Boy Scouts of America needs new leadership

Argus, Courier Newspaper letter to the Editor
May 4, 2005

The Boy Scouts of America, once a great youth outdoor program, is now a mere shadow of itself. It has become lost down a dark path of immoral transgressions. Recent events have again highlighted that the national leadership of the Boy Scouts of America has brought the integrity of the entire organization into question, and should be replaced.

The national leadership imposed a discriminatory policy on all of its members and local councils by excluding gay and atheist youth and adults, stating that such people are immoral because of their sexual orientation and their atheistic beliefs. The national leadership is so self-righteous that they don't even see how this discriminatory policy is extremely destructive and harmful to all youth, and just how immoral such a policy actually is. They don't see how such a policy incites violence toward persons who are homosexual, such
as happened in the case of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered by two individuals -- one was an Eagle Scout, and the other a Mormon. Institutional homophobia is immoral and is contrary to both the Scout oath
and Scout law.

Sadly, the Boy Scouts of America's national leadership in Irving, Texas is struggling to keep the program afloat because they are becoming victims of their own greed and prejudice.

Scouting for All, an organization inspired by Steven Cozza, an Eagle Scout and whose team is made up of many other Eagle Scouts and prior BSA members, is trying to save the Boy Scouts of America by advocating that it embrace the values of both the Scout oath and Scout law, and by once again becoming a morally straight organization that is inclusive, just as the majority of the World Scouting Movement.

We ask that in order to begin this healing process, the national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America step down, in the best interest of the organization, and ultimately in the best interest of all the youth under its charge. We ask that Boy Scouts of America members and local councils demand this change at the top level of the organization in order to help bring the Boy Scouts of America out of its dark moral bankruptcy into the light of a new beginning of hope and renewal.

Scott Cozza, President Scouting for All