31. The BSA may be a non profit organization, but they are Chartered by Congress.

Howie at 1:17PM on Nov 29th 2007

32. Ok, one, it's cool that Muslim girls are joining up. I feel encouraged by it.

Second, Vagina Monologues is really a vulgar presentation. I've seen the show and I wasn't upset about it, but it wasn't as deep as people try and make the context to be.

I find that people like to place whimsical value on things that do not warrant much attention.

The fact that it's amusing to adults has nothing to do with the vulgarity of the Title and scenes. I understand the woman's right to speak and be heard, but their vaginas? This is silly, and I know it's making a point, but come on now.

I'm actually starting to giggle thinking about this, but seriously (can't really say it with a straight face - not even sarcastically), a talking genital is vulgar and we all know it.

On the flip side, we're all entertained by what is vulgar. Some of the humor I've participated in had me rolling on the floor clutching my tummy and crying, but it's inappropriate for the youth to understand these things.

My 12 year old daughter should not be thinking about vaginas talking and what they would say. It's very gross. And yes, young girls are MORE THAN AWARE of mainstream productions like the Vagina Monologues.

So, it is relative to have comparative understanding between a girl scout and a young girl knowing the vagina monologues.

Other note: I have friends who are "Gay". I do not condone sexual immorality, but I have no problem with who one loves. I love men and women, but it has NOTHING to do with sex or lust. I only am intimate with the young lady whom I love, period.

Now, I have encountered a huge trend in the gay community where younger persons are attracted to older persons, while older persons are attracted to the younger persons. This is literally because of the large age gaps.

I have never seen anything like this follow through, namely because I would never allow it, but it's there. It's a perverse interest that I CANNOT ACCEPT.

That's my opinion. I still carry deep and sincere love for persons who claim "gay" stature, but it doesn't mean I support what is against my solid beliefs of MORAL LIFE.

Moreover, there should be absolutely NO PHYSICAL KEYSTONE when it comes to any relationship. Sexual immorality is a bad thing regardless of "straight" or "gay". Ultimately anyone has the capacity to be "straight" or "gay", which I have seen in many incidences directly supporting this conscious direction.

Loving someone has nothing to do with wanting their flesh. I will concede that between woman and man, there is intimacy of the flesh, but nothing else is within scope of acceptance.

Also, premarital sex is something that needs to be clarified. In my opinion, when there is mutual love between a man and a woman, there is a matrimonial bond that is established under the God's dominion. In my heart, I am married under God to my lady. The ceremony and the paper documents are just officiated evidence, but the heart is what marries under God.

Now, marriage is strictly a wife and husband law. Unless God has spoken differently (he has not) then this is the law, period.

If you hate me, God save your souls. This is my opinion, my beliefs. I'm not forcing anything on you so don't pretend I am.

Enjoy a healthy and pure life.

Mincpa at 1:21PM on Nov 29th 2007

33. I think Dinesh's point is that there is some common ground between Muslim culture and traditional Western culture.

kulari94 at 1:21PM on Nov 29th 2007

34. Dinesh.....somehow, the vision of you sitting in a chair, at your computer thinking of Girl Scouts and Vaginas at the same time is making me feel ill. PLEASE tell me you weren't in your euro thong at the time.

Bud at 1:25PM on Nov 29th 2007

35. Bud:

What made me ill were gay pride pictures from a link posted by Dinesh in one of his articles from a few weeks ago.

kulari94 at 1:32PM on Nov 29th 2007

36. Well at least if Muslims take over the world, some trash like Vagina Monologues will be banned. Just a small consolation though.

John at 1:31PM on Nov 29th 2007

37.
I wonder what Dinesh is implying by saying that an openly gay scout troop leader is an horrific prospect. What's the correlation between homosexuality, and child abuse? What's the correlation between clergy and child abuse?

A person's values are not always what they say they are. Many lead lives that are the polar opposite of the morals they profess. Mark Foley, A Republican Congressman from Florida, was the chairman of the House Caucus for missing and exploited children. He worked dilligently to pass legislation aimed at child abusers. We now know this conservative "hero", was nothing more than what he claimed to detest.

One thing that you can count on from the human race, is that you can't count on anything. A person who may look like a criminal, yet be an upstanding human being. A person who may look like an upstanding human being may be a criminal.

The BTK (bind, torture, kill) killer was a married man with children, was elected president of his churches' congregational council, and, strangely enough, A CUB SCOUT LEADER.

Ken at 1:32PM on Nov 29th 2007

38. Posters:

I just want you to take this away with you:

Girl Scouts is not a conservative organization.

D.D. is wrong, or mistaken, or lying.

AND I learned about my vagina IN the girl scouts.

Just remember that.

Thank you.

