Tell President-Elect Obama to Say No to the Boy Scouts' Discrimination
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(Background: this petition was originally a letter from a collection of nontheist organizations. I edited it to include references to gay people. If you prefer to print and mail it as a letter, an address is included below.)
The Honorable Barack Obama
President Elect of the United States
Washington Transition Headquarters
451 6th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Dear President-Elect Barack Obama:
In light of your campaign promise to bring the nation together in a spirit of change we need, we, the undersigned , urge you to take this opportunity to signify that discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists, and other nontheists will not be condoned. Likewise, discrimination against gay people will not be condoned.
Thus we write to urge you to decline the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA has acted vigorously in recent years to expel members and employees who were atheist, agnostic or gay. This policy expresses the Declaration of Religious Principle, Bylaws of Boy Scouts of America, art. IX, 1, cl. 1:
The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law. The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members.
The BSA has elected to set itself apart as a private organization that may discriminate in ways contrary to the laws and practices required of local, state, and federal authorities. Accepting the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America would thus send the message that institutional discrimination against both gay people and people who dont happen to believe in a god is acceptable.
Many presidents of the United States have taken on the title of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America. However, this tradition was established when discrimination against nontheists was, unfortunately, socially acceptable. Given that nontheists now make up a sizeable minority of the American populationhaving more numbers than Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews combinedthe BSA is clearly out of touch with the spirit of pluralism, tolerance, and inclusiveness that compose todays American values. By contrast, in 1993 the Girl Scouts of the United States of America adopted more inclusive policies.
Therefore, please decline the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America until such time as the organization reforms its bylaws and practices to be non-discriminatory.
Yours in unity,
The Honorable Barack Obama
President Elect of the United States
Washington Transition Headquarters
451 6th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Dear President-Elect Barack Obama:
In light of your campaign promise to bring the nation together in a spirit of change we need, we, the undersigned , urge you to take this opportunity to signify that discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists, and other nontheists will not be condoned. Likewise, discrimination against gay people will not be condoned.
Thus we write to urge you to decline the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA has acted vigorously in recent years to expel members and employees who were atheist, agnostic or gay. This policy expresses the Declaration of Religious Principle, Bylaws of Boy Scouts of America, art. IX, 1, cl. 1:
The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law. The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members.
The BSA has elected to set itself apart as a private organization that may discriminate in ways contrary to the laws and practices required of local, state, and federal authorities. Accepting the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America would thus send the message that institutional discrimination against both gay people and people who dont happen to believe in a god is acceptable.
Many presidents of the United States have taken on the title of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America. However, this tradition was established when discrimination against nontheists was, unfortunately, socially acceptable. Given that nontheists now make up a sizeable minority of the American populationhaving more numbers than Mormons, Buddhists, Hindus, and Jews combinedthe BSA is clearly out of touch with the spirit of pluralism, tolerance, and inclusiveness that compose todays American values. By contrast, in 1993 the Girl Scouts of the United States of America adopted more inclusive policies.
Therefore, please decline the title and role of honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America until such time as the organization reforms its bylaws and practices to be non-discriminatory.
Yours in unity,
49 Signatures
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William A. Schultz
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Lynne H. Schultz
- City, State
- Overland Park, KS
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Crystal Zubeck
- City, State
- Blue Springs MO
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Mike Zubeck
- City, State
- Blue Springs MO
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Rochelle Doyle
- Comments
- В
- City, State
- Kansas City, MO
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Iggy Dybal
- Comments
- President Elect Obama, follow up on your promise to be tolerant and inclusive by acting firmly in defense of universal human right and equality. Refuse the title of the Honorary President or insist that the charter of BoyScouts is changed
- City, State
- Overland Park KS
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www.KCFreeThinkers.org
- City, State
- Kansas City Metro Area
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North Kansas City FreeThinkers - www.KCFreeThinkers.org
- City, State
- North Kansas City
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Kansas City Atheists & Agnostics Singles - www.KCFreeThinkers.org
- City, State
- Kansas City Metro Area
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Wyandotte/Leavenworth FreeThinkers - www.KCFreeThinkers.org
- City, State
- Kansas City Metro Area
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StateLine FreeThinkers - www.KCreeThinkers.org
- City, State
- Kansas City Metro Area
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Midwest Skeptics Society - www.KCFreeThinkers.org
- City, State
- Kansas City Metro Area
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Joplin, MO Humanists, Atheists, Agnostics & FreeThinkers - http://www.meetup.com/JoplinAtheistsandAgnositcs/
- City, State
- Joplin MO
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Springfield Humanists, Atheists, Agnostics & FreeThinkers - http://www.meetup.com/SpringfieldAtheistsAndAgnostics
- City, State
- Springfield, MO
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David F. Peters
- City, State
- Spring Hill, KS
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Kansas Freethought Society
- City, State
- Overland Park, KS
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Ryan Horvath
- Comments
- В
- City, State
- Overland Park, KS
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David Summerly
- City, State
- Lenexa, KS
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Michael Westblade
- Comments
- В
- City, State
- Kansas City, MO
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Dawson Gould
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Cole Morgan
- Comments
- This is so obviously wrong, Obama must not endorse the boy scouts.
