Lordy, lordy, I try to keep my blogs here related to Scientology, But sometimes, something strikes my blog nerve and I just have to write about it. In this case, I connect two stories, the Boy Scouts of America in the City of Brotherly Love (ironic, that) and a related California case of a scoutmaster molesting the kiddies.

I used to be a big United Way supporter. I was a Loaned Exec for years and spoke often to help the local organization meet their goals.

Then the whole sha-bang came down with the Boy Scouts of America discriminating against people because of their religion and/or sexual orientation.

There was a story in the paper a few days ago announcing that local scouts groups (Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Brownie Scouts) were being “evicted” from using the City Schools as meeting places, due to chronic failure to pay the fee required for use of the school building.  This generated so much outrage that the city school board is meeting Tuesday night, 11/28/06, to discuss waiving the fee for scouts groups.  It seems that forcing these scout groups to meet elsewhere would be such a disadvantage and inconvenience to the parents that they might...have to quit the scouts.  Such a tragedy must be averted at all costs.  So they’ll probably be able to keep using schools for free, even though any other organization that uses school property after hours has to pay $25 a month plus the cost for custodians.

Well, as summer approaches and I reflect on my youth, I have to say that things are different for my sons.  I spent many of my summers at Boy Scout Camp - a rite of passage not familiar to many boys these days.  I have to say - That may be a good thing. First, none of the places I knew as a kid are left.  BSA sold them.  They're gone.

And while "Scouting" can be a great program for youth, BSA has done a horrid job over the past few decades in overseeing Scouting in the US.  BSA was granted a congressioal charter giving it a defacto monopoly running "Scouting" programs  for boys in the US.  BSA even tried to keep Girl Scouts of America (a COMPLETELY different and separate organization) from using the word "Scouts".

But comfortable without any real competition, and having a "brand image" that seems impervious to scandal, BSA has not done a very good job in serving American Youth.  It HAS done a VERY good job for its paid executives.

Let's face it: dailykos can be a comfortable place to be.  We have our disagreements, we even have our occasional flame wars (I was in one earlier, go figure), but overall we enjoy a community of mostly like-minded people who may disagree on specifics but agree on a general movement towards making life better for other people.

Which is why I recommend, from time to time, diving into the Right-wing blogosphere.  It's not productive in any real sense (that is, it's unlikely you'll come away with anything like a real idea), but it's always a good reality check to see just how sad, ignorant, and unintentionally funny the people on the other side of the aisle can be.

"But pico, why go over there at all?"  Because we're in the business of winning elections, so we may as well familiarize ourselves with the enemy.  Join me on the descent, and lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'intrate.