What's this all about?
Posted on 02/15/2002 6:50:19 AM PST by DoSomethingAboutIt
Libertarians in Santa Barbara, California have scored a victory for freedom of association by helping to nullify a resolution that censured the local Boy Scouts chapter.
On November 14, county supervisors approved a statute forbidding the government from discriminating against private organizations -- even if that group has "incorrect membership requirements," said Santa Barbara LP Secretary Robert Bakhaus.
"Even the U.S. Supreme Court had said the Boy Scouts have the right to associate, and make their own internal rules as they choose," he said. "If LPers could not lead in such a case as local government censuring the Boy Scouts, who would?"
The new statute invalidated a resolution adopted in March by a 3-2 vote, which censured the Boy Scouts for refusing to allow gay men to serve as scoutmasters.
County commissioners said the Boy Scout's policy violated the country's anti-discrimination law. The censure would have allowed county officials to prevent Scouts from using local camp grounds, leasing property from the city, or passing out leaflets on school grounds.
However, the Boy Scouts of America said the gay lifestyle violated the organization's oath, which requires members to be "morally straight." It won a U.S Supreme court decision in June 2000, which affirmed its right to decide who could be a Boy Scout.
Bakhaus said Libertarians support the right of the Boy Scouts to set their own membership requirements without government interference -- even if some Libertarians personally oppose those requirements.
"Even bigots have rights," he said. "Private organizations [should have] the right to make their own membership and leadership rules."
After the commission passed its resolution in March, "libertarian sympathizer" Michael Warnken and local LP members collected 20,000 signatures to put an initiative on the ballot to overturn it.
Libertarians helped drum up publicity for the campaign by sending letters to the editors of local papers, appearing at meetings and rallies, and speaking out on local television shows, said Bakhaus.
A number of conservative Republicans also joined the effort, which shows that small organizations "can't afford to be shy about having allies," he said.
"[Our LP affiliate is] too small to abolish taxation or achieve other radical reforms outright. We must first develop our clout by helping enforce the current good laws limiting government, while rallying better liberals and conservatives to uphold the best American traditions of freedom," he said.
However, the coalition ran into opposition from the county attorney's office, which filed a suit to stop the petitioning.
The attorney claimed the initiative language was "vague," and that only a statute or regulation -- not a resolution -- was subject to invalidation by initiative.
In response, activists changed the language of the measure meet state initiative requirements, and hired their own attorney to defend them from legal attacks, said Bakhaus.
With the initiative back on track and a large public turn-out at the commission's November meeting, county commissioners decided to nullify the anti-Boy Scout resolution, said Bakhaus.
"[It] was approved as law without a vote of the people, thanks in part to a large public showing -- but mostly by the fears of an electoral backlash if it went to a vote," he said.
Most importantly, Libertarians learned valuable lessons from the experience, said Bakhaus.
"The [Santa Barbara LP] learned that a countywide petition drive is not outside the bounds of doability," he said. "We also learned that a 1% investment ratio can be leveraged into victory, if that investment consists of extensive knowledge and experience about the intricacies of real politics."
Son, are you ok? I think we are getting a little off course buddy. Try veering that baby back onto the road. Santy Clause ain't got nut'in to do with this.
Well, seeing that you just jumped into the discussion, perhaps you can make a rational argument supporting or refuting the issue being discussed...
How about it start at home where most parents tell their children the three reality distorting lies -- flying Santa Clause, Easter Bunny and tooth fairy. Ah, but it takes a village to further distort reality in young innocent minds via telling/living the three lies. But those three lies are all told/lived in the name of having fun, right? Is it any wonder that children are prone to telling lies considering that parents are first to teach their children by example how to lie and that it's a means to having fun -- not to mention teaching by example that getting a reality distorting buzz from alcohol is fun. Then parents try to teach their children that it's wrong to lie and do reality distorting drugs. Is it any wonder that some children chose to take reality distorting drugs to have fun. I mean, parents and the "child raising village" have taught by example that distorting reality in the name of fun is a good thing.
Oh OH!!! And when we have kids play spin around the bat. That teaches them that altering their state of mind is fun. So they go on to do drugs!!! Don't let your kids get dizzy!!!!
Heaven forbid that you might suggest that parents be honest with their own children, but you can't bring yourself to do that.
Seeing as you argued in favor of Hillary's bogus claim that it takes a village to raise a child, here's the hypocritical dark side of "people who share similar standards" 316. How about it start at home where most parents tell their children the three reality distorting lies -- flying Santa Clause, Easter Bunny and tooth fairy. Ah, but it takes a village to further distort reality in young innocent minds via telling/living the three lies. But those three lies are all told/lived in the name of having fun, right? Is it any wonder that children are prone to telling lies considering that parents are first to teach their children by example how to lie and that it's a means to having fun -- not to mention teaching by example that getting a reality distorting buzz from alcohol is fun. Then parents try to teach their children that it's wrong to lie and do reality distorting drugs. Is it any wonder that some children chose to take reality distorting drugs to have fun. I mean, parents and the "child raising village" have taught by example that distorting reality in the name of fun is a good thing.
When you play a practical joke, you temporarily technically lie, but it's all in good fun, and no one gets hurt. I reckon you are gonna tell me that the same goes for dopers.
Yeah, let's just uh, tell them about all oral sex, and why not bestiality while we are at it? Honesty, riiiight.
Why have you turned this thread to your own little soap box for bashing harmless fun? Are you really a stuck up who disapproves of Santa Clause and such? Or have you just got yourself stuck in defending this horrendous idea through grasping at straws to debate the drug issue?
LOL, your childhood must have REALLY sucked.
According to you a good childhood goes hand-in-hand with telling young children reality distorting lies. BTW, my childhood was about as good as they come. And that's despite people of your ilk pushing your reality distorting lies on young children.
Hey Alice in Wonderland really gets kids to do drugs.
That's a factious story and not put forth as actually happening in reality. The Santa Clause lie, Easter bunny lie and tooth fairy lie are fictitious stories that are put forth as actually happening in reality. Not that you can tell the difference even though about 99.9% of the adult population can see the difference
OH OH, what about medicine. When we take medicine when we are sick, and we get better, that sets the idea that taking pills makes you feel good in our kids minds!!!!!!
Parents don't lie to their children about taking medicine -- they treat them honestly.
Ok Zon, you prude, go ahead, tell em. BE HONEST remember.
What's this all about?
Do you buy this crap?
AAAAAAAHHHHHH, so this is what this is all about?
Does Zonpower promote legalizing drugs?
Have you guys encountered the fully intergrated honesty of Neo-Tech at least once?
Does that include Santa?!?!?!
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