Scout controversy centers on schools

Your recent editorial criticizing the ACLU for going after government sponsorship of Boy Scout Packs and Troops contains this sentence:

"The question of requiring children of atheists to pledge "duty to God" is a bit more complex. For such a child, however, following the beliefs of his parents might be the best he can do, and the oath only requires that he do his best."

Unfortunately, the Boy Scouts of America don't agree; they require that ALL members believe in a god, and that atheists be refused membership, even if the Pack or Troop is sponsored by a public school. In other words, public schools are required to violate the civil rights of their own students by enforcing a religious requirement, when they run a Cub Scout pack.

Public schools obviously can't do this, which is why the ACLU stepped in to stop the practice.

Your next editorial might want to question the honesty of an organization that argues in court that it is a private, discriminatory, religious organization - while at the same time having public schools owning and operating thousands of such private, discriminatory, religious clubs.

Brian Westley
Assistance Director, Midwest Region
Scouting For All
St. Paul, Minn.

Originally published May 6, 2005