[21027] in APO-L
[APO-L] A word from the APO grassroots campaign
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Joshua Collier)
Sun Jul 23 04:33:08 2000
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Message-Id: <f4.1207199.26ac047d@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 04:19:09 EDT
Reply-To: APOgrassroots@AOL.COM
From: Joshua Collier <APOgrassroots@AOL.COM>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
Hello to all APO-L subscribers.
My name is Joshua Collier. I am the founder of the Alpha Phi Omega: Bringin=
g=20
About Change Grassroots Campaign that has been discussed on here recently. =20
Due to my website=E2=80=99s increased popularity after being posted on APO-L=
and=20
APOSOC-L, the amount of e-mail I receive has subsequently increased. Since=20
my time is mainly being spent replying to these e-mails, I am going to post=20
on this listserv instead a general comment instead of writing back all the=20
individuals who have posted comments about my site.
First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who has posted comments=20
about my site whether in support or opposition. I would also like to thank=20
Michael who originally advertised my site on this listserv. I would also=20
like to reiterate my campaign and website=E2=80=99s disclaimer that the thou=
ghts,=20
actions, and documents of this campaign are not to be considered an=20
authoritative source nor official thoughts, actions, or documents of Alpha=20
Phi Omega Service Fraternity, Scouting For All, or the Theta Sigma Chapter o=
f=20
Alpha Phi Omega.
With that said, I would like to make a few comments regarding some parts of=20
the earlier posts. Yes, this campaign is very controversial I know that. =20
You don't have to tell me. As one of the earlier posts said, "It would brin=
g=20
questions as to whether we should participate in functions sponsored by the=20
BSA (such as merit badge day, a huge project for many chapters). Those that=
=20
are scoutmasters or otherwise involved in BSA, would they have to resign=20
their positions?" Any chapter still has the right to work at any level of=20
involvement with the BSA it deems appropriate. Scoutmasters and former Boy=20
Scouts will be welcome in the fraternity, but have to realize that the=20
policies of the organization are different from the BSA=E2=80=99s. They wil=
l have to=20
conform to the more open acceptance level if they wish to be a member. =20
Another post stated, "I=E2=80=99d take issue with the insinuation that this=20=
is APO=E2=80=99s=20
stance on the issue, esp. if it leads to strained relations w/ BSA." Like=20
the disclaimer said, this is not APO=E2=80=99s statement. This is a stateme=
nt of one=20
person who is standing up for what he believes in. APO and the BSA might=20
have strained relations if this passed, but the organizations=E2=80=99 polic=
ies on=20
discrimination differ, so there will be tension no matter what.
Another post by the same author stated, "Should APO encourage diversity?=20
Sure! Should it do so at the expense of our relationship w/ Boy Scouts? =20
That's a good question. Is it more important for us to have the bond w/=20
scouting than to have diversity? That's basically what we'd have to ask if=20
we ever consider going the Boy Scouts that kind of ultimatum." APO would=20
never give the BSA an ultimatum under my campaign plans. Diversity, in my=20
mind, is much more important than any relationship between two organizations=
.=20
APO already risked it's relationship with the BSA by including females,=20
homosexuals, bisexuals, atheists, and agnostics. APO is the progressive=20
organization out of the two. APO has already started this progressive natur=
e=20
and to stop now would be a detriment. =20
Yet another post by the same author said, "Frankly, as an organization it's=20
not APO=E2=80=99s place to dictate policy to BSA." Yes, you are right. Not=
hing in=20
my website is trying to dictate BSA policy, only APO policy. I hope all of=20
you don't think that I am so asinine as to think a separation of the BSA and=
=20
APO will cause the BSA to wake up and say, "oh my, what have we been doing?"=
=20
Of course it will not! That is not the purpose of this campaign. The=20
purpose is to make APO wake up and say, "Oh my, how can we say one thing in=20
our risk management policy and practice another."
