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Today, thousands of pages of long-secret Boy Scout files about child sex crimes and cover ups are being released. Our heart aches for every child who was assaulted by Scout personnel, especially those who were sexually violated after Scout executives knew or suspected that the assailant was a child molester.

In response to these revelations, Scout executives will offer up a range of carefully-crafted claims largely designed to make excuses, dodge responsibility, shift blame, and proclaim progress. The public should be very wary of these claims.

Scout executives will claim 'we're adopted reforms.' But they've only done so very belatedly, after lawsuits and pressure. (Background checks were adopted by Scout executives only in 2008, for example.)

Scout executives will claim ‘our reforms are working.’ But thus far, these alleged reforms are largely untested.

Scout executives will claim 'now we report all allegations to police.' But there is really no way to verify if officials are or are not. (Stressing this claim evades the question of what’s happening to the thousands of current and former Scout officials who knew of or suspected child sex crimes but hid them? Who are these men and how are they being punished?)

Already, Scout executives are making three very disappointing claims. To CNN, they are:

--defending their long-standing practice of staying silent about child sex crimes, and claiming they care about victims’ privacy. That’s an astonishingly cynical ploy. First, victims’ names are redacted from these files (as they should be). Second, victims want, more than anything, to see child sex crimes and cover ups exposed and prevented. They want children protected. And we predict they will resent Scout executives fighting disclosure that will hurt Scout executives by claiming their real concern is the privacy of victims. Just like the fucking catholic church.

--warning about a potential “chilling effect on the reporting of abuse” by these disclosure. But what really “chills” abuse reporting is the fear that nothing will be done and no wrongdoers will be punished. If Scout executives want to encourage others to report child sex crimes, they should publicly and severely discipline every Scout employee and volunteer who ignored or concealed these crimes. That kind of strong, clear, and effective public action will definitely encourage others who are hurting to report their victimization.

--shifting blame by reminding us that predators come in all shapes, sizes and institutions. “Some men will use a position of trust and access to young people to pursue illegal sexual gratification. This is a sad reality that has been with us throughout human history,” Scout executives are saying. That, again, is self-serving. It’s a dodge. It’s an excuse. It’s insulting and irrelevant. It’s what Catholic bishops have said for decades and still say.

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It’s clear that Scout executives hope that repeating same self-serving claims again and again will help them evade responsibility. We hope they’re wrong.

The simple truth is that lofty words by Scout executives are merely that: words. We encourage Scouting families to hold out for real change, not superficial public relations moves. When it comes to kids' safety, we urge Scouting families to be skeptical, not trusting, and vigilant, not complacent.

Finally, every parent in the country owes a debt to Kerry Lewis and the other five brave men who took legal action to protect kids, expose these predators and their enablers, and deter similar wrongdoing in the future. They are true heroes.

93henfan wrote:My oldest starts Cub Scouts next week. I'll tell him not to drop the soap.

The secrecy protected more than 1,000 suspected child molesters, said the attorneys, who will publicly release the documents during a news conference in a downtown Portland hotel. The attorneys are also seeking the release of post-1985 files from the Boy Scouts. *May want to wait before sending your boys into harms way.

The files will show that the expelled Scout leaders and volunteers — all men — “are sociopathic geniuses,” said attorney Kelly Clark of Portland, who has reviewed the 20,000 pages and is among the attorneys releasing the papers Thursday.

“They fool everybody,” he said. “And then they are able to coerce, convince or threaten these kids to stay silent. And you see that play out over and over again in the files.”

Clark said he represents more than 100 men who as children were in the Boy Scouts, and he estimates that more than 50% of his clients have drug or alcohol problems. At least three of them have committed suicide, he said.

Tim Kosnoff, an attorney in Seattle, said the abuse allegedly inflicted on the men as boys “has a corrosive effect” in which trust, relationship and sexuality issues develop with adulthood.

One former Boy Scout represented by Kosnoff, Keith Early, joined the group at 12, recruited by an assistant Scoutmaster who was a married firefighter with three children and led Scout meetings in a church in Washington state.

Early, now 18, was sexually abused by the Scout leader while helping build a Boy Scout camp on his 42-acre ranch, he said in an interview with CNN. The assistant Scoutmaster was convicted of abusing Early and another boy and is now serving a prison sentence of 10 years to life.