Linda at 1:35PM on Nov 29th 2007

39. Bud....thank you...I just spewed diet Mount Dew all over my screen with that image of Dinesh in a Euro thong.

Sorry to laugh at you, Mr. D'Souza....but he was funny!

larry d. at 1:39PM on Nov 29th 2007

40. 20. Good morning Guys, Somber, Great Post,
Mornin' Linda and all my disagreeing friends. What in the world is going on with this blog? I think Mr. D is trying to show how the young ladies are trying to become more western than the locked up nation that they have come from.

>> Rita, there's a catch. If you read the NYTimes article the girl wears her uniform to avoid harrassment she recieves from other Americans. There's an ugly streak of intolerance today where millions of muslims are branded for the acts of sixteen madmen. Would you like your children glared and glowered at for wearing cruifixes? I doubt it. So the ironic twist to this is while it is good that these immigrants are assimilating, it's sad that it is ever due to intimidation or intolerance.

Right about those cookies though they are good.

>>suspictiously good. Especially those thin mints...

However, it is a far stretch from yesterday. He's probably exhausted over reading our blogs the last few days.

>> He doesn't read them. He once said that he was far more interested in "bringing contraversy to light" than "being bogged down in endless annoymous argument."

Anyone watch the republican debates?

>> Yes. About what I expected.

Is it just me or we just don't have a lot of good candidates to pick from. Republican or liberal!!!!!!

>> The party is called the democrats, Rita. And (que the fight soundtrack) I disagree. I don't think that the democrats have a bad candidate out there. Hillery is a canny fighter looking to restore and expand her husband's legacy with her own twists, like healthcare reform. Edwards is focused on social reform and poverty reduction, which is slowly strangling our economy from within. Obama is the most idealistic, but he actually wants to go out and work with the world rather than trying to impose our will upon it.

>> On the republican side things are a little sadder. I wish you folks would just pick the best candidate and go with McCain rather than quibbling and squalking over which candidate God would prefer. Rommey would be acceptable too. I don't care that he's mormon, even if he is far worse a waffler than Kerry. Ron Paul is a pipe dream candidate. He says things that are easy to like, but in reality would be difficult to implement and would degrade America's ability to influence the world for the better. But please, for the love of your God, do not pick Gulliani or Fred Thompson. The former is setting up to be Bush without the religious entourage who has nothing to his name besides the fact that he was mayor during 9/11 and who gave NYC a superficial cleaning while dusting the problems of poverty and ethnic differences under the rug. The latter is running because Rommey is a mormon and evangelicals think he's not christiany enough.

Don't see anyone special person in the bunch.

>> Go with McCain. He's moderate and doesn't inject his religion into politics, but he's also felt first hand the worst that war can offer and will do his best to ensure that our military is used responsibly. He's also a fiscal conservative who opposes wonton deficit spending and works to further campaign reform, and had the integrity to tell a 3rd party interfernce group (aka "swiftboat vets") to stop smearing opponents in his favor.

Ah, such is liberty but, I guess that is what is so great about our country.

>> No. It's what's so annoying about our country. We have a schizophrenic break down every four to eight years. But it's far, far better than other forms of government that don't even attempt to represent their populace.

You know after yesterday's decision about Christmas, I have decided to decorate my tree in Yellow ribbons. I want it to stand for something this year, not religious not idolistic but, in support of the men and women who are fighting for our freedom in foreign lands.

>> If that's what you want to do then do it. However, again, it might be more constructive to call your congressperson and tell them that you want them brought home as safely and as soon as possible.

Nope, don't go there, not referring to who is right or wrong or who believes in what just as a reminder to myself, that we have an all volunteer service protecting our country, who I hope will be able to come home in grand style on day real soon. Okay do your best. Rita

>> Not much to work with. Personally I hope they enact a draft. Nothing is going to stop these conflicts until middle income and upper income families get to see their sons and daughters taken off to war. There is nothing sadder than some one who thinks a ribbon bumber sticker supports anything but a sticker manufacturer.

Somber at 1:54PM on Nov 29th 2007

41. Hey D'Souza, Lord Powell did not create the girl scouts, it was founded by Juliette Gordon Low, an American. Get your facts straight before you post your nonsense. The Girl Scouts have not been taken to court by the way and from what I have seen (my sister was a scout and my mom a troop leader) it is not as conservative as the boy scouts. They are a separate organization from them so your argument is baseless since you only refer to the boy scouts.

Now why would muslim girls want to join girl scouts? It's because that is what is seen as normal for most little girls! They see their friends joining and they want to join as well! They see their friends having fun and they want to join in as well. Also, the scouts starts recruiting at age 5, I don't think most of those kids would know what the Vagina Monologues are at that point so your argument is useless.

Good job on an idiotic article that only proves that you don't do research before you post it.

