The “child” made vague references to “Winnie the Pooh” and its favorite “The Jungle Book” when asked about its road to self discovery. When asked if a “child” could be expected to fully understand what it actually means to be a bear cub the parents bristled, “That question invalidates its feelings. I don’t want it to grow up in a world like that, full of expectations and broken dreams. I want it to be free of bigots like you! Bears are many things but bears, especially zoo bears, are not bigots.”
The award was bestowed by the Born This Way Foundation. In a statement the foundation praised the zoo for “not listening to the haters.”
“We want the world to know seven year olds need to be supported in any life altering decision it chooses to make. They are brave in eschewing societal tyranny and embracing the true nature of “humanity” which is non-judgment especially if it leads the searcher to a bear habitat. Our support must match or even surpass their bravery and desire. Because what is the worst thing that could possibly happen? That seven year old “Girl Scout” maybe broken hearted for the rest of its life.”
We will continue to follow this story as a memorial fund has been graciously established in the “Girl Scouts” name on the Born This Way Foundation website.
It seems everyone has an opinion about this story and as a Girl Scout leader, I'm often frustrated at charges leveled against the 100 year old organization designed to scandalize. The question of Bobbi and the Girl Scouts is a complex one, both for the child's family to live with and the troop/GSCO to address. Many things trouble me about the coverage of the story, most of all, that the sales of cookies by countless scouts may be politicized for the sake of such sensationalism. Any organization has its scandals and everyone in America (including other scouts) is entitled to their opinions about them. However, I hope that little girls selling cookies can simply enjoy their experience this year without being made to answer for this "story" - especially given the fact that the would-be-scout in question didn't even join. In my view, Catholicism is not antithetical to acceptance, diversity or tolerance - in fact, quite the opposite. Nor are the Girl Scouts incompatible with Catholic values.
ReplyDeleteThe real tragedy is not that a one hundred year old institution hit a bump. It is that seven year olds are not small adults, they are not even tiny teens. Seven year olds can not persue their own agendas and they can't buy their own clothes. They are children and they are vulnerable. To act as if they can or are is to make them unwitting puppets to this very publicity.
ReplyDeleteThe GSUSA is affilialated with Planned Parenthood and on the list of recommended reading in Girltopia is "The Gateway to Woman's Country" by Sheri Tepper. A novel which promotes sexism, eugenics, sex divorced from relationship, its anti-family, and vulgar. These are just two brief examples of how one could say that the GSUSA and the Catholic Church are at lagerheads.
I feel terrible for both girl scouts involved as the girl who called for the boycott has had outrageous threats made against her and her full name made public by blogger David Badash.
One should not have to fear for one's life in this country after exercising one's right to free speech.
I am also not preaching intolerance. The Church teaches it's members that those who violate natural law must be "accepted with compassion, respect, and sensitivity. These people are called to fullfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 3, Article 6, 2358-2359)
This is in relation to people who have actually reached the age of reason however and in good constience how could one let a child be led down a disordered path without asking, even obtusely, "What the heck are you doing to this child?"
I was asking how could one honestly believe that a seven year old could understand what he\she is doing? We are parents and sometimes we must do just that.