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[Dalek]

Girl Scouts face uproar over Trump parade

Heather Leavell, a fourth-generation Girl Scouts troop leader and proud mother of an 8-year-old Brownie, could not sleep the night after she found out the Girl Scouts would be marching in Friday's inaugural parade for President-elect Donald Trump.

How, she wondered, could an organization that preaches respect and honesty and that seeks to empower young girls march for a man who has repeatedly demeaned women and bragged about groping their genitals?

”My blood was boiling," said Leavell, a 43-year-old Melrose resident. ”My whole life, I've been very proud to be a Girl Scout. But if they march in this inauguration, I'm out."

The reaction is part of an uproar that has engulfed the Girl Scouts, sparking talk of cookie boycotts and resignations.

Meanwhile, others have rushed to defend the organization, arguing that it's important for Girl Scouts to respect authority, serve the country, and honor tradition, even if many fiercely oppose the man taking office. The Girl Scouts, which were founded in 1912, have marched in every presidential inauguration since 1917.

”Across this nation, I'm hearing comments about it, and there are some people who are very upset about it and others who are very happy about it," said Patricia A. Parcellin, chief executive of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, which represents about 35,000 scouts. ”Some people think it's great, and some people think it's disgraceful, frankly."

On Wednesday, the Girl Scouts issued a forceful response to the deluge of angry phone calls, emails, and messages on social media that the group has received from parents and alumnae.

”Being a leader means having a seat at the leadership table no matter what," the Girl Scouts wrote in a blog post. ”It means being willing to work with whomever happens to hold political power. It means preparing girls not to run from the face of adversity, but to stand tall and proud and announce to the world, and the powers that be, that they are a force to be reckoned with... To do otherwise is to tell girls to sit down and be quiet—and that they don't count."

During the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Girl Scouts held ”Speak Out" conferences to aid the fight for racial justice. When the country was wracked by antiwar protests in the 1970s, Girl Scouts helped resettle Vietnamese refugee children; and in 1993, the organization allowed girls to promise to serve Allah instead of God, or just to serve, when they recite the Scout pledge.

More recently, the group has developed programs to combat sexual abuse and domestic violence, moving beyond its traditional domain of cookies, camping, and crafts.

”They are an extremely traditional American institution that would support the office of the president," said Shannon P. O'Brien, the former chief executive of the Patriots Trail Girl Scout Council and onetime Democratic state treasurer. ”That being said, they have also been incredibly progressive when it comes to issues of gays and lesbians and making sure that all girls have equal access."

About 75 Girl Scouts plan to march in the parade, along with military color guards, high school marching bands and the Lil' Wranglers, a group of young cowboy-themed dancers from Texas. Parcellin said the scouts, who are all from the Washington, D.C., area, volunteered for the assignment and were selected from among 1,500 who wanted to participate. She said it was important to note that the Girl Scouts applied for a parade slot in September, before the outcome of the election was known.

”What I do support is the girls exercising their civic duty, and I do support a peaceful transition of power," Parcellin said.

But Maggie Moore Abdow, the mother of a 9-year-old Brownie from the same troop as Leavell, said marching in the parade is in direct conflict with the Girl Scouts law, which pledges the scouts to be ”honest and fair" and ”responsible for what I say and do."

”Truth is a moving target for Trump, and he's not responsible for what he says," said Abdow, a former Girl Scout herself who pointed out that Trump been accused of fraud and promoted the false theory that President Obama was not born in the United States.

My wife is a troop leader and this march is causing a lot of controversy-especially right before Cookie Season!

 

[cackhyena]

Cookie season? Crops bountiful this year?

 

[Dalek]

Cookie season? Crops bountiful this year?

Girl Scout Cookie sales are serious business.

 

[alr1ght]

Figured this would be more the Boy Scouts style.

 

[wesleyshark]

Girl Scout Cookie sales are serious business.

Stay away from my thin mints buddy!

 

[cackhyena]

Girl Scout Cookie sales are serious business.

They're so friggin good.

 

[SpecX]

Gonna be a long 4 years not eating those cookies

 

[Lambtron]

Girl Scout Cookie sales are serious business.

The new S'mores cookies sound lit.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Figured this would be more the Boy Scouts style.

really? don't they teach environmental conservation n' stuff?

 

[Reckheim]

My wife is a troop leader and this march is causing a lot of controversy-especially right before Cookie Season!

I have to ask even tho its unrelated, but this is an actual thing now?

Do Girl Scouts actually do the same shit Boy Scouts do? Are boy scouts expected to sell cookies too?

