Letters | Scouting's bias sends a terrible message
In his defense of the Cradle of Liberty Council's discrimination against gays and atheists, Hans Zeiger would have the taxpayers of Philadelphia believe that this particular bias is no big deal ("Punishment will hurt community," Oct. 26). Just turn a blind eye to slandering some of our citizens and allow an influential and venerable institution, the Boy Scouts, to send out a terrible message to our youth, especially those who may be gay. No big deal. To say that the city should partner with faith-based organizations is fine, but to extrapolate that to mean that the city has no standards and will work with any faith-based group, no matter its practices, is absurd. These religious groups and other organizations, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, are not, as he contends, "value neutral." Indeed, these groups have very solid American values.
In his defense of the Cradle of Liberty Council's discrimination against gays and atheists, Hans Zeiger would have the taxpayers of Philadelphia believe that this particular bias is no big deal ("Punishment will hurt community," Oct. 26). Just turn a blind eye to slandering some of our citizens and allow an influential and venerable institution, the Boy Scouts, to send out a terrible message to our youth, especially those who may be gay. No big deal.
To say that the city should partner with faith-based organizations is fine, but to extrapolate that to mean that the city has no standards and will work with any faith-based group, no matter its practices, is absurd. These religious groups and other organizations, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, are not, as he contends, "value neutral." Indeed, these groups have very solid American values.
My question for Zeiger and all those who wish to enable the Boy Scouts to continue to discriminate is this: Would you be in favor of taxpayer subsidies for private organizations that discriminate if the group in question were any other minority?
Melina Waldo
Haddonfield
» READ MORE: melinaw@verizon.net
Bias is wrong
To those who believe that it is wrong to raise the rent on the Boy Scouts' building to $200,000, I would say that it is wrong to discriminate. Not allowing homosexuals into the organization is stating that one segment of the population is not "good" enough.
What does an 8- or 10-year-old boy think when he hears that homosexuals are not welcomed into his scout troop? Does he think they will find another worthy organization to join? Or does he believe that they are not good enough to be allowed entry?
From there it is not too far to believe that homosexuals are bad human beings, and then we slide down the slope into discrimination. By liking someone of the same sex, does it make that boy or man an evil, uncaring human being unworthy of doing the society good?
When we teach our children to discriminate at such an early age, what are we training them for?
Kate Hanley
Glenside