Boy Scouts Scam??? - Urgent Appeal - Former U. S. AG Ed Mease

A lot of readers have received an e-mail solicitation ("Urgent! Help Defend The Scouts and Our Constitutional Rights!") this weekend ostensibly from former Attorney General Ed Meese on behalf of something called the "Vote for Scouts" project being allegedly sponsored by something called the Scouting Legal Defense Fund. Information on the web site, however, says "funds contributed to the Scouting Legal Defense Fund do not go to the Boy Scouts" (in very, very hard-to-read, faint print). So who, exactly, IS getting your money then?

I don't know if this is a legitimate effort or not. After all, the Boy Scouts had their own crack legal team fighting for them at the Supreme Court, so why would it be necessary to fund a separate effort outside the official organization? Unfortunately, opportunists and scam artists abound all around this country, and it's not beneath them to take advantage of a fine organization like the Boy Scouts or use honorable men like Ed Meese to enrich themselves.

While the web site looks somewhat professional (even though the links and pop-ups didn't work very well when we visited), we all know how looks can be deceiving and that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. So if you really want to help the Scouts, we suggest you stick with the official organization. For more information, go to: http://www.scouting.org/nav/signup.html. Then click on "Support Scouting," followed by "Give 2 BSA." From there, just type in your zip code and you'll be directed to your local Boy Scouts council web site where you can make a secure con- Chuck Muth, editor, GOP News & Viewstribution to help fund all of the organization's worthwhile projects. Why give to a questionable effort when you can give to the real thing?

Here's the letter that I received from
postmaster@defendscouting.com

An Urgent Appeal From Former U. S. Attorney General and Scouting Legal Defense Fund Chairman Ed Meese

Dear Fellow American:

I am contacting you because I think you share my concern about the ongoing vicious attacks on the Boy Scouts. Please take just a few minutes to help defend the Scouts and some of our fundamental Constitutional rights at the same time.

Very soon, a House-Senate conference committee will vote on a provision that is critically important to defending both the Boy Scouts and these Constitutional rights.

A new Web site we have set up, www.VoteForScouts.com, has more background information about this issue. Briefly, however, this provision, the "Helms-Hilleary Amendment" to the education bill Congress is considering, would cut off federal funding to any school district that discriminates against the Boy Scouts for the moral position they have taken to exclude openly homosexual men from serving as scoutmasters. Last year, as you recall, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the Constitutional right of the Scouts to set their own standards and membership policies.

Enacting this provision into law will be a strong show of support for the Scouts. But it will also blunt the attack by a coalition of homosexual activists and their allies who are trying to get local school boards to punish the Scouts for their moral stand by withdrawing sponsorship of Scout units, prohibiting them from using school facilities and other types of harassment.

As important as it is to defend the Scouts, there is an even more fundamental principle at stake. That principle is whether our tax dollars should be used to support any organization that penalizes a group like the Scouts for exercising their Constitutional rights. It is my strong personal opinion that they should not.

If you agree with me on these two important issues, then I urge you to take a few minutes and help. Time is short. The critical votes will come in the next week or two.

At www.VoteForScouts.com you can quickly and easily sign a petition in support of the Scouts that will be delivered to Congress. You can also e-mail a suggested message to your senators, representative and to President Bush. We also provide an easy way to alert others on your e-mail list to this effort and invite them to also support the Scouts and our Constitutional rights.

You can do all this by simply entering your name and address information and making a few mouse clicks. The site also has additional background information on this issue and on how we will protect your privacy.

Thanks for helping in this critical effort and please forward this e-mail on to others who care about these important issues.

Ed Meese
Chairman
Scouting Legal Defense Fund

Thanks for the heads up ... I get these type of email solicitations quite often, being on the email lists of several conservative organizations.

They often start out with the "You're a Christian like us, right ? You're a conservative like us, right ? So of course you're against dog kicking too. Well, the pagan libs in congress want to make dog kicking the new national sport !" type of comments,

then of course they always end up with "So send us your money !".

Not saying that this organization isn't legit, but hang on to your wallet until you check it out first.

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