“I felt like I was all alone,” Early said. “Just thinking about it makes me angry … because how could you do that to somebody? How could you bring yourself to do that to somebody who is so innocent and has done nothing wrong?”

danefan wrote:This is a huge issue. I wouldn't want my kids anywhere near that organization at this point unless I was there with them every minute.

D1B wrote:

93henfan wrote:My oldest starts Cub Scouts next week. I'll tell him not to drop the soap.

Serious question: Why Cub Scouts? Are there no better alternatives?

I just don't understand how a parent willingly places their child in the care of an organization with a horrific record of fostering then covering up child molestation.

How about waiting until they get their shit together?

I know you're a decent parent and I'm not trying to badger you. I just don't get it.

andy7171 wrote:

D1B wrote:

Serious question: Why Cub Scouts? Are there no better alternatives?

I just don't understand how a parent willingly places their child in the care of an organization with a horrific record of fostering then covering up child molestation.

How about waiting until they get their shit together?

I know you're a decent parent and I'm not trying to badger you. I just don't get it.

You do know that Cub Scouts are run predominnatly by mothers right? Each "pack" has a number of "dens" which are run by "den mothers". Only the Weblos have fathers in charge.

andy7171 wrote:

D1B wrote:

Serious question: Why Cub Scouts? Are there no better alternatives?

I just don't understand how a parent willingly places their child in the care of an organization with a horrific record of fostering then covering up child molestation.

How about waiting until they get their **** together?

I know you're a decent parent and I'm not trying to badger you. I just don't get it.

You do know that Cub Scouts are run predominnatly by mothers right? Each "pack" has a number of "dens" which are run by "den mothers". Only the Weblos have fathers in charge.

CAA Flagship wrote:

andy7171 wrote:
You do know that Cub Scouts are run predominnatly by mothers right? Each "pack" has a number of "dens" which are run by "den mothers". Only the Weblos have fathers in charge.

Who runs the Brownies?

89Hen wrote:My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

GannonFan wrote:there are other things than sports

GannonFan wrote:

89Hen wrote:My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

This.

With that said, I have my boys in Cub Scouts despite the fact that they play every sport imaginable. But it is amazing how there are so many kids in Scouts that are just completely unathletic. I suppose there needs to be something for everyone, but it is funny.

As for why I have my kids in Scouts, for one, it is one way to further socialize with kids they wouldn't necessarily be socializing with on the athletic fields. For two, there are other things than sports and scouting is one way to do that (have them taking piano lessons too for the musical education). And it gives an easy way to get into camping and other outdoor activities.

As for the abuse, just like the Catholic Church, I focus more on the local. Sure, the overriding establishment has their issues and often they have not handled them anywhere close to fine, however, I judge and evaluate my own local situation and make sure that my kids are fine. The den leaders for my two kids are guys I know - one lives down the street a few houses and the other guy lives a few blocks away. If I thought they were dangerous for my kids, I wouldn't have them involved. Same with church. And besides, I try to be there, or my wife does, so there's little chance for unsupervised time. I'm always amazed at parents that assume an 8 year old can routinely be left in the care of volunteer coaches or den leaders or what have you. If parents would watch out for their kids more a lot of this would never be able to happen.

89Hen wrote:My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

Chizzang wrote:

89Hen wrote:My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

Exactly...
Who had time for Boy Scouts?
Between Baseball / Football / Soccer / Tennis and girls who had time..?
The very few guys I knew who were into Boy Scouts were weirder than sh!t

89Hen wrote:My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

MSUDuo wrote:

89Hen wrote:My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

I guess I was in a good Troop then growing up. The guys I played soccer, football, baseball and basketball with were all in Scouts.

Can't speak for now though...

MSUDuo wrote:I guess I was in a good Troop then growing up. The guys I played soccer, football, baseball and basketball with were all in Scouts.

89Hen wrote:My observation growing up was that 90% of the boys in BS were ones who didn't play sports. Still that way today based on the kids at my kids school who did them. They were/are also likely to take Karate.

89Hen wrote:

MSUDuo wrote:I guess I was in a good Troop then growing up. The guys I played soccer, football, baseball and basketball with were all in Scouts.