An anonymous person left a comment that I feel deserves a response, so I will do so publicly (my comments in bold):
Well Doug, there are a few things you are contradicting yourself with.....a long time fan of the Northern Muckraker
Thanks for the kind words about my main project.
I don't understand your agenda. What do you want to happen?
1. To get your Eagle Scout Badge?
I think that's a pretty small thing to ask for, given what I have been through, and especially given the fact, reported to me by email as well as numerous commenters to this blog, that the Eagle requirements have been modified and waived on a significant number of occasions, for much less compelling reasons, in my opinion.
I worked damn hard for that award, and was denied it just when it was in reach through no fault of my own. Honestly, it's the least they could do, and it wouldn't cost them a dime. Actually, the PR value alone would be worth millions to them.
2. To embarrass an organization?
If that's what it takes to get redress for past wrongs and to ensure that no other boy has to go through a similar ordeal, sure. They chose not to listen when I tried going through normal, private channels, so they brought this website upon themselves.
3. Take on your aggression on someone or an organization who had nothing to do with your situation?
The organization has plenty to do with my situation, as more than twenty years after my incident there still appears to be no institutional policies for dealing with such abuse other than to keep quiet and hope the boys go away and don't sue. Oddly, the BSA doesn't seem to understand that providing assistance, both legal and emotional, would undoubtedly go a long way towards preventing the onslaught of abuse cases that they're currently dealing with. (I've talked to one attorney who knows of at least 8 pending cases in the Northwest alone. Maybe we're going to have to begin publicizing them here, in order to show the magnitude of the problem.)
1. If that was your intention why when you start to not get your way you turn the conversation to what they (the Boy Scouts) did wrong? Did they know about the molestation? Did they transfer the scoutmaster? Did they cover up, or did they hand over the accused to the proper authorities? And why do you hold a whole religion responsible for one persons actions? Would a background check if it had come out clean prevented your situation?
I'm not sure what you're asking here, but I'll do my best to answer. The Scouts did not "hand him over to the authorities" he was caught red-handed by a parent of one of the abused kids. I don't hold them responsible for the actions of the Scoutmaser. I do hold them responsible for their actions in the wake of the incident, which was to not do a darn thing for anyone and hope that it would all soon blow over.
As to the comparison to the Catholic Church, I'm certainly not "holding a religion responsible for one person's actions". I was comparing the similarity of the two organizations' responses to the same type of situation, and attempted to point out how denial at the highest levels is hurting both groups. I merely found it telling and ironic that a high-ranking official would so emphatically deny such obvious, proven criminal actions on the part of senior officials in his own church, because it shows that he also has the same blind spot when it comes to his employer.
A background check would have come back clean on the perpetrator and would not have prevented the crimes from taking place. As I said above, however, and as I pointed out to them at their headquarters, I don't blame the organization for what happened to me, but I do blame them for their lack of response in my and thousands of other cases.
2. When the organization had no chance in understanding the magnitude of your situation and after decades you return and ask for a full on public apology when you waited so long to bring it to their attention? not saying that time resolves a situation but why now? what has happened in your life when you need to redirect your aggression from the responsible party to the parent organizations? How about the police department? how about your parents? how about your siblings? where is the end point?
I didn't ask for an apology, only the chance to earn what had been denied me, and subsequently to be apprised of how the organization's policies have changed to help future victims of sexual abuse. The end point? That is when the BSA decides to take full responsibility for their policies, both on their hypocritical iron-clad "criteria" for awards as well as for their track record of not helping sexual abuse victims.
3. Furthermore you have people responding to your postings saying they will advise people they know not to let their kids into scouting....OK so now what happened to you is going to prevent other children from experiencing a great childhood of camping trips etc.
My intent is not to deny children camping trips or other Scouting-type experiences. They're fine character-builders and fun activities. This particular organization, however, has shown on numerous occasions that they can't or won't clean up the messes that leaders of their groups have made. Until they begin to do so, it's fair to warn people about just what possibly type of predatory environment they're about to send their son to, and to inform them of the (lack of a) response and help they'll be getting from the national organization should something go wrong.
You seem like a troubled person that cannot make a rational decision about how to deal with your past. why don't you find a way past your situation instead of making yourself at home in your misery? I truly wish you all the best but until you make more sense or communicate and act with a sole purpose I will not understand your plight!
You're right, it's extremely hard to make rational decisions about this, given the level of emotion that it raises in me. I can only try as hard as I can to do what I feel is the right thing, and let the chips fall where they may. To date, the overwhelming majority of responses to my campaign have been positive, with people calling and emailing me to "keep up the pressure". That tells me that I'm doing something right at least, and that there are thousands of ex-Scouts like me who were in like circumstances that are angry at the BSA and want them to change their ways immediately. Therefore, I soldier on.
As always, your mileage may vary, and all points of view are welcome here. Just keep it civil.
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2 comments:
I understand you are bitter about what you perceive as unfair treatment by the BSA to your case. I think I disagree with you as far as whether you are entitled to receive a retroactive EAGLE award.
However, I'm surprised that BSA hasn't at least explained to you what the organization does today to prevent similar occurrences. This is major issue with BSA and they try to address it on several fronts.
I'm currently a Scout Master myself and there is no doubt that such people are still out there. My son has had a teacher at both his elementary school and middle school removed during the school year because they were child molesters - and a convicted one lives across the street. It is a REAL danger. BSA tries to create an environment now where it is much more difficult for the scouts to get into a situation where the child molester can take advantage of them.
The first prong of the effort is through education. At the front of the scout handbook there is a pamphlet that the scout and his parents must go through that talks about child abuse in all its forms. This is required reading for the first level of advancement. They are trying to make the scout aware of what abuse is and how to avoid it.
Next in the education requirement is a bi-annual requirement that each adult leader take a Youth Protection sequence to make us aware of the issue. You need to be Youth Protection certified to go camping with the Youth.
The organization has a hard and fast rule called Two Deep leadership that requires that there are never fewer than three people together in a scout related situation. It can be two adults and a scout or two scouts and an adult. As a scout leader I follow this rule religiously just so I can't be accused of anything for my own legal protection.
Finally to work with the youth you have to submit to a background check.
Certainly this isn't a a fool-proof setup, but BSA HAS tried to make it extremely difficult for this to occur in the program.
Steve, I think your host does know what the Scouts do to prevent further outrages--though there is some evidence that background checks and 2-deep may sometimes be ignored in the search for more members.
(keeping 2 deep and background checks in place is difficult EVERYWHERE, by the way--I help with church nurseries, and you get the same resistance)
His issue is rather that the Scouts really ought to be reaching out to those who have been abused, and grant them the ability to earn the next rank if they left to get away from the abuse--he's not asking to be GIVEN a rank, but rather to EARN it.
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