Comments on: Homeland Security Trains Scouts To Fight Terrorism

By: YouthBecomeAdults

YouthBecomeAdults — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:20:54 +0000

The May 14th New York Times article “Scouts Train to Fight Terrorists, and More” mischaracterizes Exploring as a “law enforcement, terrorism and illegal immigration training program” and includes a number of other inaccuracies. Exploring does not train participants in those areas, but provides a simulated portrayal of events and necessary skills that are a part of that career field. Exploring is a career exploration program designed to help young people make intelligent decisions regarding their future. As noted in the article, the feature highlighted the law enforcement component of Exploring—which is just one of the program’s many areas of focus, including fire and emergency services, law, health, aviation, engineering, skilled trades, and other occupations.

We are disappointed that the article portrayed law enforcement professionals administering the program in an unfavorable light. Local community organizations administer the activities of Explorer posts in a controlled, safe, and professional manner. The story featured quotes from leaders during a law enforcement competition involving several Explorer posts and does not represent the comprehensive nature of the program as a whole. Law Enforcement Exploring has been in existence for many years and has helped to produce exceptional professionals in the law enforcement field who are actively protecting our citizens throughout the country. We are extremely proud of our youth participants and adult volunteers.

Further, the story’s claim that the program is undergoing an “intense ratcheting up of one of the group’s longtime missions to prepare youths for more traditional jobs as police officers and firefighters” is misleading. Since the 1950s, the Exploring program and its activities have been designed to keep pace with issues affecting society. The activities highlighted in the article in no way signal a change of focus for the program.

Last, the article inaccurately describes Explorers as Boy Scouts. Exploring is a program of Learning for Life, a nonprofit organization that provides character and career education programs to participating agencies or groups. Learning for Life is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America.

Exploring offers participants a well-rounded and exciting program centered on career opportunities that positively impact the lives of our youth participant and ultimately the communities they choose to serve. That is the true story of Exploring.

Sincerely,
John Anthony
National Director, Learning For Life

By: Caleb

Caleb — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:42:48 +0000

please tell me you are joking… either way i’m laughing my ass off.

By: RED

RED — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:55:12 +0000

WOW this kids will kill them self before they reach their terrorist targets. Easy picking for real terrorist.

P.S. I’m not a terrorist, ooh wait cording to the DHS I’m. 00!

P.S.S. we are living in a mad world.

By: gravel kucinich paul nader

gravel kucinich paul nader — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:32:13 +0000

The guilty need & want a very large Police State to protect themselves.
Scouting is now being used to indoctrinate.

911 & anthrax lies
Federal reserve banker lies
Israel-first dual-national AIPAC extortion blackmail bribery lies

By: divingbob

divingbob — Sat, 16 May 2009 12:58:41 +0000

This is sorta reminiscent of the Hitler Youth movement. It gave young people ” Something cool to do” too. What really disturbs me about this is the profiling being used.” Disgruntled Itaqi war vet” come on! These guys are risking everything for this country and this is how they get paid back? Who else is in the play book? Mabey “disgruntled unemployed person”?

By: OMNI

OMNI — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:33:17 +0000

what a dump response…

By: I'm So Bored With The U-S-A

I'm So Bored With The U-S-A — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:03:55 +0000

That’s the whole point.
They’d probably think it was cool if they could drop bombs on people in Pakistan if they could do so using their Play Station.
Kids are not equipped to make decisions like enlisting in the military, and the recruiting of them for these purposes is illegal.
(How ROTC gets around this, I have never fully understood.)
The problem is that they are not being trained to “protect & serve” the public, but to oppress them, as shown by the exercises described in this article & the more detailed one in The NY Times.
Our citizenry has been intentionally shielded from education regarding our Constitution & the workings of our government & its various institutions for years now, and many people really do have no understanding of their rights & the limitations placed on authority in this country.
As such, you get police with no concern for the law they swear to uphold, and citizens with no appreciation of the abuse they routinely suffer from these officers – They think that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.
Cops today are bad enough as it is without having been raised from within the system, and programs like this will only lead to the further militarization of law enforcement, and an even greater assault on our personal freedoms.

By: I'm So Bored With The U-S-A

I'm So Bored With The U-S-A — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:42:08 +0000

Tell that to the kids in ROTC or the schools forced to allow recruiters on campus in order to receive federal funds, and let’s not forget all the kids watching the military commercials on tv specifically aimed at young people.
In the full article about this in The Times, they mention that the program is limited to kids 14 and up, but quote an instructor as saying, “I will take them at 13 and a half… I would rather take a kid than possibly lose a kid.”

By: I'm So Bored With The U-S-A

I'm So Bored With The U-S-A — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:37:12 +0000

Actually, the BSA is completely discriminatory against gays, so you’d fit right in.
Nice try, though.

By: I'm So Bored With The U-S-A

I'm So Bored With The U-S-A — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:35:33 +0000

No one here is defaming veterans, Marine.