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I currently participate in scouting as a member of the Troop Committee for Troop 387 in the Thompson-Poudre District of the Longs Peak Council in the Boy Scouts of America.
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On April 8, 2003, California Assembly Member Jackie Goldberg (who represents
a district in Los Angeles) introduced a resolution which praises the Boy
Scouts of America, but then urges them to include homosexuals and athiests
as members, contrary to the values of Scouting.
Following is the text of an email that I sent to her:
Subject: California Resolution 89
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 14:01:38 -0600
To: Assemblymember.Goldberg@assembly.ca.gov
Shame on you, Jackie Goldberg,
I am appalled by your sponsorship and support of of Resolution 89
in the California Legislature, a shameless political attempt to
censure the Boy Scouts of America for holding opinions that differ
from your own special interests.
Your authority as a representative should not be abused in
this manner. Lawmakers should be chief in protecting the
rights of all persons who they represent--not trying to suppress
them by this kind of facist political action.
The Supreme court of this country has ruled that the scouts have the
right to choose the leaders which reflect their own values.
Although you may personally disagree with the BSA's position of not
wanting homosexuals to serve as scout leaders, that does not
justify this ill-concieved legislation.
Perhaps you don't understand why the BSA has this position. Many
people think that the scouting program is just hiking, camping and
having fun in the outdoors. The scout program in intended to build
character and instill values in young people while they are having fun.
One of the key methods of scouting is the association of scouts
with their adult leaders. We carefully choose these leaders to be
examples of our values and morals. Scouting would be destroyed
if we were not free to choose our own values and the leaders which
represent them.
Each organization who charters a BSA pack, troop, team, or crew
has it's own local unit committee, which chooses men and women
that it trusts to be exemplary leaders of their children. I
serve on such a committee, and consider your support of this
resolution an offense to all free persons.
Sincerely,
Berthoud, Colorado
Angela Bradstreet is a partner in
the law firm of Carroll, Burdick, and McDonough.
In the summer of 2002, she used her influence as president of the Bar
Association of San Francisco to pass a policy to ban members of the San
Francisco Superior Court from participating as members of the Boy Scouts.
The pretext for this action is because the BSA discriminates on the basis of
sexual orientation.
Following is the text of an email that I sent to her:
To: abradstreet@cbmlaw.com
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 06:57:17 -0600
Subject: Attempt to suppress right to freely associate
Dear Ms. Bradstreet,
I am appalled by the attempts by the San Francisco Superior Court and
the Bar Association of San Francisco to suppress the right of their own
members to freely associate with the Boy Scouts of America.
Your authority as president of the bar associate should not be abused in
this attempt to punish those who have different opinions than yourself.
Judges and laywers should be chief in protecting the rights of all people
in this country--not trying to suppress them by this kind of facist political
action.
The Supreme court of this country has ruled that the scouts have the
right to choose the leaders which reflect their own values.
Although you may personally disagree with the BSA's position of not
wanting homosexuals to serve as scout leaders, that does not
justify this ill-concieved policy.
Perhaps you don't understand why the BSA has this position. Many
people think that the scouting program is just hiking, camping and
having fun in the outdoors. The scout program in intended to build
character and instill values in young people while they are having fun.
One of the key methods of scouting is the association of scouts
with their adult leaders. We carefully choose these leaders to be
examples of our values and morals. Scouting would be destroyed
if we were not free to choose our own values and the leaders which
represent them.
Each organization who charters a BSA pack, troop, team, or crew
has it's own local unit committee, which chooses men and women
that it trusts to be exemplary leaders of their children.
Sincerely,
Berthoud, Colorado