JUNEAU — The vice-chair of the House State Affairs Committee is holding up a resolution celebrating the Girl Scouts to investigate information “floating around the Internet” about a connection between the group and Planned Parenthood.
Rep. Wes Keller asked the resolution’s sponsor if there’s a connection. Sen. Bettye Davis said she wasn’t familiar with that.
Keller said he wasn’t moving SCR17, in part, to investigate the claims, prompting a fiery response from Davis. She said she saw no connection between what Keller was asking and the resolution marking the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts and making 2012 “Year of the Girl.”
Comments (57)
Add commentI'm so tired of the religious agenda
Connection between the Girl Scouts and planned parenthood?
KELLER you need to get over yourself and your agenda. Time to stop the Christian war on women...and why is it almost always men that thump the bible when it comes to planned parenthood? I thought planning your family was a good thing.
The christian lobby wants to limit access to birth control for women...but Viragra is still covered for men...many of which only suffer from horny not true medical dysfunction. This is pure Bull Roar and a total double standard.
The Girl Scouts deserve better! If it was a boys org. we would hear a different tune. Sexist has NO PLACE in our legislature.
It ain't your mama's Girl Scouts
Rep Keller should be concerned. Girl Scouts USA includes in their printed and online material for girls endorsement of abortion rights advocacy groups and the official Girl Scout blog provides girls live links to resources with sexually explicit content. Please check it out: this addresses some of the curriculum issues and watch the GS CEO say that they partner with Planned Parenthood www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Cc4kRXaPgAU Also see http://www.100questionsforthegirlscouts.org/100/ and www.speaknowgirlscouts.com
Laughter
Laughter is also used as a means to demean, or minimize subject matter or opinion as if to say the subject matter or messenger should be dismissed as unworthy of consideration. Laughter is contagious, and often times involuntary when (apparently) spontaneous. But in this case it is used as a rebuke in lieu of substantive discussion.
I visited Mom4Life's recommended sites. I am not laughing.
It's the girl scouts...
It's the girl scouts, for gosh sakes, leave them alone! I despise PP as much as the next conservative, but good grief!
guess
I'll miss those GS cookies, just hope there's alternatives out there for those wanting a belief system / structure & moral values in their lives.
Thanks Mom4 a real eye opener
Thank you for the info!
Go Girl Scouts! Supporting educated women instead of pushing them down.
I am THRILLED that Girl Scouts is available to give girls outdoor education, a safe place to be girls and hang out with other girls. It makes me feel pleased that the Girl Scouts is NOT a political outfit. They refer girls to LOTS of places so the girls get INFORMATION from a variety of sources that allows girls to make informed choices. They say, "Talk to your parents, talk to your pastor, talk to your grandparents, look at ALL these websites and read ANY of these books."
This type of confidence -- that girls will make the right choices when they are educated -- is what makes me happy about the Girl Scouts.
Mom4Life, you may have DENY your children information in order to make sure they make the right choices. But I am on board with the Girl Scouts... raising educated women is MY choice.
My daughters are fabulous young women. No pregnancies, no drugs, no abortions, good Christian values, nothing that would make me ashamed in any way. And guess what? Girl Scouts, too!
HIDING information assumes that girls are not able to make choices. I for one believe that women are capable of making sound decisions, which is why I am pleased to live in America and not in Pakistan.
I wish
I wish I could like Fisherwoman's comments more than once! I could not agree more! Providing information is not the same as advocating or pushing an agenda. Additionally, study after study has shown that parents who openly talk to their kids about sex, sexuality, birth control, etc. have kids who wait longer to engage in sexual behavior and are more likely to engage in safer sex practices than kids who are taught abstinance only, or taught nothing at all.
After reviewing the materials (and yes, some of them made me squirm a little, but it starts the conversation and as a parent, it would be my job to decide which of those things needed more follow-up and discussion from me) it seems to me that all they are pushing is education. Making materials available and making people read and follow every word written are two vastly different things.
Women girlscouts.
I do not consider girl scouts "women". I think of them for what they are...minors being mentored by adults. Why the big push for indoctrination? The websites these 'girls' are being directed to appear to be of a certain liberal agenda, unless you could point out to me differently. I would favor a fair and balanced curriculum of websites.
and I thought it was supposed to be about scouting
Hey, I'm on board with the idea that our girls need to have informed opinions; but what is the mission of GSA? Courage, confidence, and character about sums it up.