James at 1:52PM on Nov 29th 2007

42. First off, I need to stop laughing to type properly, Mincpa, do a little cultural reading, the Vagina Monologues isn't a show with a couple women nude sitting spread eagle in a chair making their privies talk. It's a clever title for a show revolving around seperate stories, i.e. monologues, spoken about feminine experiences. My Vagina My Village, for such an example, isn't about a woman harboring several large families in her vagina literally. It's about women surviving in Bosnian "rape camps." See how crafty the English language is? Nothing crude about this piece of literature and staged performance. It's not like the infamous Penis Puppetry, after-all. Check that one out if you're up for a cringing chuckle.

Now lets come full 'round to the scouts. First off, the BSA is vastly, as pointed out several times by other readers, different than the Girl Scouts. I'll say such as I was a cub scout, a boy scout, and quite frankly got ejected before becoming an eagle scout. Something about improper hair cut, hair color, attitude, religious affliation, and on top of it all a general lack of respect for authorities. Fair enough. The boy scouts learn to set camps, build fires, tie knots, everything that anyone who isn't stranded fifty miles from any form of civilization would have absolutely no need for. Survival training. Girl scouts do the camping thing here and there as I understand, but their badge requirements are so seperated it's futile to even compare the majority. Past swimming badges and maybe archery. Also, I have to say from my stance in the BSA, girl scouts get better food by far. Always made me a bit jealous, cookies, decent meals, something past well water in a moldy canteen and a potato wrapped in tin foil under a camp fire. Ahhh, days gone by.

Now Dinesh, perhaps in an unconsidered fashion, brings up a very good arguement. The disclusion of the gay population, particularly scout masters, from having anything to do with the BSA. This has, and probably always will, make me chuckle. News flash boys and girls, a straight male is far more likely to commit profane acts with -boys- than a homosexual man is. Oh my gawd, can this be true? You betcha. Studies in deviant sexual activities pin-point that while the gay population has a tendency of chicken-hawking, i.e. a fourty year old man picking up on a nineteen year old, they don't seem to get their jiggers jigglin' for the young teen through pre-teen market. That's been a classically hetro venture. From present day Thailand straight back to classical good ol' Roman Empirial social truths. Straight men, defined by their general attraction towards the opposite sex, have found younger generations of same sex population to be enjoyable in less than socially acceptable manners. Why? Aww hell, the answer is probably as simple as these people just have a couple screws loose ( no pun intended ) and are by no means representive of the stereo-typed sexual philosophy of their peers. So Dinesh, truth be told, I'd probably prefer my son to be led off into the wilderness by a homosexual scout master. At least the odds stand he'll eat well, won't come back derranged by some scarring experience, and will still know how to tie knots better than myself. Hey, never know, might get lucky and he'll even have a suggestion for future window treatments and floor plans at the homestead.

Tsol at 1:59PM on Nov 29th 2007

43. Somber,
After seeing my brother go to Viet Nam for his senior trip my dear please do not preach to the choir so to speak. You have no idea, and will problably not ever know what it is like to have a marine seargeant come to your home and tell you that your son (brother in my case is MIA) so yes young lady I hope everyone of them arrive here real soon but, in reality in war there is death, that is what war is all about. So just remove that little ole chip and get on with getting on so to speak. Yes, I know that they are democrats or they used to be. Now, the democracts have moved so far to the left that the money grabbbing Republicans are now the middle of the road. You have no idea what you are wishing for to reinact the draft. Then there would be no atheist in foxholes, I'm sure you have heard than one before. The draft I hope will never be instated because the most selfish and me generation would be the ones going into protecting you. How does that sound? Rita

Rita at 2:24PM on Nov 29th 2007

44.
One last thing for Dinesh to ponder...

"Liberal culture", as defined by Islam, is the reason that a group of men flew fuel laden aircraft into buildings a few years back.

Things like women being allowed to show their faces, travel freely without male relatives, or to be educated.

Conservative groups like the Taliban and Al-Queda can't stand liberal culture. Liberal culture allows people to be what they are, without fear of reprisal. Liberal culture allows people to say things that go against everything they hold dear. Liberal culture rails against hate and intolerance.

I'll take my liberal, athiestic views over conservative theism anyday. I don't have to please any immoral gods, or any fellow followers of such. The only thing I am compelled to do, is treat my fellow man with the respect that every one of us deserves.

Ken at 2:26PM on Nov 29th 2007

45. Hey folks, the misinformed, pseudo-intellectual, poor-researcher, dd, DOES READ THIS JUNK!

He occasionally interjects a comment in a post.....and he emailed me twice.

(One time was to correct a typo I had made....he is pathetic)

stuart joshua at 2:49PM on Nov 29th 2007