In today's news...

[Newbie]

Re: In today's news...

This is like putting up a door with only the top hinge. Are they afraid that homosexual leaders will influence scouts to become gay? Or are they perpetrating the ridiculous idea that homosexuals are also pedophiles?

Actually, they're trying to respond to social pressure without alienating their support base. BSA runs (insofar as I know) as a not-for-profit; it's run mostly by volunteers, funded mostly by donations, and meetings are held where they're allowed to be which means mostly churches and schools. I'm pretty sure they're not trying to do what's right, but what'll be least harmful to the program and therefore have less negative impact on the youth in the program. There are groups that have pulled support in anticipation of the decision being made because they want no part of the fallout that'll come. It's not as simple as everybody seems to think it is.

 

[Scarlet_Periwinkle]

Re: In today's news...

Actually, they're trying to respond to social pressure without alienating their support base. BSA runs (insofar as I know) as a not-for-profit; it's run mostly by volunteers, funded mostly by donations, and meetings are held where they're allowed to be which means mostly churches and schools. I'm pretty sure they're not trying to do what's right, but what'll be least harmful to the program and therefore have less negative impact on the youth in the program. There are groups that have pulled support in anticipation of the decision being made because they want no part of the fallout that'll come. It's not as simple as everybody seems to think it is.

They also get a good deal of special privileges from the federal government; so the counter-argument is that they should not be allowed to discriminate while receiving aid (in the form of money, access to parks, military bases, etc.).

 

[Newbie]

Re: In today's news...

They also get a good deal of special privileges from the federal government; so the counter-argument is that they should not be allowed to discriminate while receiving aid (in the form of money, access to parks, military bases, etc.).

The supreme court already decided this: any private organization is allowed to set whatever standards of membership it likes, regardless of how they are organized or what aid they receive. One of the three groups of unhappy people is the group that feels that no change needed to be made, and that making a change is caving to external forces which sets a bad precedent.

By the way, no one's actually happy with this. It's three piles: above mentioned who see this as needless, those who (like most of you, I assume) see this as a half measure, and those who believe this is the death of the institution, like Texas governor Joe Perry. It's really frustrating if you care about the program at all.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: In today's news...

They also get a good deal of special privileges from the federal government; so the counter-argument is that they should not be allowed to discriminate while receiving aid (in the form of money, access to parks, military bases, etc.).

Yeah well, I hate to be the one to bring up the America bashing but... the federal government is pretty far from being non-discriminatory themselves.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

The supreme court already decided this: any private organization is allowed to set whatever standards of membership it likes, regardless of how they are organized or what aid they receive. One of the three groups of unhappy people is the group that feels that no change needed to be made, and that making a change is caving to external forces which sets a bad precedent.

By the way, no one's actually happy with this. It's three piles: above mentioned who see this as needless, those who (like most of you, I assume) see this as a half measure, and those who believe this is the death of the institution, like Texas governor Joe Perry. It's really frustrating if you care about the program at all.

Rick Perry, but yeah, I know a lot of stupid people that are now taking their kids out of the scouts. Some also because "the government is meddling in it!" *facepalm*

Yeah well, I hate to be the one to bring up the America bashing but... the federal government is pretty far from being non-discriminatory themselves.

While not up to the standards of most of the developed world, at the federal level there's a lot more protections than at the state level. Though some individual states may be more progressive on an issue or two, adding everything up I'd wager that the feds come out ahead. After all, it was only 50 years ago that the general wisdom was that the bill of rights only applied to federal laws, unless it was made to be imposed on the states as well.

Granted, even in America, only a small minority of people actually know this, so x.x

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world marching against Monsanto

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[Scarlet_Periwinkle]

Re: In today's news...

The supreme court already decided this: any private organization is allowed to set whatever standards of membership it likes, regardless of how they are organized or what aid they receive. One of the three groups of unhappy people is the group that feels that no change needed to be made, and that making a change is caving to external forces which sets a bad precedent.

I've done some extra digging and the term I was looking for was a Congressional Charter, which basically gives the organization official US Government acknowledgement and protection. Also, the kind of "special privileges" I was referring to are things like allowing the BSA to hold their jamboree and other events every year on US military installations. It's also against federal law to create a system of "scouting" that is similar to the BSA; the word scouting basically being denied to any group that wants to pursue similar types of activities. That's why any other, similar organization calls their members campers or some such.

@Sin

Never claimed the Feds were non-discriminatory, just that they're supposed to be ;-)

 

[Chibichibi]

Re: In today's news...

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This man needs to be completely recovered. I can't imagine how I'd feel if we lost Tim Curry

 

[Unnatural Kiwi]

Re: In today's news...

Gotta admire the tenacity of these opportunistic looters down here in the "tornado zone". If only they put such effort into other things then they might not be seeing bars.

 

[ToxicShock]

Re: In today's news...

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This man needs to be completely recovered. I can't imagine how I'd feel if we lost Tim Curry

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I hope this article is true

 

[Chibichibi]

Re: In today's news...

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Can we say, backpedaling much Microsoft?

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: In today's news...

Back peddling, or just clarifying? I don't remember Microsoft itself stating there would be a fee. I could be wrong, but...

 

[Unnatural Kiwi]

Re: In today's news...

Considering the hole they put themselves in, they're going to have to change something. They alienated themselves rather well with the reveal. As the article pointed out, there's still many other issues to address if they want to gain back any faith. As for clarifying, shouldn't they have addressed it in a way for people to understand clearly the first time?

 

[lurker]

Re: In today's news...

Considering the hole they put themselves in, they're going to have to change something. They alienated themselves rather well with the reveal. As the article pointed out, there's still many other issues to address if they want to gain back any faith. As for clarifying, shouldn't they have addressed it in a way for people to understand clearly the first time?

Indeed they should have. And the way it was worded out the first time, as I pointed out in Game Discussion, is they really insinuated that you had to pay for using hard copies of a disk you potentially bought elsewhere then Microsoft. And now all the sudden they're claiming the media misheard them, which kinda doesn't help at the present moment. A more fitting way would have been 'hey, we mucked up, we actually meant (this)'.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: In today's news...

One of the rules of PR is to take fault for your actions, lets people trust you more. I would not want to be working in that department right now.

 

[fullmetal]

Re: In today's news...

Bon Jovi being awesome.

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[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

Britain...

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What the hell?

 

[CDom]

Re: In today's news...

...

Waaait wait wait wait... Let's back this up a few comments... Lemme make sure I'm understanding this... Microsoft is actually regretting a decision they made? As a systems technician I... I...

 

[Scarlet_Periwinkle]

Re: In today's news...

Britain...

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What the hell?

It's a Brave New World...

...I'd like to stop and get off the ride now please...

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

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They probably shouldn't have placed it next to a window in a big city.