"Ya Guys Want Some Cookies?"

My mom brought this video to my attention a couple days ago. A 14-year-old named Taylor encourages fellow Girl Scouts to refuse selling cookies (and the rest of the public not to buy them) due to the parent organization's decision to allow transgendered scouts.



I encourage you to watch it very carefully--without allowing yourself to make premature judgements based on the hot-button word "transgender." If you praise or condemn this child without evaluating what she says, you have abandoned logic for emotionalism... 
...like this blogger (and his many commenters).

"Taylor’s an idiot, but she’s also just a stupid kid. Her parents are the ones at fault here for raising such a petty, close-minded child."

"Sickening little twerp."

"She’s going to be one hell of a condescending, uptight lay when she’s of age."

"It’s quite transparent at this point that Judeo-Christian morality today is nothing more than an empty exercise in instilling our children with narcissistic personality disorders."

"Just another hater to hate on people. I hope that she gets kicked out of the Girl Scouts for this."

"...'What do YOU personally hope to gain from this?' That’s the question I think all intolerant people should ask themselves before they go on record with their tiny thoughts on YouTube." 

Again, I encourage you to watch the video. Then, maybe you can help me understand what Taylor's "tiny," "intolerant," "hateful" thoughts are.  She doesn't bring up Judeo-Christian morality. She doesn't even suggest that transgendered kids be "kicked out of Girl Scouts," as done to her.

She just says she contends with the statement, "Girl Scouts is an all-girl institution...without respect for gender." It's inconsistent. And, due to the mixed message, she wants the leaders to specify membership policies which seem to be changing. Taylor argues that admission of boys-who-feel-like-girls complicates Girls Scouts activities--which ought to be apparent to everybody! So, regardless of your feelings toward transgender individuals, we must admit troop dynamics WILL CHANGE, and Taylor wants leadership to address related concerns. We shouldn't be surprised when loyal (money-making) scouts want to be consulted about sudden, far-reaching decisions. 


I just can't get over how quickly people play the "hater" card, when somebody says anything other than "transgender kids ought to rule the world." If she isn't singing the praises of the LGBT community, Taylor must be intolerant of them. As a society, we're losing the ability to hear stories with our emotion filters, and--fueled by the brainless mob around us--we trade logic for grotesque labeling and name-calling.

Further, this pack of wolves posted contact information for Taylor's mother (address, email, cell and land phone, Facebook page, everything) so the sweet, thoughtful opinions of the Anti-Taylor mob could be directed in mass, directly to her home.  

Ridiculous.

So, what would somebody interested in discussion (rather than silencing opponents) say regarding this cookie-ban story? Here's where I think we should find common ground:

You can't question somebody's actions without examining their beliefs and getting involved in a whole-worldview debate. Unfortunately, it's easier to just throw mud and call names.

We probably will never know whether GSUSA was trying to deceive or sneak past their loyal members by admitting transgendered scouts without advanced notice. But, regardless, any shift they make toward political correctness (in favor of the GLBT group) is a shift away from traditional values.  And this puts everybody's personal values at the center of a zero-sum game. 

Somebody is going to have to sacrifice here.

Those who agree gender is a choice will approve of the policy-change completely. But I think many traditional-valued scouts will end up leaving all together. In fact, it's possible Girl Scouts of America will need to change its name to Transgendered Scouts of America eventually. My point is, if GSUSA allies with transgendered kids and allows boys-who-feel-like-girls into their troops, then the girls-who-only-want-to-camp-with-other-girls are going to leave.

None of that is a "problem," per se....until somebody tries to scold the traditional girls for boycotting, dropping-out, or generally disapproving of the new GSUSA policy. Again, we cannot evaluate an action without examining the merits of that persons individual beliefs. So, telling her to stop hating is too easy. Calling her 'bigot' skips too many important steps: namely discussing how she defines "girl" and why.

GSUSA's actions stem from the organization's belief that boyhood and girlhood have nothing to do with anatomy (or Divine will). Taylor's action of boycotting cookie-sales stems from her belief that girls have two X chromosomes, and God made no mistakes when he arranged it that way.

Anyone wishing to debate must spend time researching more than just "how to spell intolerant."

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Part 2: Questions for Parents and Future Parents

Turns out, I was correct about traditional-valued Girl Scouts slowly dropping out. Read this article about the American Heritage Girls, and tell me what you think.

I like the idea of an organization which shares my emphasis on faith. But, is it wise for Christians to "surrender" and start our own cliques instead? Where is your line between protecting your kids from indoctrination and helping them become lights to the world?  Finally, for those of you who want your kids to be exposed to other beliefs: do you have a "last straw," which would make you remove your kids from secular programs?