2001-06-19 - 11:41 a.m. Jesse Helms believes it is unethical to discriminate against the Boy Scouts because the Scouts discriminate against homosexuals. This is stupid. "Hey, just 'cause we discriminate against some people doesn't mean people can discriminate against us. They can't do that. Can they?" And yes, the exclusion of homosexuals from the boy scouts is discrimination. Discrimination is discrimination. The school districts which are withdrawing support for the Scouts are just as sure of their moral correctness, as the Scouts are of theirs. What if I had an organization which excluded Christians and I wanted to use my High School's auditorium for free as a meeting place? Do you think they'd let me? No way. The question is moot anyway because I wouldn't exclude people so arbitrarily. (Some of my favorite people are Christians.) Maybe I'm morally superior to the Boy Scouts, huh? The Scouts are saying that homosexuality is the only characteristic which determines a gay person's worth. They are wrong. If you're going exclude people, you have to be willing to accept the consequences. If you don't want gays to march in your St. Patrick's day parade -- you don't get state funds to run it. If you exclude gay scouts from the Boy Scouts -- you shouldn't get to use state- and federal-funded school buildings. Why? Because half of the people who paid the taxes which built those facilities believe that the Scouts are wrong to exclude homosexuals. By the way, I'd bet that a gay scout can tie a knot, and catch a fish, and help an old lady cross the street just as well as a straight scout can. Are they implying that the straight scouts are sinless? Or, are they implying that homosexuality is a greater sin? Are sins qualitative? If they are, homosexuality is a minor sin at worst. It didn't even make it into the commandments! Any scout who ever took someone's pencil at school should immediately withdraw from the Boy Scouts because he broke a commandment, and he's going to Hell. (Thou shalt not steal.) I bet there are a couple of Scoutmasters who have coveted their neighbor's wives also -- they should be kicked out too. See how stupid that sounds? The church is just as wrong about homosexuality as it was about the sun orbitting the earth, and black cats being evil. I've never heard a good argument against homosexuals. All I ever hear is, "homosexuality is a sin" and "God hates fags", and "just because the Bible says so", and "don't question the word of God." Well, I'm asking questions, and I'm not getting good answers. And, "because Jesse Helms agrees with me" is NOT a good answer either. Why don't the Scouts ban people who take part in all forms of sodomy, like oral sex between heterosexual people, or any sexual activity which is not done for the express purpose of conceiving a child, or masturbation? (Yes, those are all forms of sodomy. The meaning of the word was changed to exclusively mean anal sex because there would be no Christians otherwise. And, there are a lot more scouts masturbating than there are who consider themselves gay.) I bet there have been lots of scouts who got caught diddling themselves in their bunks who weren't ejected from the Scouts.(sorry about the pun.) Boys will be boys, right? Well not if you like boys. Then, YOU'RE OUTTA HERE! How about the heterosexual scouts who believe that homosexuality is just a characteristic of some people, and not a sinful act? Shouldn't they be banned also? That won't happen because the number of Boy Scouts would be instantly CUT IN HALF. How about the younger scouts who have no sexual interests at all? Shouldn't they be excluded until they begin to exhibit heterosexual behavior? I mean, this is important, isn't it? Shouldn't we be sure about these people? I mean what if they turn out to be gay? If we support someone who turns out to be gay, he might not feel alienated and alone. And, he might have enough self-confidence to withstand the ignorant morons who are going to harass him. And, he might not open up his wrists and fill the bathtub with blood when he's sixteen. And, his mother won't have the opportunity to wonder what she did wrong. And, his friends won't miss him. And, we won't be able to feel proud of ourselves for ridding this world of another fuckin' queer. Is this a risk we can take? What about Scouts who have had a blood transfusion? (Consuming human blood is a sin, isn't it? That's what the Jehovah's Witnesses believe.) What if the Boy Scouts were run by the Jehovah's Witnesses? Would you be complaining that they wouldn't let your hemopheliac son in? See how silly this all is? It comes down to this. Some people think homosexuality is icky. If you exclude someone because you think they are icky, you're a bigot. NEWSFLASH! 53% of this country believes that discrimination against homosexuals is "just fine". Poll on Excite! today: Do you agree or disagree with Jesse Helms� proposal to strip federal funding from any school district that doesn�t support the Scouts or similar groups that "prohibit the acceptance of homosexuals?" Agree 53% => 30004 votes Disagree 44% => 25070 votes Not sure 3% => 1813 votes Current vote tally: 56887 (0) Comments?