The only agenda I'd expect GSA to push is those things that directly support courage, confidence, and character. I still love their cookies, but my Brownie lost the spark for attending meetings that had nothing to do with scouting, and introducing them to sexual material is inappropriate as well as unscouting-like behaviour.
Poor advocate?
Perhaps the Girl Scouts should have sought a better advocate for this resolution. I happened to watch this exchange on live video yesterday and at the time was somewhat surprised by the question but even more surprised that Ms Davis, the resolution’s advocate and sponsor was unwilling to address such a question and instead of providing an answer became hostile and defensive even though Keller’s stated intent not to move the resolution forward so that the question could be looked into is reasonable enough given that a organization like the Girl Scouts probably should not associate with any politically polarizing or otherwise highly controversial groups.
BTW: I did do a little looking and although these accusations are out there and easy to find I am not sure that they have much basis in reality.
paranoia
I checked out the links provided above and they come from Family Watch International and Family Research Council, two of the most radical right wing religious hate groups there are. Anbody doubt what RFC is really all about, go look them up. Its the same ol garbage attack against Girl Scouts that they tried to introduce with the discussion about Planned Parenthood and contraception and the Catholic Church. What they want is for everyone to do what they say, not what they do because in reality very few of them practice the true teaching of their Church. For them to attack Girl Scouts is beyond disgusting and just continues to prove the intolerance they have for those that dont agree with them. Fine, if you dont like Girl Scouts, dont send your daughters there, continue to hide them from the real world and you will successfully raise a daughter that is just as intolerant as you are. Whats the next group that you want to tear down because of your ignorance? Thankfully the polls are showing the majority of U.S. women dont agree with you.
@mom4life
Your links direct the reader to sites filled with alarmist misinformation and political/religious spin. Nothing more than another a christian hate agenda...every site slanting the facts. The bill proposed isn't an original idea either but part of a national push against planned parenthood. Are you all so brainwashed by the constant drumbeat of the political agenda that you really think the girl scouts are lining up for their abortions? Give me a break. Look at another opinion....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/22/bob-morris-indiana-girl-scouts-...
This is political and Mr. Keller is tailing on Bob Morris. This would be a different debate if men could get pregnant....
Intoloerant?
Ouch, that hurts. Still waiting for a conservative website being recommended by Girl Scout Association. Like one not parading a cartoon condom? Perhaps this issue is being blown out of proportion. But I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with people and organizations who are on the 'fringe' of my family unit deciding how to introduce my child to the 'real world'.
Girls turn into women
No one is saying active Girl Scouts are women. They are young women or girls. But eventually, girls tend to grow into women. I'd rather have them be educated about the world. No GS troop is sitting the girls in a computer room to look at inappropriate websites! Good lord, are people expecting GS to parent their children? They meet twice a month or something. People love to make a big deal out of things that really don't warrant the attention. But look here I am writing on a blog on a beautiful day... they got me, too.
@Grendel, If your daughter, in Juneau, received awkward training as a BROWNIE (7-8 years old!?) that indeed is shocking! You write, "introducing them to sexual material is inappropriate as well as unscouting-like behaviour." What the heck!? It seems like I should have read about something like that in the paper?
My daughter's Brownie troop went hiking, visited the dog pound and made care packages for poor people just as the daughters of my friends do today.
Mom4life and ken dunker
Hmmm.......Look more closely at the websites given. Talk about 6 degrees of separation! Again this is sort of a blog link leading to another blog link - and not really "proof" of much of anything.
If even ONE of these sites or supposed "atrocities" linked DIRECTLY to the girl scout website, you might have something. As it is, some 'ghost' association with planned parenthood, of which I could find no mention or no link on the ACTUAL Girl Scouts website, doesn't really amount to much, and all the 'sexually explicit' stuff the "factual" website Mom4life gave which is supposed to be DIRECTLY attributed to Girl Scouts? Actually planned parenthood sites, mostly - no links I could find on the Girl Scouts of America site to them.
Implying that somehow Girl Scouts is handing out sex pamphlets to Brownies is just a flat out lie.
The WAGGS links? Again, not on the GSUSA page, but the 'terrible' information in those links? Mostly Position papers, saying things like this:
"Scientific studies have shown that detailed and comprehensive sex education, giving
individuals the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions regarding their sexual
behaviour, does not necessarily increase sexual activity in young people or lower the age
of sexual debut. It often in fact does the opposite."
