Posted on 08/18/2012 10:33:30 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
President Obama and Mitt Romney have found some new common ground -surprisingly – on an issue of gay rights.
Obama today joined Romney in publicly disagreeing with a controversial ban on gay members of the Boy Scouts of America, one of the nation’s largest and most well-known youth development groups.
“The president believes the Boy Scouts is a valuable organization that has helped educate and build character in American boys for more than a century. He also opposes discrimination in all forms, and as such opposes this policy that discriminates on basis of sexual orientation,” said White House spokesman Shin Inouye in a statement to the Washington Blade, a LGBT newspaper.
It’s the first time Obama, who was named honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America in 2009, has publicly taken a position on the issue.
Romney first voiced support for gay scouts back in 1994 — a position that his campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said remains his position today.
“I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts, regardless of their sexual orientation,” Romney said in the video from 1994 recently re-surfaced by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. He added at the time that he supports “the right of the Boy Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue.”
Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com
Last month, the group affirmed its ban on openly gay scouts and leaders after a two-year review of the policy, prompting the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to call on Obama to “reconsider” his honorary post.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
NOTE: California is lost so I do not have to vote for Romney, who was my next to the last choice. Ron Paul was last. If I were in a close state, however, I would have to vote for him. The alternative is unthinkable.
Here’s the plan. We didn’t get the conservative we wanted and end up with someone whose social views we abhor. Let’s do everything we can to destroy Romney so that Obama will win. We can also hold our breath. We can knock our head into the wall. That will show them. And then in four years, we can have a new Ronald Reagan.
But there is a problem for all those too foolish to recognize it. If given four more years, there will be no more pieces to pick up. He has told us and shown us his disdain for the Constitution. He will use executive orders and agency directives to do whatever he wants. There will be no one to stop him. There will be five million more illegals who become DemocRAT voters. There will be millions more on government assistance who become DemocRAT voters.
We are not dealing with just any election. We are fighting a battle against someone whose goal is to marginalize the United States, the country he has always hated. The colonial power that took advantage of others, raped and pillaged, and stole their wealth. The United States must pay for those crimes and be brought to its knees.
Obama will not have to worry about fundraisers, press conferences, or re-election. He is going to finish doing to this country what he started. Our economy will collapse before 2016.
All of you can keep slamming Romney as much as you like. He deserves it because of his social policies. If Obama wins, you get what you want. You stopped Romney. Congratulations. Where is your 401K? What is the value of your money? What do you do when the food riots start? How does food get to the store when the Middle East blows up and we do not have enough energy?
I don’t like Romney. But you know what? I love my country much more than I don’t like Romney.
With God, all things are possible. Doesn’t mean I’ll get a pony tomorrow.
But we can certainly pray. And no one knows the future until it happens.
“They see what a Jerry Sandusky can do and yet they are willing to have it happen all over again?”
It’s kind of funny, was having a facebook argument related to Penn state with a lib I know from back in highschool. He was pretty irate about those boys being molested, and he was fully for the entire university which includes innocent students, vendors, etc being punished for years. He was really really mad about the molestation, so I asked him if he now agrees with the boy scouts policy of not having gays in positions of responsibility. Of course he came back with gays and pedophiles are not the same thing, so I countered with: so male heterosexuals should be in charge of girl scout campouts...didn’t hear another word after that.
...”Homosexual boys, if they so state they are, are not forbidden from being Scouts. What is forbidden is adult homosexual men in positions of leadership.” ...
1. BSA does not inquire about sexual orientation on its membership forms of youths and adults.
2. BSA does perform criminal background checks on all adults who register for membership with BSA.
3. BSA has been maintaining since the 1930s an Ineligible Volunteer File to assist it in screeing adult members.
I have yet to read an account of a homosexual Boy Scout (aged 11-17) being kicked out of BSA. But, if a homosexual Scout does come out to the public, I believe it could happen. Were it to happen, the process would likely be initiated at the local, i.e., Troop level (where the youth is a member) and be acted upon by the local professionals, i.e., Council. BSA doesn’t kick out heterosexual members who oppose its national membership policy (though, these members may well be removed from leadership positions at the district/council/area/region/national levels). BSA doesn’t strike the names of Eagle Scouts who return their badges/medals/certificates to national HQ. The “New Normal” society is presenting BSA with the challenge of heterosexual Scouts who are raised by a homosexual couple. Haven’t read anything about these situations when the homosexual couple does not register for membership. However, we are witnessing a furball with the out-lesbian and ex-Cub Scout Leader, Jennifer Tyrrel.
... “To me the article is deceptive. Aren’t they taking statements that Romney made in 1994 and saying this is his position today. I did not read any recent comments Romney made regarding homosexual scoutmasters.” ...
No. See ...
http://www.the-daily-record.com/ap%20lifestyle/2012/08/03/as-eagle-scouts-return-medals-gay-ban-still-firm
As Eagle Scouts return medals, gay ban still firm
by DAVID CRARY
August 5, 2012
...”A Romney spokeswoman, Andrea Saul, said in an e-mail that this remains Romney’s position today....”
