Posted on 01/23/2004 3:24:14 PM PST by RonF
A months-long controversy surrounding the Boy Scouts of America and its practice of sending home fliers with Portland schoolchildren has resulted in a new policy for all outside youth-oriented groups.
The School Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to require all such organizations - such as Little League and 4-H - to print disclaimers on their forms indicating that their views "are not necessarily the views of the Portland Public Schools system."
The new policy came as a disappointment to parents who wanted the school board to take a bolder stand against the Boy Scouts' refusal to admit openly gay individuals by barring the organization from sending fliers home in children's backpacks.
"It's slightly better than nothing at all, but it's fair to say that it's a cop-out," said David Hilton, the parent who initially complained to the board last fall. "I don't see why the board couldn't have voted to comply with (the city's human-rights ordinance)."
Some board members also expressed distaste for the new policy, saying they voted for it to get a policy on the books and suggested it could be amended in the future.
"I don't believe it accomplishes what it needs to accomplish, which is to enforce a message that we as a city do not believe that discrimination on any basis is correct," said Chairman Jonathan Radtke.
But the Pine Tree Council, the Boy Scouts chapter in Maine, said the board's decision was a win for all youth group organizations. The council, along with representatives of Little League and the Girl Scouts, testified about how important flier distribution is to outreach and recruitment.
"This is great, especially for smaller groups," said Duane Havard, assistant scout executive of the Pine Tree Council, which has 17,843 members. "That means more funds will go directly to actual programming" rather than having to advertise.
The School Committee vote came after more than three hours of discussion among members and comments by dozens of parents, youth organization leaders, politicians and Boy Scout supporters.
Three attempts were made to amend the policy, but only one succeeded. Kim Matthews' proposal to send home at the beginning of the school year a form outlining the School Committee's policy of non-discrimination was approved by all her colleagues except Walter Rumery and James DiMillo.
Member Otis Thompson had left before the vote on Matthews' amendment and the overall policy.
Member Stephen Spring proposed an amendment to make the flier distribution policy adhere to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance. Spring said that would effectively bar the Boy Scouts and the military from sending home materials in children's backpacks. The amendment was defeated 5-3.
A proposal by Thompson that would have kept all outside groups from disseminating fliers through the schools was vehemently opposed by youth organizations and some of his colleagues.
Board member Tae Chong said such a measure amounted to discrimination against the low-income and immigrant parents who don't have any other access to information about potential activities for their children.
"I think discrimination based on people's income is just as great as discrimination against civil rights," Chong said. The board also defeated that proposal 5-3. Spring abstained.
The final action was similar to that taken in September 2001 when the committee voted down a proposal to ban the Scouts from using the public schools after hours. The board passed a resolution then saying it does not endorse discriminatory policies of the organizations that meet in its schools.
Also, a clause in the federal No Child Left Behind Act passed since then says schools cannot keep the Boy Scouts from using buildings if other organizations are allowed to do so.
Those would be the parents who are jiggy with the notion of their boys being molested by Scout leaders.
We discriminate when we choose a friend. We discriminate when we choose a spouse. We discriminate when we choose a neighborhood to live in. We discriminate when we choose a college to attend. We discriminate when we choose a company to work for. I sure hope that the day never comes when discrimination is made illegal.
I like to make the point that it is never used is a positive way anymore.
The liberals have taken another word, twisted it's meaning and tries to pass it off for truth.
I like discriminate every day.
Let's look at the word:
"dis" means "to show no respect for",
and "criminate"--
Pronunciation: 'kri-m&-"nAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -nat·ed; -nat·ing
Etymology: Latin criminatus, past participle of criminari, from crimin-, crimen accusation
I'm not really sure what that means, but it's close enough to the words "criminal" and "crime" for me.
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