Written by: Beck

As you may recall from my post calling for a boycott of Target, I'm a firm believer that civic (i.e. non-governmental) institutions are a key component of a healthy society. Civic institutions--be they religious establishments, fraternal service organizations (e.g. the Rotary Club), or charity organizations (e.g. The Salvation Army)--are key to bringing cultural cohesiveness to society. Membership in a government-defined community is faceless; membership in a civic institution puts faces and names to your neighbors and reminds you that you're a member of a broader community. It leads to lower crime rates, more productive workers, and happier people.

As such, you can imagine my reaction when I read ISOU's post about the ACLU's ongoing attacks on the Boy Scouts of America.

I was a Life Scout, Order of the Arrow, and my Troop, 866 was one of the first African American Troops to be featured in Boys Life Magazine. I therefor hold a special place in my heart for the Boy Scouts of America. Now the ACLU is targeting them, for requiring belief in God as a prerequisite for membership. Well you know what? I have supported the ACLU in many of their efforts, but these people need to get a life. The BSA was a critical part of my upbringing and I am grateful for the lessons I learned as a result of my membership. So screw you ACLU!

I couldn't agree more (well, except maybe for that bit about supporting the ACLU in many of their efforts). Coincidentally, three of INCITE's five (soon to be six--more on that later) writers are Eagle Scouts?

Incidentally, don't forget to vote for ISOU for Best Latin Weblog over at Wizbang's 2004 Weblog Awards. While you're there, why not hop on over to the Best Conservative Weblog category and give underdog INCITE a bump? After all, Captain's Quarters already has a lock on first place; now it's time to show support for the best of the rest!