Philadelphia Gives Boy Scouts Ultimatum

Washington Post ^ | 11/19/07 | Dafna Linzer

[Nick Thimmesch]

PHILADELPHIA -- This may be the last free Thanksgiving dinner for the Boy Scouts of Philadelphia.

Citing a local 1982 "fair practices" law, the city solicitor has given the Scouts until Dec. 3 to renounce its policy of excluding homosexuals or forfeit the grand, Beaux-Arts building it has rented from the city for $1 a year since 1928.

"While we respect the right of the Boy Scouts to prohibit participation in its activities by homosexuals," the solicitor, Romulo Diaz, said last week in an interview, "we will not subsidize that discrimination by passing on the costs to the people of Philadelphia."

[darkangel82]

the John Edwardses of the world would understand them saying "We've had too many molestation cases, we're trying not to get sued!"

Actually, Edwards wouldn't because he is a morally bankrupt scumbag, but I get your point.

[Lancey Howard]

Jerri,

I bet you are a good and kind person and I admire your willingness to stand up for your city, but this is the wrong site to be siding with the sodomites.

FRegards,
LH

[tioga]

I hope NOT.

[hinckley buzzard]

why on earth would an organization with strong American traditions, values, and standards want to be anywhere near a place like Philadelphia?

Probably because in 1928 Philadelphia was widely known as the cradle of liberty and independence. Now it's known only for murder and corruption, but it was not always thus.

[Godzilla]

The Scouts are 100% correct in their rules to prevent homosexuals becoming leaders. Of the molestation’s of boys, the majority are done by homosexuals, in a far disproportionate percentage to their percentage of society in general (<10%).

There are just laws, and there are unjust laws. This is an unjust law. And BTW, the City of Philadelphia is breaking an AGREEMENT based upon this bogus law. So its ok for cities to go against their word is it Hmmmmm? The only compromise is for the city to back down and honor its previous agreement (which predate - grandfathered, this “law”).

[cherry]

the cost to Philly will be thousands of young boys further descending into hoodlumville.....more rapes, more murders, more robberies, more drug use, more unplanned pregnancies....

the boy scouts offer an alternative outlook on life that is pretty bleak IMO in Philly...

[cherry]

its all according to the plan......kill off the middle class, and have one huge peasantry.....it makes things cleaner for totalitarianism you know....

[festus]

The bell was prophetic. It cracked just like the city.

[Windcatcher]

I stopped biking there a few years ago. Even though I live in the Philly suburbs, I’d like to entreat all of you:

DO NOT VISIT PHILADELPHIA.

Don’t spend one single cent there. Don’t buy ANYTHING that’s made within the city limits. Don’t attend any sporting or social events there—look in the surrounding (GOP) counties instead. It may mean that I have to stop it with the TastyKakes, but maybe my weight will drop. These leftists need to be taught a lesson. As far as I’m concerned, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ENDS at the Philadelphia county line and what lies beyond are hostile lands.

[loboinok]

It shows how sick our society is that there are government agents wanting to force the Scouts to admit these perverts wholesale.

Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God [Exodus 18:21]. . . . If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted . . . If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws. [Noah Webster, The History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie and Peck, 1832), pp. 336-337, 49]

The "perverts" are in the middle of the problem. We need to return to the beginning of the problem and correct it,IMO.

[puroresu]

I’ll say one thing for Philly: The cheesesteaks at Tony Luke’s on Oregon Avenue are awesome!

Of course, I’ll bet the guys hanging out there support the Scouts.

[loboinok]

Philadelphia law requires that gays not be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. The scouts are violating that law.

In BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA et al. v. DALE...

Held: Applying New Jersey’s public accommodations law to require the Boy Scouts to admit Dale violates the Boy Scouts’ First Amendment right of expressive association(Freedom of Association). Government actions that unconstitutionally burden that right may take many forms, one of which is intrusion into a group’s internal affairs by forcing it to accept a member it does not desire. Roberts v. United States Jaycees, 468 U.S. 609, 623. Such forced membership is unconstitutional if the person’s presence affects in a significant way the group’s ability to advocate public or private viewpoints. New York State Club Assn., Inc. v. City of New York, 487 U.S. 1, 13. [emphasis mine]

Philly law does not take precedence over Constitutional law.

Philly is basically admitting to maliciously violating the civil rights of the Boy Scouts.

[quant5]

If memory serves, the ACLU defended NAMBLA from a $200MM lawsuit brought on by grieving parent whom had their son raped and killed by a NAMBLA member. Anyone else remember this?

[pray4liberty]

Ultimatum? Sounds more like blackmail... or a form of legal extortion, since now the Scouts have to hire a lawyer to fight this.

[loboinok]

You are correct.

ACLU and Nambla: A Match Made In Hell

[JerriBlank]

“There are just laws, and there are unjust laws. This is an unjust law.”

Because you say so, apparently.

“And BTW, the City of Philadelphia is breaking an AGREEMENT based upon this bogus law.”

If the agreement had been to bar blacks, would the agreement stand? Of course not. Civil rights would trump $1 rental agreements. You undoubtedly find this to be a flawed comparison, but many others do not. So the disagreement continues.

I think this situation is unfortunate, my father was an eagle scout, and he loves the organization... but the city can’t allow you to discriminate and simultaneously receive public tax dollars.

[JerriBlank]

“DO NOT VISIT PHILADELPHIA.”

All the major US cities I know of are liberal, so what are you supposed to do? There are only so many trips you can take to the dairy farm.

[JerriBlank]

“Philly law does not take precedence over Constitutional law. “

I don’t think the courts will support the idea that charging market rates to rent is an unfair burden to expressive association.

[television is just wrong]

The BSA is one of the last remants of our sane society. They are attacking it with all the armor they can. Anything christian moral, is evil in their eyes.

Amazing

Anything with christian content has to be destroyed. This is an attack against every American past present and future.

[JerriBlank]

“I bet you are a good and kind person and I admire your willingness to stand up for your city, but this is the wrong site to be siding with the sodomites.”

Plenty of Freepers, including myself, have gay friends and don’t see them as the menace that many here do. I don’t think it’s particularly a liberal idea to coexist peacefully with your neighbors.

Personally though, it’s more aggravating for me to witness so many bash a city they know little about.

The food, the music, the nightlife... it’s all great here. The architecture is fantastic... the history is all around...

Every city has blighted areas. Are they all hellholes?