There's a lot of talk following the latest decision by the Boy Scouts, who are ending the ban on gay members, but only on the national level. Local groups are still free to decide whether to admit gay scouts or gay scout leaders.
I'm not here to debate the pros and cons of the decision.
I'm also not going to offer my opinion on the decision.
What I do want to address is what I call fear mongering when it comes to the gay issue in many forms, and yes, in part the Boy Scout issue.
Let me preface my statements with admitting there are way too many bad people in the world, child molesters at the top of my list.
I have three grandsons. If any person were to harm them in any way, well, let's say there may not be need for a trial. Read into that any way you choose.
What bothers me is comments I read/hear, in particular equating gay people and child molesters.
Being a child molester does not mean you're gay.
Being gay does not mean you're a child molester.
Yet for some reason, I've seen/heard people's opinions that hint the two terms are interchangable.
I just don't understand that at all.
OK, you may have your opinion on gay rights etc, you're in your right to have that opinion, and I would never question your opinion, even if it differed from mine.
But it's safe to say we all have the same opinion about child molesters.
Some may have the same opinion about gay people and child molesters, your choice, your opinion.
But do not say they are one in the same person.
I am a product of the Boy Scouts, it's one of the best times of my life.
Were there gay scouts or gay scout leaders when I was there? I'm thinking yeah, but I can also say I always felt safe and secure.
Were there child molesters when I was there? I hope to God not, if there were I didn't know about it. More importantly, my parents trusted the people responsible for me while in Scouts to keep me from harm.
I enrolled my oldest grandson Chris in Cub Scouts last year. Ask me the same questions about his time there as with my time, and I'd have the same answers.
Absolutely protect and shield our kids/grandkids, but do it by reason, do it by fact, but not by rumor or fear.
Kids are a lot smarter than we think, and more importantly, than we give them credit for.
That's why they have us to teach them.
And that's why we can't (always) act like villagers in a Frankenstein movie.
Mike Patrick
