We'll try this out in the public forum.
I was filling out Perry's Scout registration and I got into a discussion with Staci about what is actually meant by a signature. In specific, I want my signature to mean that Perry and I will abide by scout rules and attempt to uphold the scouting tradition. I do not want my signature to mean that I support the scout policies forbiding openly gay and atheist leaders and scouts.
I wanted to simply add a brief note after my signature stating this. It would not be a loud or public protest, simply a statement of my belief that scouts should be for all boys and that while I am straight and believe in God myself, I don't believe that being gay or basing your moral grounding outside of the belief in deity makes you unworthy or dangerous as a part of scouting.
So here are my questions.
To what extent does silence imply consent? Does signing it without an adendum make me morally responsible in some small part for actions that I think are wrong?
What would be a more productive form of protest? I don't believe that my note alone would do anything except maybe cause a hangup in Perry's registration (which I don't want). Nor do I want to protest from the outside or cause scouting embarassment or hassle. However, I do believe that if everyone that wanted to be a part of scouting but disagreed with this policy voiced that opinion, the scout counsel would reconsider their decisions.
Thoughts and opinions welcome.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Well, I'll jump in just to keep the discussion going.
I don't believe silence implies consent any more than voting for a winning candidate implies you'll support his every decision. I think it doesn't imply anything more than you want to be an active, cooperative member of Boy Scouts.
I think you're correct that an addendum wouldn't change anything but could make it difficult to register Perry or yourself. Bureaucrats at this level have no power to change policy but do have power to mess up or halt your registration.
To change a policy like this you either do it with a grass roots effort or from the top down.
Top Down
Virtually every corporation in America is run by a board of directors. BSA is not an exception. You could write a letter to the board as a whole. This letter would be answered by at most a form letter. Better to write to one or more board members. And having many, many people write. It would be best to target only those who might be sympathetic to your cause. For example, it would be fruitless to write to an LDS board member about gays or atheists. If enough board members hear good arguments or see good examples, they could propose a change in the organizations policies or procedures. Just one board member who was convinced of broadening BSA's base could change the vote.
Grass Roots
In this case you organize a new troop or take over an old troop then without fanfare ignore the restrictions against gays and atheists. Change the program as necessary to be gay and atheist friendly. If the program is successful, you then go public, showing that the prohibition is unnecessary. Going this way, you run the risk of premature disclosure and getting kicked out of the scouts.
Post a Comment