Letters to the Editor

St. Petersburg Times

Scouts should learn new values
Re: "Ministers: Scouts' values inappropriate," Oct. 12.

It is very disturbing to read that the Boy Scouts of America is involved in any type of program to be taught in our public schools. The article quoted John Cabeza, who oversees the Scouts council for Pinellas and west Pasco, saying, "Scouting simply feels homosexuals do not make positive role models for young people in life." That one statement says it all for me. He goes on to say that Scouts "will make their own decisions when they grow up."

Cabeza and the Boy Scouts need to be better educated about our homosexual citizens before they can begin to have any connection to any leadership program to be taught in our public schools. Sexual orientation is not a decision one makes when you "grow up." Sexual orientation is a part of who you are -- most likely from the moment you enter this world -- not a choice that you make.

I value our gay citizens and the contributions they have made to our society. If the Boy Scouts officials did a little more research they might be quite surprised what gay people have contributed to our world (Alexander the Great, Plato, Leonardo Da Vinci, Walt Whitman, etc).

The Scouts stand on homosexuality is a blatant form of discrimination against our gay citizens. How can the Pinellas County School Board possibly allow this group, which states in its policies that gays are not "morally clean" or "morally straight" to enter into our school system in any form?

I agree with the Rev. Dee Graham who likened it to the KKK adopting a similar program and presenting it in our schools.

The Boy Scouts scare me with its program and its thinking. On the surface this organization looks great, but when you go a little deeper its discrimination and intolerance against gays becomes quickly apparent.

I hope Linda Lerner continues her fight on this very significant issue. I believe the other School Board members need to re-examine their stand. Do not allow any group into our schools with any type of teaching program unless it is inclusive of all of our students and faculty.

Maybe the Boy Scouts need to be taught themselves about the value of diversity in our culture and leadership instead of presenting a program to our schools.

-- Kathy Miller, St. Petersburg

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There's religious discrimination, too
Re: Ministers: Scouts' values inappropriate, Oct. 12.

While Adam Smith's article emphasizes Unitarian Universalism's opposition to the Boy Scouts' discrimination against gay Scouts and Scout leaders, it fails to note that the BSA also discriminates against Boy Scouts who are agnostics or atheists. This religious discrimination poorly prepares young Scouts for their future in a country that is increasingly pluralistic in its religious makeup.

Unitarian Universalists believe that all young men without regard for their sexual orientation or religious perspective should be eligible for the many benefits that Scouting offers.

The Pinellas School Board should reconsider its decision to use a curriculum prepared by an organization that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation and religion.

-- John Hurley, Director of Information, Unitarian Universalist Association, Boston

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