...”How does the fact the BSA has a charter from the Federal Government affect your statement? Does this fall in the same category that ultimately overturned the right of restaurants to choose to serve or not serve people of color?”...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_charter
A Congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code.
The relationship between Congress and the organization is largely a symbolic honorific giving the organization the aura of being “officially” sanctioned by the U.S. government. However, Congress does not oversee or supervise organizations with the charter (other than receiving a yearly financial statement). Amid dissatisfaction with the system, the subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee decided not to consider applications for further charters in 1992, though several were still granted thereafter.[1
… These mostly honorific charters tend “to provide an ‘official’ imprimatur to their activities, and to that extent it may provide them prestige and indirect financial benefit.” [2] Groups that fall into this group are usually veterans’ groups, fraternal groups or youth groups like the USO, the Girl Scouts of the USA or the Boy Scouts of America (charter approved on June 15, 1916) Congress has chartered about 100 fraternal or patriotic groups.[
DFU - that is my position. Until a few days ago I decided I could not stomach voting for Romney, or Rombag as I prefer to call him (I like using nicknames).
But then I cogitated about how Evil dba “0bama” is what he means to do if he is re-elected.
He has to be stopped.
You have hit the nail on the head. As president, Romney will not be dictating Boy Scout policy. The one relevant quote from the article is that Romney supports "the right of the Boy Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue."
I'm still voting for Romney over Obama.
You remember when Mitt banned the BSA from the Olympic ceremonies? Like Obama, Mitt has a past history.
The GOPe will be the ones that destroy the Republic, not the Democr@ps.
I beg to disagree with you. We will NOT survive another 4 years of obama in office. We must get rid of this regime and hold Mitt’s feet to the fire if elected.
Deep down, I think Mitt wants to be a good president and he isn’t so stupid as to know that his policies will be in the history books. However, one cannot say that about the current occupant of the WH. He’s truly ignorant of economics. His positions are far more harmful to America, than Mitts.
Mitt needs an ephiphany - a come to Jesus moment on this issue.
I beg to disagree with you. We will NOT survive another 4 years of obama in office. We must get rid of this regime and hold Mitt’s feet to the fire if elected.
Deep down, I think Mitt wants to be a good president and he isn’t so stupid as to know that his policies will be in the history books. However, one cannot say that about the current occupant of the WH. He’s truly ignorant of economics. His positions are far more harmful to America, than Mitts.
Mitt needs an epiphany - a come to Jesus moment on this issue.
I have written about and opposed gay marriage. I have even gone so far as to suggest that if the definition of marriage changes, we then see polygamy. And who is to then tell a guy he can’t marry his goat?
If Obama is re-elected, no conservative will have any place at the table. Ever.
I’m not going to try to convince you to vote for him. Do what you wish. Blame the other side when the economy collapses because they do not know what they are doing.
Let someone burn down your house. Then you can feel good about blaming him for it. But you know what? You no longer have a house.
A person of principle may be against guns and violence. If may be foolish, but we can respect his stand on principle. If he lives in a crime infested area, has no weapon to protect his family, there is a home invasion robbery, and his family is brutally murdered, he stood on principle. Bravo. He can say proudly, “I will never use a gun. Never.” But his family is dead.
The much bigger picture, for those too foolish to see it, is that economic collapse is almost a certainty under Obama. I don’t know if anyone can stop it, but at least someone who understands economics and actually loves his country would at least try. And what comes after collapse? Does anyone really think it is freedom? No, it is a totalitarian state with marshal law. It is total government control.
I have written and spoken against gay adoption. When it does not matter if a child is adopted by two men or by a married man and woman, our culture is lost. But if this nation collapses, none of that will matter. Obama is determined to bring to its knees the country he believes deserves punishment for its sins.
As I have said, I may well not vote for Romney because California does not matter. In a swing state, I would have no choice. I say no to my country committing suicide. If you say yes, that’s okay. You can feel good about standing on principle. Rather than suicide, if Romney wins, I will fight him vigorously on those things with which I disagree. If Obama wins, he is holding all the cards. He will play those cards as our first imperial president.
Obama thanks you for your vote for Virgil Goode. How can some of you be this ignorant? Its Ross Perot all over again.
Andrea Saul needs to be fired. She’s the one who came up with that lame explanation of the Romney killed a guys’ wife.
She is pure poison to the campaign.
Obama thanks you for your vote.
Romney’s not my ideal candidate, but he’s an improvement over Obama. Will he disappoint? Yes, but Obama will destroy. We win nothing by sitting out and letting Obama take it.
Can you imagine Obama vindicated with a 2nd term?
If you’re in a swing state, please don’ throw your vote away.
I am reminded of the wonderful story that Zell Miller.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-plank/found-document-zell-miller-snake-exterminator
Obama is a copperhead snake.
I need no debate as to what must be done or how to do it.
That is why I am voting for Mr. Romney.
Sure, and they will appoint the same set of Supremes as positions came open in the next four years.
/sarcasm
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