Posted on 11/22/2007 8:52:16 AM PST by PRePublic
Cambridge votes down scouts’ aid for Iraq GIs By Mike Underwood Friday, November 16, 2007
Big-hearted Boy Scouts collecting donations for care packages for U.S. troops are still scratching their heads after being sent packing from polling stations when Cambridge officials ruled their generous effort “political.”
“We just wanted to make a lot of troops happy,” said Scout Patrick O’Connor, 16. “I was devastated that someone would think to take (the donation boxes) out,” he said.
O’Connor of West Cambridge was one of the Scouts who wanted to collect toiletries, magazines, candy and other items for care packages after one of his relatives was injured in an IED explosion while serving in Iraq.
“He mentioned to me that some people got care packages from home and how happy it made them,” the Scout said.
Troop 45 Cambridge Boy Scouts placed boxes in the city’s 33 polling stations on Election Day.
But someone complained to the city, allegedly claiming the boxes were a “political statement,” and the boxes were removed.
“This was not about supporting the war or any politician or political view. This was supporting the brave men and women who are stationed overseas,” said troop committee chairman Jamisean Patterson, 35.
Patterson said the Scouts were given verbal permission by the city election commission twice and at the polling stations as well. A promotion for the polling place collections was still up yesterday on the Veterans’ Services Department section of the city’s Web site.
Marsha Weinerman, executive director of the city’s election commission, confirmed she received a complaint on Election Day, “Because I did not have confirmation that the Boy Scouts had obtained permission to put their boxes in the buildings, the boxes were removed.”
State law prohibits political statements pertaining to a particular election within 150 feet of any polling station.
But there is no law preventing someone promoting an unrelated political message within 150 feet of any polling station.
Cambridge Vice Mayor Timothy J. Toomey Jr. said a breakdown in communication, rather than malice, led to the boxes being removed.
“Boy Scouts Troop 45’s efforts to support our troops are a benefit for the entire community, and the council will be working with them to ensure that their goals are fully realized,” he said in a written statement.
Financial donations, which will be used to buy items for the care packages, can be sent to the Scouts at Troop 45, P.O. Box 381241, Cambridge, MA 02238. Checks should be made payable to Troop 45.
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1045046
As a registered scouter of fifty years, I wonder why the leaders could have made such a blunder. By setting up at polling places they were setting up for a fall.
They were established and doing well in other nonpolitical places.
The only course was to ask them to leave.
True, but this whole thing is so ugly to the extreme, I am not “over it”.
Don’t anti war radicals have any limits?
Antiwar is not necessarily the problem Queers are the problem. They hate scouts and will always go after them wherever they are.
The big question is “When is this country and the silent majority going to wake up as to what’s happening and say “NO” to these idiots”? We just sit back and let this stuff happen. It’s time to shut them down.
If what they were doing isn’t political, why is the “only course was to ask them to leave”?
To state the obvious, sending gifts to soldiers is not a political act. There is no excuse for this.
How is this political?
The Dems - I have it on good authority - support the troops. And the Boy Scouts’ actions were the very quintessence of non-partisan “supporting of the troops”.
It couldn’t be that they were telling a lie?
Or is it because the Scouts aren’t gay enough?
Anyway, kudos to the scouts for doing the right thing regardless. Thanks to their diligence the Dems look like what they are - troop-stabbing betrayal monkeys.
Their power is at:
To be against ANY war is very natural, a normal person desires peace, the point is that the "anti-war" warriors use this good natured character among Americans, politicians masquerading as "peace guys".
To say the least. I just hate seeing these angels left broken hearted.
Liberal hate just gets so petty sometimes.
For another example: recall in the early nineties when the long-running “Toys for Tots” campaign had to be reorganized under the technically separate Toys for Tots Foundation through the Marine Corps Association because it was decided the Corps could not officially sponsor the event.
You'll never convince me of this Mayor! It was pure malice!
I want this complainant's name released to the public. Otherwise, I'll believe it was an inside job. I want the name of the farkin scum-bag lawyer who this broad allegedly checked with publicized as well!
This is all a lie!
Being political or not is subject to considerable variance of opimion, especially at a polling place in Caimbridge.
To an antiwar wacko, it was definitely a political act. To a queer antiwar wacko it was over the top
Well now, if we are going to go that way, I believe that all anti-war whackoes, queer or not, are walking political statements, as are all scumbag liberals. Therefore, none of them should be allowed within 150 feet of a polling place.
Wonder if the person that complained was queer, and therefore can’t see anything good about the scouts?
Interesting take.
Maybe we need to have a dress code, as a lot of the more leftwing types reek of liberalism, which is a political statement.
Kudos to the scouts.
Here’s what I e-mailed to dear ol’ Marsha Weinerman when this story came out last week:
Ms Weinerman,
I’m simply appalled by the action you took against a scout troop seeking to support American soldiers serving in a war zone. Regardless of the merits of the Iraq War, those men and women are there because they took an oath to serve, and to risk – and possibly lose — their lives when required. They deserve our highest respect and warmest consideration.
Similarly, those scouts displayed the best that’s in us by their efforts in the troops’ behalf – selfless generosity, patriotism, and a communitarian spirit. In my view, their intentions were noble. How should we characterize YOUR intentions, Ms Weinerman?
sincerely, etc.
Perhaps you’d like to give Marsha a piece of your mind?
Here’s her e-mail: mweinerman@cambridgema.gov
won’t argue with that......
I think that we need to call out the National Guard to defend the polling places from scumbag, liberal, walking political statements.
I’m fully in support of Scouts (days, nights, and weekends ... and I told you to get your uniform in the wash *yesterday*!) but I think the only thing that should be going on at polling places is voting.
Other activities, whether it’s campaigning or charity collections, should be outside the perimeter.
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