Scouts Finally Breaking Ties with Government Agencies

The Boy Scouts of America fought all the way to the Supreme Court for the legal ability to call themselves a private organization and, therefore, be able to discriminate against anyone for any reason. They won, but was it a pyrrhic victory? Now, as a private and discriminatory organization, they aren't permitted access to government funding or endorsement.

Chad Halcom explains how, finally, scouting groups are ending their ties to government agencies in order to avoid lawsuits:

An official at the Boy Scouts of America’s regional Clinton Valley Council, which oversees most Scout troops in Macomb and Oakland counties, confirmed this week the group is directing dozens of local packs and troops to seek out new charter agreements in the private sector rather than with government bodies because of fears of possible litigation.

“This will allow us to focus our resources on the children and to continue helping them take part in activities and learn skills, rather than worry about lawsuits and defending the organizations that work with us,” said Kevin Nichols, a supervisor of charter organization and registration matters for the Clinton Valley Council of the Scouts in Waterford.

Defenders of the Boy Scouts may make two “mistakes” in these cases. First, they make the “mistake” of suggesting that the Boy Scouts themselves are or would be targeted by lawsuits; the truth is that the government agencies that would be targeted for promoting or endorsing religion and/or discrimination. Private groups are allowed to do this so long as they remain private; the government is not allowed to do this, but they do end up doing it indirectly by affiliating with and helping discriminatory organizations.

A second “mistake” that is made is when defenders portray such discrimination as merely an issue of personal, private freedom. Even if it’s true that a private group can discriminate all they want and for any reason they want, this doesn’t mean that the government can or should endorse and support the efforts of such a group. On the contrary, the government has a positive obligation to ensure that all citizens are treated equally — government support for the Boy Scouts’ discrimination against gays and atheists is no more legal or acceptable than would be similar government support for a group that discriminated against Latinos or Catholics. The only reason that defenders of the Boy Scouts don’t accept the implications of this is their tacit or explicit acceptance of the premise that gays and atheists are deserving of both official and unofficial discrimination.

 

Understanding Atheism & Atheists:

• Atheism 101
• What is Atheism?
• Defining Atheism
• Is Atheism a Religion?
• Who Are Atheists?
• Why Don't Atheists Believe in God?
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Christian & Religious Privilege:

• Religious Privilege
• Christian Privilege
• Hidden Christian Privileges
• Christian Supremacy
• Boy Scouts of America