War on the Boy Scouts is a microcosm of larger culture war
This book demonstrates that the so-called "War on the Scouts" is a microcosm of a larger phenomenon, a "culture war" that has been tearing at the seams of our society for forty years, and that pits traditional values such as service, selflessness, and
sacrifice for the common good against a newer doctrine that elevates the self above society and regulates morality to a shapeless form of relativity. The attacks on the Scouts are but one front in a larger war. The forces of moral relativity--the most
famous of which is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)--would remove any mention of God from the public square, would sanitize our society of bright lines dividing right and wrong, and would elevate doing what "feels good" as a moral imperative
higher than doing what is necessary for us to live together. I am passionate about this subject because Scouting was central to my life as a young boy growing up on the rolling plains of West Texas.
We gravitate to bad behavior unless we revere authority
Most of the time, disobedience is a form of rebellion and a lack of respect for people in positions of authority. Reverence for authority starts in the home, where children learn the rewards and consequences of good behavior and bad. I am not talking
about reviving an era of stern discipline, such as the use of the belt or the switch. I am referring to parents who allow their children to develop a sense of self so at odds with society that those children cannot conceive of respecting their peers, let
alone people in positions of authority. We would all gravitate toward monstrous behavior if no one socialized us. It seems to be our "wild" nature to do so, and only proper nurturing can redirect us. The one thing every child does is have an innate desire
to please his parents, perhaps just in the hope of getting attention. This desire must be put to good use. Establishing boundaries and norms and requiring children to stick to those rules to receive approval is essential.
Free speech for "Coming Out Day" but not "Family Values"?
Recently in Oakland, California, a group of African American Christian women who are city government employees formed the Good News Employee Association. They defined their group as a "forum for people of Faith to express their views on the issues of the
day, with respect for the Natural Family, Marriage and Family Values." They posted their flier on an employee bulletin board after others had used the bulletin board to advertise "gay rights". They asked for formal approval to use the city's employee
e-mail system and bulletin board regularly, but were denied on the grounds that their flier would "promote harassment based on sexual orientation." Gay rights advocates employed by the city had used the communication system to promote "Happy Coming Out
Day," but the city's bureaucratic overseers deemed the words "marriage" and "family values" unacceptable. This is but one example of efforts to limit free speech and to curb values that have been central to the American experience for many decades.
Encourage fathers' participation in child-raising.
Perry adopted the National Governors Association position paper:
The Issue
Growing evidence suggests that children from families in which fathers do not contribute their time and support endure a number of risk factors. Children with absent fathers are more likely to drop out of school, become teenage parents, develop drug or alcohol problems, or become involved in violent criminal behavior. Congress and the administration have recently proposed a number of federal programs to support state and local fatherhood initiatives.
NGA’s Position
Governors believe that government at all levels can and should take immediate action to help reduce the number of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and encourage active participation by fathers of all ages in raising their children. Governors have played a leadership role at both the national and state level in developing and implementing comprehensive strategies to strengthen the role of fathers in their childrens’ lives. While many Governors are using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other federal program funds to support state-specific fatherhood initiatives, additional investment in fatherhood would broaden the population of fathers that can be served. Governors believe that there should be support of and coordination between existing programs and any new federal funding stream designated for fatherhood initiatives and that these new initiatives should not be funded at the expense of another vital human service program.
Source: National Governors Association "Issues / Positions" 01-NGA12 on Sep 7, 2001
Federal funds & state involvement in fatherhood initiatives.
Perry adopted the National Governors Association policy:
The nation’s Governors recognize that governments at all levels can and should take immediate action including:
providing additional education and information about the importance of fathers participating in raising their children;
establishing a nongovernmental national clearinghouse to collect and disseminate information regarding responsible fatherhood;
expanding efforts to prevent unintended and out-of-wedlock teen pregnancies;
providing children with appropriate adult male role models, such as mentors, in the absence of a caring father;
ensuring that young men are given opportunities to feel successful and valued, which will lead to the development of self-confidence and preparation for fatherhood;
encouraging the involvement of the community, including the religious community, civic community, business community, and mentors in addressing the importance of father involvement;
developing strategies that include both parents in activities focused on their children, such as training service providers and educators to include both parents in their service delivery;
working with private employers and the education community to provide education and job training opportunities to unemployed, underemployed, and low-skilled fathers; and
paternity establishment and child support enforcement efforts.
Any new federal funding stream designated for fatherhood initiatives should:
support programs in states, at the discretion of each Governor, that encourage appropriate involvement of both parents in the life of a child, with priority given to programs that specifically address the issue of fatherhood;
be coordinated with existing fatherhood programs, as well as with other federal funds that can be used for fatherhood initiatives, such as TANF; and
not be funded at the expense of another vital human service program.
Source: NGA policy HR-28. Fatherhood Policy 01-NGA6 on Aug 15, 2001
