I write this in response to Jessica Ensley’s take on the “discriminatory policy” held by the Boy Scouts of America.
For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts has held its founding values to heart. I will not attempt to place the Boy Scouts on an unreachable pedestal.
Like any organization, it is run by human beings, prone to error. This past October, the organization was forced to turn over information regarding 1,200 previously hushed cases of sexual abuse. It hurts to see these cases come to light.
Because it is a private organization, the Boy Scouts program is entitled to freedom of association. This was upheld in the 2000 Boy Scouts of America v. Dale Supreme Court ruling. As an Eagle Scout, I hold a deep respect for this organization and its willingness to stand for what it believes in.
Ensley briefly mentioned the 70 percent of troops nationwide that are affiliated with a church or religious organization. While it is impossible to tell the number of church and religious sponsors who would no longer feel morally comfortable sponsoring local scouting organizations if forced to change their moral standings and policies, the effect would be felt on a local level. While not necessarily in Athens, many local troops elsewhere could find themselves without the sponsorships needed to continue helping young men grow to be physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
Isaac Wilker is a freshman studying business at Ohio University.
