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6A Daily News – Tuesday, February 12, 2013 Opinion Bringing dishonor to the Boy Scouts of America DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. 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How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) delayed implementation of its decision to end the ban on openly gay troops and leaders upheld by the Supreme Court over a decade ago. Apparently prejudice against homosexuals and stereotyping them as aberrations remains acceptable still today in spite of the scientific consensus that sexual preference has genetic causation and the fact that sexual predation by gay people pales in comparison to that of heterosexuals. An ever growing proportion of Americans now realize that discrimination based upon one's sexual preferences is morally contemptible and arguably unconstitutional. I am now appalled at the patent prejudice of the organization that awarded me my Eagle Scout badge at the age of 16 because I value it highly as a symbol of honor and good virtue. Like all Boy Scouts I know it is my responsibility to know and follow the Scout Oath, Law, Motto, and Slogan. The motto "be prepared" and slogan "do a good turn daily" require scouts and the scouting organization in particular to align policies with modern social attitudes and understandings. Aspects of the oath with bearing on the acceptance of homosexual members include the promises "to do my duty to God" by following the wisdom of religious teachings such as the commandment to not judge others, and "to keep myself morally straight" by being a person of strong character to guide life with honesty, purity, and justice for all. Concerns of gay rights activists, corporate donors and scouts themselves has increased to remove the ban now that gay people openly serve in the military and many nations and states recognize gay marriage and civil unions. They have proven that gay people can be responsible members of society that threaten no one by pursuing their lifestyle with compatible partners. Corporate America has shifted dramatically over the last several years by adopting internal policies that protect gay and lesbian employees and publicly support same-sex marriage. So when the BSA declared at the last annual meeting that it would not change the gaymembers ban, UPS, Intel, Merck, the United Way and other groups halted contributions, each citing their anti-discrimination policies. True to form the outside groups that mislead California voters to approve Prop 8 by claiming that homosexuality is an abomination brought to you by a liberal conspiracy of the Obama nation, namely the Mormon Church and the Family Research Council, are now lobbying to keep the ban in place. Their world view is intolerant of the diversity of sexual preference seeking to impose their view of "righteous relationships" upon others. This position is based that by so doing the BSA is violating not only the upon an irrational fear of Scout Oath, Slogan, the evolution of traditionand motto, but also the al values and a mistaken Scout Law in a numbelief that irreparable ber of ways by cowdamage manifests by toltowing to the conserverating homosexual and ative religious organialternative lifestyles. To zations that make up a confound the matter they large share of troop cite scant biblical passponsors. By rationalsages to buttress their izing homophobia the position but fail to appreBSA is being neither ciate the foibles of such literal interpretations of Richard helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, nor brave ancient passages that by applying outdated have been translated and stereotypes to imply interpreted by fallible that homosexual human beings. Like the American's are not reluctance of the Catholic trustworthy, loyal, Church to acknowledge obedient, clean, and natural selection and that reverent. BSA is also planet earth was not the center of the solar system, gay violating the two remaining laws, lifestyle bashing is a losing propo- cheerful and thrifty, by casting sition certain to change as human negative aspersions upon homosexuals and jeopardizing support consciousness evolves. Nonetheless The Family from corporate, public, and priResearch Council and 41 other vate entities that respect universal conservative groups sponsored human rights. As a cautionary note the numadvertising in USA Today last week urging the Scouts to "show ber of Boy Scouts went down courage," and "stand firm for about 2 percent to 3.3 million timeless values" by continuing members last year. This is due in the ban on homosexual members. part because their ban on gay As a result of this and other membership is bringing dishonor pablum the BSA backtracked on to the Boy Scouts of America. its announcement to permit indiRichard Mazzucchi is a retired vidual Scout Troops to decide if they wish to allow openly gay research engineer specializing in members or leaders within their energy efficiency and renewable energy. He can be reached at ranks. It is my considered opinion living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 280 Hemsted Dr., Ste. 110, Redding, CA 96002, 530-223-6300, Fax: 5302 2 3 6 7 3 7 , senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-3076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 3930707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Drama, labels or just taking a stand Tonight's Tea Party Patriots meeting will host Trish and Justin Grant, who will be speaking on