 

[Zips]

Being a leader doesn't mean groveling and supporting whomever happens to be in charge even as they use you as a footrest. Show actual leadership by having a spine and making a stand against something (or someone) that goes against all that you purport to promote.

 

[cdyhybrid]

Meanwhile, others have rushed to defend the organization, arguing that it’s important for Girl Scouts to respect authority, serve the country, and honor tradition

America really is becoming Russia

 

[Akuun]

I understand the sentiment too. I wouldn't want my daughter to march for such a fuckwit either.

Being a leader means having a seat at the leadership table no matter what,” the Girl Scouts wrote in a blog post. “It means being willing to work with whomever happens to hold political power. It means preparing girls not to run from the face of adversity

While there is truth in this, it absolutely does not apply in this context. Marching for an inauguration does not put you in a seat of power, or make you part of any relevant conversation. Marching at Trump's inauguration means that you are willingly embracing a role that celebrates and glorifies a shitty, lying, racist, sexually harassing scumbag.

 

[norm9]

It's okay to break tradition sometimes.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

Its a good thing I'm on a diet otherwise not buying their cookies his year would be HELL.

 

[Poltergust]

She said it was important to note that the Girl Scouts applied for a parade slot in September, before the outcome of the election was known.

I think this provides some important context.

That said, they could always drop out, but there are valid reasons going both ways here, really. I'm pretty sure that, by a large margin, most of the leaders of the Girl Scouts find Trump repugnant, but is putting the Girl Scouts into the sidelines really the best option here?

 

[HStallion]

He's going to grab them by the cookies!

 

[LiK]

I support the boycott and resignations. Serve authority? Not for this shithead.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

Gonna be a long 4 years not eating those cookies

More for the rest of us! I call dibs on your share of the Thin Mints.

 

[uncredited male]

arguing that it’s important for Girl Scouts to respect authority, serve the country, and honor tradition

What the fuck kind of militarized Girl Scouts are they thinking of.

 

[Dalek]

The new S'mores cookies sound lit.

And there's two different types.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/dining/smores-girl-scout-cookies.html?_r=0

The two newcomers share the same name, Girl Scout S'mores, but play separate variations on the theme of chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker. In a bit of hairsplitting worthy of a merit badge for marketing, one is billed as ”crispy" and the other as ”crunchy."

The crispy cookie is a thick slab of graham cracker coated with a fine layer of sweet white frosting and a much thicker one of chocolate, produced by ABC Bakers, of Richmond, Va. The crunchy cookie is a graham sandwich filled with a layer of chocolate and another of marshmallowlike icing, produced by Little Brownie Bakers, of Louisville, Ky.

Its a good thing I'm on a diet otherwise not buying their cookies his year would be HELL.

We have people that buy cases of cookies from us and then put them in the freezer to keep all year round.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Respect authority. Honor tradition. Yup..know your place.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

And there's two different types.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/dining/smores-girl-scout-cookies.html?_r=0

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME YOU JERK!?

 

[Malvolio]

Fuck all that talk of respecting authority and tradition. Blindly following that is how atrocities are committed. Teach these girls to think for themselves and take a stand against those that fuel oppression.

 

[Permanently A]

“Being a leader means having a seat at the leadership table no matter what,” the Girl Scouts wrote in a blog post. “It means being willing to work with whomever happens to hold political power. It means preparing girls not to run from the face of adversity, but to stand tall and proud and announce to the world, and the powers that be, that they are a force to be reckoned with… To do otherwise is to tell girls to sit down and be quiet—and that they don’t count.”

An utter load of bull. To continue with the march because of tradition in spite of the vile comments Trump has made - THAT is sitting down and being quiet. Taking a stand by refusing to honor the man is standing tall for what you believe in.

 

[Dalek]

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME YOU JERK!?

 

[Zoe]

I have to ask even tho its unrelated, but this is an actual thing now?

Do Girl Scouts actually do the same shit Boy Scouts do? Are boy scouts expected to sell cookies too?

Wat. You've never heard of Girl Scout Cookies?

And no, they're two completely independent organizations.

 

[Jarrod38]

Still going to buy me Girl Scout cookies I don't fall for fake boycotts.

 

[Schlorgan]

He's going to grab them by the cookies!

Post of the thread.

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

I understand the sentiment too. I wouldn't want my daughter to march for such a fuckwit either.


While there is truth in this, it absolutely does not apply in this context. Marching for an inauguration does not put you in a seat of power, or make you part of any relevant conversation. Marching at Trump's inauguration means that you are willingly embracing a role that celebrates and glorifies a shitty, lying, racist, sexually harassing scumbag.

Not only this but do you really think all those little scouts have a full understanding of this concept and that it's why they're there? I highly doubt it.

