Who Are These People?

The photo at the left shows three of the San Diego, California cub scouts who use a campground and an aquatic center that the Boy Scouts of America built on land leased from the City of San Diego. Two same-sex couples in San Diego, California, are insisting to the U.S. Supreme Court that these kids don't have the right to be "morally straight" on San Diego property.

From Bob Unruh at WorldNetDaily via Thomas More Law Center:

"Lesbian and agnostic couples who had never visited the facilities sued the Scouts on a claim that they felt offended by the fact that the city leases the public property to a 'morally straight' organization such as the Boy Scouts," the public interest legal groups [Thomas More Law Center and Alliance Defense Fund] said. "There were no religious symbols at the facilities."

The Scout Oath calls for a member "to do [his] duty to God and [his] country … and to keep [himself] morally straight."

A three-judge panel at the 9th Circuit dismissed the complaint. . . but the decision was reversed by the full 9th Circuit panel.

[snip]

According to the Thomas More Law Center, "Litigants in the 9th Circuit can now challenge programs like San Diego's with nothing more than general offense at a tenet of an organization’s mission. So long as a person feels unwelcome by the private groups' beliefs – without any exposure to religious symbols or denial of any services – he can sue to have the program declared unconstitutional."

The Boy Scouts since 1957 have leased a 16-acre parcel at San Diego's Balboa Park. In exchange for paying a nominal fee to the city, the Scouts were allowed to lease the park and make numerous improvements to the property, including a public campground. Hundreds of other groups have similar arrangements with the city.

In 1987, the city leased another half-acre parcel to the Scouts at Mission Bay Park. The Scouts again spent millions of dollars to build an aquatic center, which is open to the entire community on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the ADF.

The attorney for the Boy Scouts, George A. Davidson, said the court conclusion was disappointing, as "none of the plaintiffs has suffered any injury or has any standing to sue."

The organization confirmed it agreed to spend more than $1.7 million of its funds improving Camp Balboa and $2.5 million on the aquatics center at Mission Bay Park under its latest leases. The facilities and equipment "are available for use by any youth group."

Meanwhile, San Diego has more than 100 other leases with other community groups on similar terms, the group said.

Would it help to mention to the authors of this suit that the Boy Scout oath they find so offensive was initiated back when the word straight meant honest?

I guess not.

Whom do I tell that I'm offended?

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