boy scout uniformOh the hypocrisy. It looks like over the last 20 years, Boy Scouts of America has been covering for child molesters. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times has unearthed what's informally called the organization's "perversion file," records of blacklisted scout leaders who allegedly molested boys in their care. The list goes back to 1919! And BSA has been fighting to keep the list secret.

Now we see why: Because time after time BSA let alleged child molesters quietly resign under false pretenses, neglecting to alert the authorities about reports of abuse. Worse, because BSA leaders didn't report these incidents, alleged molesters sometimes weaseled their way back into the organization to do it all over again!

Who were the Boy Scouts of America trying to protect with this supposed black list? Definitely not the boys or their families! This sort of cover-up is much more about protecting the alleged molesters and especially protecting the reputation of the organization. No wonder they take such a hard line against gay scoutmasters. Right?

Wrong. The ban on gay scout maters totally misses the point. None of the alleged or convicted child molesters were gay. Gay does not mean child molester. Not the same thing, folks! And anyone with half a brain knows that openly gay men like GROWNUP MEN, not boys. Men who are into boys are in a whole, sick, disturbed category all of their own. It is not even remotely the same thing. Not even if you're into twinks. Anyway, you lose all claims to "morality" when you cover up for child molesters.

So let's look at the facts as they're being reported. Most allegations of abuse were reported to the police before they were reported to the Scouts, so that's a relief, anyway. But there are about 500 reports that came from kids, parents, or other sources. Of those, about 400 of those cases were never reported to the police. And in 100 of those cases, there were attempts to actively cover up the incidents.

So here we are now, and I have a son in Boy Scouts. How thrilled am I with this news? My son is pretty young and hasn't gone on any overnight camping trips. Meetings are at a church, not in anyone's home. And it's some relief to know that in 2010 the BSA instituted a policy requiring leaders to report any and all cases of suspected abuse to the authorities. But still -- this story really makes me wonder about the culture in BSA leadership and where their priorities are. Maybe we'll skip scouting this year, after all.

Do you feel secure that BSA's new policy about reporting incidents of abuse will protect your child?

 

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