They're caught in the middle of this and it's wrong to use them this way.

 

[MrSaturn99]

That last quote

I can't

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

Let the kids (and parents) in the group march in the parade if they want to.

 

[AMUSIX]

I have to ask even tho its unrelated, but this is an actual thing now?

Do Girl Scouts actually do the same shit Boy Scouts do? Are boy scouts expected to sell cookies too?

Boy Scouts sell some god awful, massively overpriced popcorn. Seriously terrible crap for something like $50 a bag.



Do girl scout cookies still use palm oil? Or does it depend on where you live/which manufacturer they go through?

 

[Zoe]

That last quote

I can't

... comprehend that that's an attack on Trump?

 

[Dalek]

Not only this but do you really think all those little scouts have a full understanding of this concept and that it's why they're there? I highly doubt it.

They're caught in the middle of this and it's wrong to use them this way.

This is my feeling on it as well. I'm not comfortable with Girl Scouts being a part of this, with all the rhetoric and behavior from this administration-but the Girl Scouts are a great thing and they really do a great thing for Girls. I'm sure those kids are excited about marching and don't know the entire deal.

 

[Psychoward]

really? don't they teach environmental conservation n' stuff?

with a healthy dose of homophobia

 

[stuminus3]

As a father of two girls I think it's super important the scouts tell Trump to go fuck himself. Tradition is a terrible excuse for bile.

 

[AMUSIX]

Respect authority. Honor tradition. Yup..know your place.

Fuck all that talk of respecting authority and tradition. Blindly following that is how atrocities are committed. Teach these girls to think for themselves and take a stand against those that fuel oppression.

Meanwhile, others have rushed to defend the organization, arguing that it’s important for Girl Scouts to respect authority, serve the country, and honor tradition, even if many fiercely oppose the man taking office.

Absolutely comes off as teaching girls that a woman's place to shut up and do as she's told.

 

[Beartruck]

No loss for me. Girl scout cookies are hot garbage.

 

[AndyD]

The new S'mores cookies sound lit.

Keebler I think makes "generic" variations of all the Girl Scout cookes and they are great. Including a smore like one.

 

[shattyboombatty]

honor tradition

like revealing your presidential candidate tax returns?

 

[Slayven]

Funny how the script has flipped. 8 years of not respecting the office when it was held by a man that was respectable. Now we have one of the worse examples of humanity in the seat and everyone has to fall in line

 

[Imperfected]

I'll make it simple for you, Scouts: you drop out of the march and I buy a ton of cookies.

You march, and I can just get cookies at the grocery store from now on and put you onto the Jehova's Witnesses side of the solicitors chart.

 

[B-B-Bomba!]

Hmm. I actually think they probably should be part of the parade, if that's part of their history. Not doing so would really be too over a political act, whereas I thought from the thread title that they'd just upped and decided to take part, which would have been pretty fucked up.

I can understand the difficulty for the parents who hate Trump so much, but making it into more than your own personal feeling - an objective 'this is wrong' rather than a political 'I am opposed to this' - is really where the left gets it wrong, I think. It just comes across as spoiled and childish.

All caveats about Trump being a terrible person and an awful public and political figure aside.

 

[Goliath]

I am no fan of Trump but I am not sure what the Girl Scouts organization would accomplish by sacrificing it's place at the inauguration.

The Girl Scouts program does a lot of good, especially for those girls and there time at the inauguration is amazing publicity. I am not sure it is worth the organization taking a support hit to make a statement that a bunch of children who don't understand the politics of our country aren't going to march. Besides, it's not like the Girl Scout program doesn't exist in red states with parents and troop leaders who voted this president in.

Girl Scouts is a non profit organization. It's in their best interest not too get to political.

 

[DrForester]

They march, and I won't buy cookies this year.

 

[Slayven]

There is being political and then there is having a bunch of girls dancing for a guy that admits to sexual assault.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Funny how the script has flipped. 8 years of not respecting the office when it was held by a man that was respectable. Now we have one of the worse examples of humanity in the seat and everyone has to fall in line

To be fair, them folks claimed Obama was a gay atheist Muslim sympathizer and his wife had a sex change. That's the worst of humanity in their book..

 

[NastyBook]

Cant' stuff my face full of Do-si-dos anymore. Had to fall back on my side chick Shortbreads. Fuck all that lockstep bullshit, though. Whole purpose of the Girl Scouts is female empowerment. Telling them to essentially bow and scrape before the ultimate misogynist is laughable.

 

[adj_noun]

Being a leader means having a seat at the leadership table no matter what,” the Girl Scouts wrote in a blog post. “It means being willing to work with whomever happens to hold political power.

Oh.