- City, State
- Olathe Kansas
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Willard E. Bolinger
- Comments
- Consider opposing discrimination
- City, State
- Gowrie, Iowa 50543
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MICHAEL YULICH
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Michael W. Shryock
- Comments
- I was a Scout leader for 15 years. Now I can't because I don't believe in God. There is no difference in me now and then. Just my belief. It's sad to turn away good people because of such a narrow position.
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Greg Lammers
- City, State
- Columbia, MO
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Tyler Chase
- City, State
- Kansas City, MO
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William Webber
- City, State
- Kansas
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Patrick Keizer
- Comments
- as a former boyscout i can attest to the huge christian prescence felt in a group that claims to be american. lets see some diversity1
- City, State
- Shawnee, KS
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David Justis
- City, State
- Parkville, MO
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alecia martin
- City, State
- san francisco, ca
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Becky Sayre
- Comments
- Equality for all humans...it's a no brainer!
- City, State
- Pineville,Mo 64856
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Charles Blundell
- Comments
- I am gay and proud
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Joe McGraw
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Virginia Olmsted
- City, State
- Tazewell, VA
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Ben Fuller
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Christina Olmsted
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Dustin Spivey
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Matt Heenan
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John Kennedy
- City, State
- Louisiana
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John Q Public
- Comments
- If the Mr. Obama does not agree with the BSA, then he should not accept the position, however the BSA should be free to hold to their beliefs and values. The day we use government power to force people to abandon their beliefs will truly be a sad day for our country.
- City, State
- Anytown, USA
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Sheri Marston
- City, State
- Kansas City, Mo.
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Valerie A. Klaassen
- Comments
- I am saying no to Boy Scouts' Discrimination, I think that there ought be a Co-ed Scout Program who will let men and women be Scouts and earn merit badges. I am sick and tired of hearing people including myself running my mouth like we are bell-clappers and me acting like a little two-year-old child. Then the BSA and the Girl Scouts USA would call my husband and tell him to tell your wife Valerie Klaassen to stop calling and harassing us all the time, because if Valerie Klaassen doesn't stop calling us, we will sue her for harassment. This is for real, and I am not walking around in Fantasyland making this up. They all know that I have a mental handicap, and I am sick and tired of being left behind because of my Gender and mental handicap. In my opinion to me, there is something defenitely wrong with this picture. Will you please be sure to understand me crystal clear. As you know, I was born with this handicap, and I can't help it. In addition, this is not my fault. I was born this way. I want to be a scout
- City, State
- Alexandria, VA 22303
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David August Klos
- Comments
- Saying no to gay, is like, saying no to black.
- City, State
- New Bern, North Carolina
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Sarah Robley
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Glenn Peterson
- Comments
- It would be refreshing if Obama would show some real leadership on this issue. Accepting this honorary title is not compatible with what he says he stands for.
- City, State
- New York, NY
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Alex Jokerst
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Jim Hart
- Comments
- Accepting the honor without speaking to the issue of discrimination within the Boy Scouts undercuts your moral leadership as President.
- City, State
- Philadelphia, PA
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Klaus Vos
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Rob
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49
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