From a different author this time, the comment was made that, "Pulling APO=
=E2=80=99s=20
support from the BSA will not help at all in stopping their activities." To=
=20
an extent, I disagree with this comment. Yes, I agree that APO alone pullin=
g=20
it's support will not harm the BSA. But, if we band together with the wider=
=20
movement, eventually the BSA will have to make tough decisions about the=20
future of their organization. Several years ago in Chicago, the Chicago=20
Public School District pulled their charters with over 25 boy scout troops=20
and cub scout packs due to the BSA=E2=80=99s status as a "private" organizat=
ion. =20
Since it is a private organization, the government cannot fund any=20
organization that discriminates on the basis of religion and gender. Public=
=20
schools are government funded therefor cannot support private organizations=20
like the BSA. Churches and schools all over the nation are currently=20
reevaluating their relationship with the BSA troops and packs meeting within=
=20
their facilities.
Yet another author wrote, "=E2=80=A6those chapters that are BSA ships and cr=
ews, and=20
those that wish to maintain strong Scouting ties may continue to do so, =E2=
=80=A6" =20
Under my proposal, he is right as long as no one in the chapter disagrees=20
with the relationship between the two organizations. This author went on to=
=20
talk about the BSA=E2=80=99s Supreme Court ruling and stated, "I would suspe=
ct=E2=80=A6 that=20
such a ruling also means that APO can do as it wants and doesn't have to hav=
e=20
a member forced down its throat." Yes, APO can do what it want and have in=20
the fraternity who it wants. But, APO has gone to great lengths to identify=
=20
who cannot be discriminated against in the Risk Management Policy of the=20
Fraternity. =20
This same author's final comments were, "Y=E2=80=99all need to sit down with=
the work=20
of the founders and their attitudes and opinions and see where that takes yo=
u=20
in this discussion. Because for all I can see, all such an action would do=20
is reduce diversity." I wouldn't think a statement could be more wrong than=
=20
this. If the United States would have gone back to the founding fathers of=20
our country to resolve the slavery issue, we would still have African slaves=
=20
to this day. Attitudes change over time, and maybe APO is not ready for thi=
s=20
big of a leap, but I will still try.
This same author made some very good points in the beginning of his post, bu=
t=20
then went off on a tangent that had no merit behind it. He stated, "Argue=20
homosexuals aren't pedophiles all you want, if not why are so many of them=20
attacking kids of their own sex? Now picture yourself with a learning=20
disabled and ready target child and come talk to me [he is the father of a=20
learning disabled child] about why BSA does not want to have avowed=20
homosexuals as leaders." I have to defend two sides to this. First the BSA=
,=20
yes I will defend the BSA, has never said that the reason they will not=20
accept homosexuals is because out of fear of pedophiles, but because, in=20
their opinion, homosexuals do not lead a moral lifestyle suitable for a role=
=20
model. Secondly, I would like to defend the homosexual community. The=20
Kinsey Report of 1948, still considered to be the foremost research in the=20
sexual behaviors of men, found that crimes such as child sexual assault had=20
been historically incorrectly attributed to homosexuals and that, if=20
anything, heterosexual males were more likely to be involved in child sexual=
=20
abuse. For reference, go to the Kinsey Institute Webpage at=20
http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/index.html You can also take a look at the=20
National Child Protection Clearinghouse webpage at=20
http://www.aifs.org.au/nch/issues5.html which has an in-depth section on=20
homosexual offenders of child sexual abuse. Then the author of this post=20
said he would be deleting any e-mails he got back=20
I would like to wrap up by attempting to get the message across that the=20
campaign I have started is not an anti-BSA campaign but rather a progressive=
=20
APO campaign. I also hope you realize I am not so stupid as to think my=20
legislation will pass at the National Convention. I don't believe it has a=20
snowball's chance in hell of actually passing, but I am committed to standin=
g=20
up for what I believe. The Boy Scouts of America taught me that. When this=
=20
legislation fails at the convention, know that I will not be disappointed an=
d=20
expect to see me again in two years when I submit the legislation once again=
.=20
I will fight this until it is passed.
Yours in Leadership, Friendship, and Service,
Joshua Collier
<A HREF=3D"http://www.geocities.com/apograssroots/">Alpha Phi Omega: Bringi=
ng=20
About Change</A>=20
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I still can=20
do something. I will not refuse to do something I can do. Helen Keller
