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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Scouting Today?

I guess Explorer Scouting has changed since I was one back in 1980-1. My group used to backpack in the mountains and the desert, and clean up beaches and parks in San Diego. Today's Explorers, according to an article in the New York Times, are handling weapons and being trained to take down bad guys.
Well, I suppose it's a good thing, if there are going to be so many weapons on the streets, that a few people know how to use them properly. The stated goal here is to begin very early recruiting for the police and border patrol forces. But is the answer an arms race? Do we really need to be introducing kids as young as 13 to this? Here's a chilling quote from the article:

Cathy N, also 16, said she was attracted by the guns. The group uses compressed-air guns — known as airsoft guns, which fire tiny plastic pellets — in the training exercises, and sometimes they shoot real guns on a closed range.
“I like shooting them,” Cathy said. “I like the sound they make. It gets me excited.”


Great. Welcome to our gun society.
Makes me weep.
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4 comments:

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

That saddens me greatly. I don't know how we think our "future" is supposed to be molded to our benefit when we allow things like this. Just think science girl, these are going to be our "leader's" very soon.......
Horrifying, no?

Steady On
Reggie Girl

Bagman and Butler said...

When I think of other countries that have programs to teach killing to their children, I cringe to think that we are among them.

NanU said...

I think the Explorer program is meant to stop short of that, Mark, at least officially. Though with it being perfectly legal in Texas to defend property with lethal force, part of our country is has already arrived in a very scary place.

Unknown said...

Whaaaat???!This is so wrong. These are kids for goodness sake. Violence begets violence.

“If we have no peace, it’s because we have forgotten we belong to each other.”-Mother Theresa