October 27, 2000

Dear Scouting Supporter;

Unfortunately the candidates were not asked during the presidential debates whether they support the Supreme Court's decision upholding the right of the Boy Scouts to remove homosexuals as scoutmasters.

However, as you may have heard, Al Gore was asked just that question in an interview yesterday, October 26th, on the ABC program, "Good Morning America."

His response makes me far more concerned than I had been before about the future of Scouting in this country.

Mr. Gore answered that "on the grounds used for that decision, the right of free speech and association, yes" he supported the decision. However, he went on to say that he opposed discrimination and suggested that "the court did not reach the underlying question that others have raised there."

I would certainly disagree and point out that the "underlying question" in this case was precisely the protection of these basic freedoms.

Mr. Gore further stated that it was his goal to see that "we don't have this kind of discrimination by groups public or private."

Please think about that statement for a moment. Mr. Gore claims that he supports the Supreme Court decision on the basis of the fundamental Constitutional freedoms that were at issue in this case. But he also states that his personal goal is to prevent private groups like the Scouts from exercising those freedoms!

Finally, he said that he thought that we were moving to a future where "that kind of discrimination can be brought to an end."

I can only interpret these statements as expressing his determination to force the Scouts to accept homosexuals as scoutmasters. I know that you understand that it is not merely the rights of the Scouts that are at issue here. These same rights protect thousands of other groups and organizations in setting their own standards and membership policies.

This is clearly an important national issue. After all, the Court only upheld the rights of the Scouts--and all these other groups--by a 5 to 4 decision and the next president may appoint two or three new justices. This question asked of Mr. Gore was one of only two selected from among hundreds, perhaps thousands, the network received from viewers on a wide range of topics. I commend ABC for selecting it. In doing so, they have performed a major public service.

If you would like to read a transcript of the entire interview, you can find it here.

Thanks for joining with us in defending Scouting.

Ed Meese
Chair
Scouting Legal Defense Fund