RE: comments from Sen. Allan Spear
I think the Boy Scouts positions on gays is morally wrong and
ultimately politically stupid. The Breck School just issued an
unequivocal denunciation of the Boy Scouts and kicked 'em out of its
building saying the Boy Scouts position is wholly incompatible with
Breck's mission statement.
Hooray for Breck. Gutsy move.
I'd love to see the Minneapolis Public Schools be equally
courageous---but here's where MPS is in a different position than
Breck. Breck is an private school, well-endowed and because of that,
beholden to no one. MPS is dependent on the state legislature for
its funding--and the House is controlled by Republicans who:
1) have tended to be extremely homophobic
2) hate Minneapolis (a DFL town)on principal and are always
trying to cut funds from our school district.
So while I'd love to see MPS kick out the Boy Scouts, I'd
also be worried about inciting some nasty retaliatory response from
the House Republicans. Part of me wants to say, just do it.
Consequences be damned. The other part worries about our vulnerable
students
One more Minneapolis-based reason why I hope the DFL
recaptures the House.
Lynnell Mickelsen
Linden Hills, Ward 13
Mother of three sons, none of whom are in Boy Scouts because
between 3 boys, their packs of buddies, husband and male dog, my
house is already a den.
Former Brownie, who 33 years helped lead a mass resignation
from the troop because our leader wouldn't let us wear pants under
our uniforms, did too many craft projects and wouldn't go camping.
Twenty-five Brownies quit, the troop closed and we all joined 4-H
where we had a lot more fun. Social action is a rush at age nine!
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