the FEMA camps. I encourage interested readers to attend and see what they present. Potential threat to our freedom or Internet myth. Make your own mind up. A letter writer took apparent offense at my January 15 column that recounted the left wing, nearly lunatic ranting of the Chicago Teachers Union president, Karen Lewis, about taking what rich people have away from them, complete with a sick laugh line about how wealthy people were simply beheaded in the "old days." The reader suggests, as the supposedly "tolerant" left usually does, that the editor "please eliminate" (behead?) my column. Moreover, insulting rhetoric, name-calling and castigation of conservatives is the typical method of literary bullying they choose instead of reasoned debate. Why, even their Dear Leader, President Obama, expressed his disapproval of "name-calling" in his inaugural speech. We on the right knew such blather was only directed at us, his political antagonists, not his supporters. I painted a rather unflattering picture of the results of Big Labor teachers unions, their corrupt power grabbing though legislation and initiatives, ramming publicunion-friendly measures using taxpayer-supplied union dues and the leftist indoctrination that passes for educating our young. I will be happy to fill this column with the left wing utterances I found documented at a Los Angeles teachers' demonstration, if someone doubts me. For the record, I support the right of private sector employees to choose, by a secret ballot after sufficient time to carefully evaluate the union's case for membership, to join. I loathe strong-arm tactics like "card check" and forced membership and payment of union dues by those declining. Regarding private sector unionization, the numbers support me: the percent belonging to a union has recently fallen from around 7 percent to just over six-and-a-half percent. Don't resort to attacking me for the apparent obsolescence of the union movement in the eyes of workers. Even public employee unions experience dramatic membership declines when members are given freedom to choose, as evidenced by nearly half of the Wisconsin public workers who did just that after new laws took effect allowing them their free will. I detest forced, or any, unionization of public employees for the inherent corruption of the use of tax-payer-provided dues to elect union-friendly politicians and school board members, as well as pour tens of millions of dollars into pro-union initiatives. My position is harsher only by degree from that of President Franklin Roosevelt and early union leader George Meany, who opposed unionizing public workers. The writer finds the "back and forth drama between the RMs (Richard Mazzucchi and Robert Minch) and Don Polson" disgusting. I suspect he only really finds my side of any dispute "disgusting." I doubt he finds Mr. Mazzucchi's thinly veiled attempts to intimidate his critics (which prac- tice he has discontinued and for secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Poswhich a critic felt he, the terity …" "Blessings" critic, was not owed an requires the existence of apology), or Mr. Minch's a "Bless-or" (One, who name-calling and insults by definition is not a directed at myself, to be human, who gives, or disgusting. The reader is endows, us with Blessfree to tell us if he feels ings). Again, I may be that Minch crossed the wrong, but I'm line of columnist respect unabashedly and withand etiquette when he out reservation going to called me heartless and take the side of the un-Christian for my Founders and Framers views on the homeless; on the "Creator" endowor when he recently used Don ing us "with unalienable the epithet "confused bible thumper" to castiPolson Rights" and "Blessings." But don't take my word gate my statement that we have "God-given" The way forIit.withdraw the term rights to self-defense and "liberal" at Mr. pursuit of happiness. I see it Minch's protest; howLet Minch be free to ever, I have yet to hear enjoy his God-free existence as an apparent atheist – it anyone taking what I described reflects no negativity on his love of as "left of center positions" (the country, family or honest com- exact criteria I used in two merce. As his statements in his Fri- columns) not object to being day, February 1, column indicate, referred to as a liberal. Mr. Minch he looks down in, shall we say, has yet to retract any insult he has derision, disrespect, bemusement ever leveled at me in print; not or haughty dismissal at his God- very Christian of him, no? and-Jesus-believing fellow citi- (tongue/cheek) Bear in mind I zens. According to all polls I've was categorizing positions taken seen, around 80 percent of Ameri- by other columnists and, on the cans believe in God; but we could gun issue, my positions are articall be wrong. Anyone that can look ulately, unreservedly conservain a mirror and say they are looking tive; theirs are not. I stand with at a soul-less, God-less reflection the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America and will not incur my judgment. However, the Declaration of other 2nd Amendment-defending Independence states that we "are groups; they do not. They are free endowed by (our) Creator with cer- to correct me on this point. tain unalienable Rights …" extendDon Polson has called Red Bluff ing to conservatives, liberals and independents. Among the purposes home since 1988. He can be by e-mail at for establishing our Constitution: reached "We the people … in order to … donplsn@yahoo.com.