Boy Scouts of America......No Ban on Stupidity.

Those who have read this blog for a while know that I am less than happy with the direction in which the Boy Scouts of American are headed.

Anyone reading anything regarding the BSA should not be surprised to learn that BSA policies prohibit pointing simulated firearms at people and "yes, that includes water guns".

According to the 2015 Boy Scouts of America National Shooting Sports Manual,

1) "Water guns and rubber band guns must only be used to shoot at targets, and eye protection must be worn."

2) "Pointing any type of firearm or simulated firearm at any individual is unauthorized. Scout units may plan or participate in paintball, laser tag or similar events where participants shoot at targets that are neither living nor human representations."

Why the rule?

Bryan On Scouting says, "A Scout is kind. What part of pointing a firearm [simulated or otherwise] at someone is kind?"

The BSA manual places water guns in the same category as crossbows, grenades, cannons, blow guns, spears and shovel throwing.

Shovel throwing?

Is that a big problem in the BSA?

With paintball and laser tag, the scouts may shoot at targets provided the targets are not "living nor human representations". You can aim these "simulated weapons" at targets, but not at targets that look human?

Look, I understand safety. I realize some things have to be banned for safety's sake, but they're not talking safety here......the BSA is regulating the use of water guns because pointing something that is shaped like a gun isn't "nice".

I'm sorry, but water pistols are not the gateway to killing. Can we have a little common sense here?

Go Ahead, Unfriend Me...Part Two.

It's been four days since I last posted - Go Ahead, Unfriend Me - . In that post, I wrote how I had "unfriended" four people on my Facebook friends list over their support of the Boys Scouts of America's changing policy to allow gay boys to become scouts. I see this change as a first step in allowing adult homosexuals to become scout leaders.

I also asked in that post that any of my current Facebook friends who disagreed with me on this issue to "unfriend" me as well. Now, four days later, none have done so.
What can I take from this? That all of my friends agree with me? Hardly likely. I'm sure that more than one person probably believes I'm out of line on this.

Could it be that no one has read that post? I know some have read it, but it would be a good bet that the majority of my Facebook friends haven't even bothered to check out the link I posted on Facebook.

Pretty discouraging, huh?

Even though it may be a monumental waste of time getting some folks attuned to some of the problems we're facing, I guess I'll just slog along with these posts and hope someone, somewhere will pay attention.

Go Ahead, Unfriend Me.

I've just "unfriended" four folks on Facebook.

Like everyone else I know, many of my Facebook "friends" are people I knew growing up......people I haven't seen in ages but who I remember fondly from my youth.

I've decide to remove these former friends because of their support of the Boy Scouts of America's vote to allow openly gay boys .

Many of those who had been pressuring the BSA to accept gay boys have focused their attention on one boy in particular ...... an openly gay boy from Maryland,Pascal Tessier.

I went to high school with Tessier's mother, Tracie Felker, and she's one of the people I've "unfriended".

It's not that I particularly care if Tessier becomes an Eagle Scout or not; that's not really what I object to. This move to permit openly gay boys into Scouting is merely the proverbial camel's nose under the tent. The real goal is to change BSA policy to allow homosexual men to be Scout leaders.

From People:

"Not that the controversy is over. The Scouts' longstanding ban on gay adults remains in force, and many liberal Scout leaders – as well as gay-rights groups – plan to continue pressing for an end to that exclusion even though the BSA's top officials aren't ready for that step."

In an early article,Felker was quoted as saying,"We're not trying to destroy Boy Scouts, we're trying to build it."

It may not have been her intention to destroy Boy Scouts, but that will be the end result.

Religious groups charter 70 percent of the Scout-sponsoring organizations, and while the LDS church "has released a statement expressing their support for the Boy Scouts of America after the youth organization voted to allow openly gay members" , it's unlikely that the majority of Christian churches will follow.

As I've said, I've "unfriended" four Facebook "friends" over this. To my current Facebook friends,if you support the change and I've missed you, feel free to "unfriend" me.