But what struck me with the most force in this
squabble has been the incessant referencing of “morality.” Countless
individuals waving the banner for bigotry have taken to social media and
shouting at their friends to exclaim that they cannot support lifting the ban
because it’s at odds with their “morality.” Many are even threatening to sever
ties with the organization and snatch their boys out of its ranks. Good
riddance?
Morality, eh?
To them I say that if your morality compels you to
advocate discrimination and actively discriminate against others; to offer
relentless, self-righteous condemnation and judgment; to demean, bully and
harass others; to cast someone as inherently evil just because their sexuality
differs from yours; to feel entitled, as though your “morality” gives you
license to treat others as less than yourself and to deny them the same
opportunities you enjoy, then your “morality” makes you a pretty fucking awful
excuse for a human being.
The Boy Scouts will go on, perhaps even evolving to
the point where LGBT parents of Scouts can become Scout leaders again. Camp fires
will burn, badges will be earned and mosquitoes will plague every moment of
every camping trip. They will go on, but will you? Discrimination and hatred
never win out. Open your heart and your mind before both harden into
worthlessness.
About the author: Joseph O. Patton is the
editor-in-chief and founder of the Capital City Free Press. He is a former news
editor for the Coosa County News, lead reporter for the Montgomery Independent
and editor-in-chief of the AUMnibus, the student newspaper of Auburn-Montgomery.
Patton is also the creator of and writer for the satirical news radio segment
"Goat Hill Gossip," which previously aired on WAUD in Auburn, Alabama
and has appeared on several Central Alabama radio programs as a political
analyst.
Copyright © Capital
City Free Press
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