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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

Boy Scout policy narrow, extreme

I agree with Ms. Darcy Lemon ("Boy Scouts don't deserve criticism," Oct. 10) that the Boy Scouts are a private organization. The Supreme Court says it is so, and so it is. Those leaders who hold the reins of power in the Boy Scouts have the legal right to use its name and resources any way they want.\nBut I think we all know the truth. In a deeper moral sense the Boy Scouts belong to all Americans. Ms. Lemon is quite right to point out that the issue is one of morals and values. But we are not talking just about the values of the Boy Scouts, but about the values all Americans hold dear.\nFor decades, the Boy Scouts have been an important protector of American values. Generations of young men have learned the importance of kindness, courtesy and respect from the Boy Scouts. I am one of those men. But the current leadership of the Boy Scouts has seen fit to turn its back on those values. By discriminating against gay and atheist people, the Boy Scouts teach young men that it is OK to be unkind, rude and disrespectful toward people with different religious beliefs and sexual orientations.\nParents across America are rightly concerned about the impact this message might have on their children. It is a destructive message to our society and personally harmful to the young men who receive it. I encourage parents reading this to become more involved in your Scout units. Talk to the Scoutmaster and make sure he knows how you feel about this issue. Many in Scouting resist this policy, either quietly or openly. By supporting inclusiveness in local Scout units, parents might be able to help turn Scouting back to its true path.\nThose like Ms. Lemon who promote the Boy Scouts' policy of discrimination run the risk of destroying Scouting for the sake of a narrow and extreme version of morality. But with the help of parents, Scouts and concerned citizens, an important reservoir of American values may yet be saved.\nMichael Craw\nGraduate student\nCo-coordinator, Hoosiers for Inclusive Scouting

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