August 20, 2010
Dear President Obama,
What I am now going to write about has bothered me ever since the event took place. I am a former Boy Scout (a long, long time ago) and have tremendous respect and admiration for that organization and all the good that it has done over the years. I do understand that the organization has issues that should be addressed.
When I heard you couldn't speak to them because of "scheduling problems" I was quite taken aback. What a golden opportunity to be preseidnt of all the people!
It was a chance to honor all the good they have done and also a chance to make your views known to them. I'm sorry you didn't take advantage of the moment.
I have a feeling that politics reared its ugly head. The scouts have been subject to unrelenting attack by the A.C.L.U. I suspect you also had a concern for other sections of your political base. But still...
I want you to know that I do not write this letter with any malice but, I write as a concerned citizen. I was hoping you could reach out to this large section of our society and as I said before to be president of the people.
I wish you and your family the best. Good luck and god speed. You've got the toughest job in the world.
Sincerely,
Frank Noonan
P.S.
I have enclosed an editorial from Wall Street Journal that explains the issue better than I could.
100 Years of Merit Badges
Most Americans live their lives blessedly far from the political headlines, and for some 35,000 Boy Scouts and their adult volunteers the big event of the summer is the annual National Scout Jamboree now underway in Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. This year's gathering is especially meaningful because the Boy Scouts of America are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their founding by newspaperman and magazine publisher William D. Boyce.
Scouting isn't fashionable in our politically correct age, since the organization bars openly gay scoutmasters, atheists or girls under the age of 13. Naturally this has led to lawsuits, most of which the Boy Scouts have won. Some 2.8 million boys across the country nonetheless belong to Scout troops, learning the traditional Scout values of trustworthiness, loyalty to friends and country, and volunteering in the community.
They also still work to acquire "merit badges" by mastering a particular skill, such as first aid, cooking, camping, hiking, environmental science and personal fitness. To become an Eagle Scout requires 21 merit badges. Some 212 Members of the 111th Congress were either Scouts as boys or served as adult leaders, which shows that Scouting does not guarantee a successful career choice, but it has done an enormous amount of good by turning millions of boys into better men.
It's too bad President Obama couldn't find time to address this year's 100th anniversary Jamboree. The boys would have cheered him, and he might have noted what Alexis de Tocqueville called the particular American genius for voluntary organizations that sustain civil society without government power. America would be a poorer place without the Boy Scouts, so congratulations on a century of merit.