Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
Ricochet Editor's Desk ·
February 7, 2013 at 11:09pm
Earlier today, our own Richard Epstein sat down with the Wall Street Journal's Mary Kissel to discuss the controversy over the Boy Scouts policies towards homosexuals. Here's his interview from WSJ Live:
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Apr '11
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
Man, Epstein is a machine.
May '10
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
I am an Eagle Scout. Two of my sons are Eagle Scouts. Twelve years ago I helped start a troop and served as it's Committee Chairman for 6 years. In that time that troop has produced 44 Eagle Scouts.
In other words, I am deeply involved in scouting, and deeply concerned for its future if National Council changes its policy on participation by openly homosexual scouts and scouters.
Leaving it to the local unit would be an act of pure moral cowardice. It would leave the heavy lifting to each local unit. That will expose every local unit that maintains the ban on open homosexual participation to lawsuits. It will expose troops to homosexual activism at council events like camporees and summer camp.
If the ban is lifted, it is likely my son's troop's chartering organization will want to withdraw its support, and I will have no principled basis to argue against such an action.
Dropping the ban would be an enormous mistake. Hopefully the BSA will not do it.
Nov '10
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
I am a newbie to scouting, my youngest boy just started with Cub Scouts. I like the Professor's idea: whichever way the BSA chooses to go, those in opposition can form their own organization. And maybe that's what needs to happen. I'm of course in favor of the current policy.
I have very little doubt, however, that the BSA will reverse their current position.
May '10
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
Blue State membership will continue to go down no matter what, because the BSA is pro-America, and let's face it, the Left hates this country.
Sep '10
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
I am finishing my fourth (and last) year of cub scout leadership this year. I roundly support the BSA's right to make decisions as they will. But even in Texas where I live, the school administrators have gone from largely supporting scouts to largely tolerating them.
This is a big deal because most scout units are chartered under schools or churches (i.e. they are not just a group of rotating parents and kids but are joined to a particular organization). These chartering organizations (CO) are told from time to time that they are potentially liable for damages for injuries and especially any abuse that happens and so administrators are warned to avoid this risk and not sponsor scouting. If I see it in Texas I can hardly imagine what it is like in Maryland.
My experience is that the day to day decisions about scout units are handled by the unit leaders, scout parents, the CO, and the BSA districts in that order. I am not sure why this decision should be different. I don't see this as a red line in the culture war.
Sep '10
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
cont. Rather than continually fighting and losing this battle I would suggest the we should try and deflect this issue toward a type of guerrilla warfare. I say this knowing that the BSA should be free to organize as it wants. But, we can control the countryside instead of manning fixed fortifications open to legal attack. If the ACLU has to file 1000's of lawsuits rather than one, each unit able to disband and regroup as necessary we are a force that cannot be defeated.
I favor asymmetrical warfare with the left in this instance. I wish we did not have to fight at all, but I suspect all soldiers feel that way.
Apr '12
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
Red states are caving to the anti gay discrimination meme too.....http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55790742-90/church-bill-community-discrimination.html.cspWhen Utah goes purple that's big....
Jan '11
Re: Richard Epstein on the Boy Scouts Controversy
Aren't they changing their name to Boi Scouts?