexuals. But the city finds nothing wrong with their discrimination against the scouts because of the scouts' belief.

The action by city officials means that 30 new Cub Scout packs won't be organized, and that 800 needy kids will not be going to the Council's summer camp if the city charges them $200,000.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the scouts, as a private group, have a First Amendment right to bar homosexuals from membership. Philadelphia officials, in an effort to appease the homosexual activists, began searching for a way to punish the scouts. The rent increase was the vehicle to do that.

The Cradle of Liberty Council serves about 64,000 scouts in Philadelphia and its suburbs.

[Ben Kenobi]

They did the same thing to my former scout troop, which still meets informally.

Funny, I wonder if Lord Baden-Powell could have forseen that an organisation built around developing the character of boys and helping them grow into good men would be ostracised and shunned by the very society which founded the order in the first place.

Maybe someone can see this for the madness that it is, or perhaps we have already travelled too far down the line.

[Dave from Alberta]

THe best possible response would be for conservatives to get out their cheque books and donate some cash. Would make quite the statement if the 200G was raised quickly.

[Ben Kenobi]

It sets a bad precedent.

Why should conservatives reward bullies with money? Conservatives should lease their space for the scouts free of charge. This way, not only do the scouts have a place they can meet, it makes them immune to further meddling.

[zip.com]

This is nothing new. The boy scouts have been ostracised for a number of years now for their refusal to allow homosexuals into their organization.

I'm sure they can find another way to keep the organization going. I know the parents of these young boys agree with their fear of allowing homosexuals in to possibly molest and sodomize their young men! :shock:

[Tory_canuck]

Socons should get together and purchase a piece of property and use that.That way, there is no rent, and if the city tries to tax em at an extremely high rate, it would be unconstitutional cuz it would be considered unfair taxation without representation as well as violation of property rights......something the US constitutuon stands against.