Anyone who would like to look at the ACTUAL Girl Scout website, which does TONS of positive things for girls, can see it here:
http://www.girlscouts.org/
ken......show me the money.
parading cartoon condom? Prove it.
@fisherwoman
you found a good troop
@ken dunker
This Planned Parenthood paranoia is just that. It was started by an Indiana Republican lawmaker who said Planned Parenthood gives phamplets to Girl Scouts encouraging sex. They dont produce let alone pass out any such thing. Its a lie. When asked why he thought the Girl Scouts support abortion he said "They're not against it. If you're not against it, you're for it." When in fact, the Girl Scouts has said those issues are best left to the girls to talk with their families about and they do not take a position on abortion or birth control, and these topics are not part of the Girl Scout program. This same lawmaker "Morris said that liberal Girl Scout leaders "indoctrinate" girls with Planned Parenthood principles and that the Scouts tout 50 role models, all but three of whom he said are "feminists, lesbians or Communists." Which again, is totally untrue. The Girls Scouts stance that these issues are best left up to the family is totally reasonable. No one is telling you how to raise your daughter. Dont like Girl scouts, dont join, simple as that. But to attempt to ruin a program based on lies, false rumors, paranoia, and intolerance is shameful.
It never ceases to amaze me
It never ceases to amaze me how the people who argue against "immorality" invariably lie to make their points. I guess lying must be okay if it's for Jesus.
swimmergirl / kiki
Have to agree...did an exhaustive search on many levels, much as you did obviously, could not find anything to substantiate the hyperbole being made of this issue. Unless I am missing something, and if I am it is well hidden. Looks to me like my sensibilities have been taken for a ride.
@ken dunker
I understand, thank you for the honesty.
Really?
All of you painting GSUSA with these so called "accusations" should be ashamed of yourselves.
ASHAMED.
the war on women
It seems the right wing's current War On Women, has now been extended to the Girl Scouts.
Applause to Senator Davis for opening a can of industrial strength WHOOP AZZ on Rep. Weller.
To the right wingers who oppose contraception, just remember this: Vows of abstinence break easier than condoms.
With all the important issues
With all the important issues our state is facing, I can't believe the legislature is wasting even a second on these silly, "feel good" resolutions.
Don't we have some sixth graders...
...lobbying for the adoption of a State Invertibrate?
ken dunker...
also thanks from me, for going back and checking.
We all need to be very, very careful of our sources these days. It's just too easy to agree with something that 'sounds good' - especially with the pace at which information travels these days - and so many "facts" today are nothing more than blogs linked to blogs supporting some extra stretched, not-quite true version of events, it's difficult to unravel them sometimes.
Kudos for taking the time to investigate.
Girl Scouts
I wonder if he knows that Baden Powell founder of the Boy Scouts used to photograph the gboys when in thier swimming trunks?
Keller was selected for his
Keller was selected for his seat by Palin. Easy to see the similarities.If there wasn't a Wasilla Fairbanks wouldn't have anyone to look down on. Some of the commenters here would be right at home in Keller's world.
As for attacking the UN loving black helicopter riding GSA, I didn't know the five year olds selling cookies at Fred's were part of the international liberal conspiracy.
AHHA
I have to agree with AH HA about the exchange in the Legislature. Being a Girl Scout means being responsible for what you say and do-I just wish that Ms. Davis was more informed about the current right wing rant that is clearly anti woman. If you were not informed-admit it and explore the question and get the answers. A daughter being a GS is an amazing experience. I totally agree with fisherwoman44, the impact of Girl Scouting has had on my life and in parenting a daughter is priceless. Raising an educated and informed individual is something my husband and me strive for.
As for Mr. Keller-freedom of speech-but you are also held accountable for what you say and do-male or female.
AHHA
I have to agree with AH HA about the exchange in the Legislature. Being a Girl Scout means being responsible for what you say and do-I just wish that Ms. Davis was more informed about the current right wing rant that is clearly anti woman. If you were not informed-admit it and explore the question and get the answers. A daughter being a GS is an amazing experience. I totally agree with fisherwoman44, the impact of Girl Scouting has had on my life and in parenting a daughter is priceless. Raising an educated and informed individual is something my husband and me strive for.
As for Mr. Keller-freedom of speech-but you are also held accountable for what you say and do-male or female.