Boy Scouts of America bans water gun fights; ‘pointing a firearm’ is not kind

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,243
5,686
136
Pussification of America. Ought to send Jarts to every troop in the country.
By Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times - Tuesday, May 19, 2015
The Boy Scouts of America, an organization with semi-military origins, has put out approved activities for its members, and water gun fights are strictly prohibited.
A blog for the organization’s leaders said May 6 that pointing simulated firearms at people is not allowed.
“Why the rule? A Scouter once told me this explanation I liked quite a bit: A Scout is kind. What part of pointing a firearm [simulated or otherwise] at someone is kind?” said Bryan Wendell on the scouting website.
The rule is clarified in the Boy Scouts of America National Shooting Manual, which says “For water balloons, use small, biodegradable balloons, and fill them no larger than a ping pong ball. […] Water guns and rubber band guns must only be used to shoot at targets, and eye protection must be worn.”
The manual includes a lengthy list of other prohibited items — boomerangs, crossbows, potato guns, spear guns and throwing stars. Scouts also may not use “marshmallow shooters that require placing a straw or similar device in the mouth.”

The Scouting movement began in the early 20th century Britain under the tutelage of Lt. Gen. Robert Baden-Powell, who wrote the first “Scouting for Boys” manual.

Baden-Powell learned from his military experiences in India and southern Africa that young soldiers often lacked outdoor-survival skills. He also cited the Mafeking Cadet Corps, a group of adolescent and pre-adolescent boys that he used to great success during the Second Boer War siege of that town. The boys eagerly took on such essential military duties as couriers and intelligence, freeing older soldiers for more-demanding tasks.
Numerous critical journalists and bloggers noted that Scouting when they were boys included such activities as bottle rockets, wooden sword fights and Midnight Football, which a Gawker author described as “a sort of combat rugby played in blackout conditions on a hard tile floor.”
Negative feedback flowed into the comments section of the blog, complaining of political correctness, of “turning boys into a bunch of wusses,” and of an out-of-touch national leadership.
“This makes BSA look ridiculous and has little if any impact on safety,” said Gary Holeiwnski.
“Sometimes I just have to laugh out loud at how idiotic some things in our society have become. We can’t squirt each other with water guns because it is a ‘simulated’ gun. I can’t believe BSA is so worried about the PC police that it has a policy like this,” added commenter Gary USMC.
“Yes, let’s carry every policy to the absurd extreme. That will certainly help scouts shed that geeky image,” added another commenter.
The Boy Scouts of America National Shooting Manual guidelines are to be followed by anyone involved with Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing, Sea Scouting, or shooting sports committees, the document adds.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/19/boy-scouts-of-america-bans-water-gun-fights/
 

CraKaJaX

Lifer
Dec 26, 2004
11,905
148
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Might as well ban nerf guns too. The amount of fun I had with these in the house with my dad is incredible. I think I still have some at home in the attic somewhere...
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,243
5,686
136
Might as well ban nerf guns too. The amount of fun I had with these in the house with my dad is incredible. I think I still have some at home in the attic somewhere...
Few years back, bought the kid the belt fed battery powered rifle. He got the top of the stairs and I got the please of storming them. I lost.
 

NesuD

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,999
106
106
The haters have finally won. Scouting is now killing itself.
 

ControlD

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2005
5,440
44
91
Sad. I learned how to shoot a rifle in the Boy Scouts. Now you can't even shoot a water gun.
 

CraKaJaX

Lifer
Dec 26, 2004
11,905
148
101
Few years back, bought the kid the belt fed battery powered rifle. He got the top of the stairs and I got the please of storming them. I lost.
:D

I also had a lot of fun with laser tag. It brought a lot more fun because of the long range. Allowed us to play outside too. My dad always killed me though because he would climb up on the roof and shit - places there was no way I could go being so young. He didn't hold back!
 

balloonshark

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2008
6,288
2,682
136
They have effectively disarmed the troops of the only tool they had to fend off pedo scout leaders.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,504
12
0
The BSA feels uncomfortable with long hard objects squirting fluids at boys. :hmm:

Seriously, this is dumb. With all the outdoor activities getting banned due to idiot parents, it's no wonder the children are so fat today. :colbert:
 

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
856
126
Perhaps they hadn't noticed that most water guns no longer simulate guns. A Super Soaker hardly has a thing in common (many don't even have triggers).

In the 1980s, Nintendo had to change the NES Zapper from gray to neon orange to meet US regulations. When Nintendo released the Wii Zapper in 2007 it couldn't even be shaped anything like a gun. It was pretty much just a handle. To emphasize that it was not a gun, it was packaged with "Link's Crossbow Training," a surreal target-shooting game that would have made BB gun target shooting look violent. Ignorant parents STILL complained about Nintendo promoting "guns" to their kids and called for boycotts.

Guns are evil!
 

Newell Steamer

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2014
6,894
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Why is this an issue with anyone? I thought a private entity can do whatever the fuck they want.

You can't back one decision and bash the other; you either let them be - good, bad or indifferent - or you constantly wag your finger like a disapproving gossipy wash woman.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,371
14
61
Why is this an issue with anyone? I thought a private entity can do whatever the fuck they want.

You can't back one decision and bash the other; you either let them be - good, bad or indifferent - or you constantly wag your finger like a disapproving gossipy wash woman.

Actually we are allowed to call bullshit bullshit. Its people like you who want the government to control everything. Reasonable people hear this and think "well I don't like the Boy Scouts" or "I should find a different group for my son to join", while irrational people like you hear a story you don't like and you think "shut it down!" or "the government needs to do something!"

Go away.
 

Newell Steamer

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2014
6,894
8
0
Actually we are allowed to call bullshit bullshit. Its people like you who want the government to control everything. Reasonable people hear this and think "well I don't like the Boy Scouts" or "I should find a different group for my son to join", while irrational people like you hear a story you don't like and you think "shut it down!" or "the government needs to do something!"

Go away.

I never said shut down the boy scouts.

They can, for example, exclude gays - because it's a private club.

They will have to face the consequences of public backlash, but, they can refuse a gay person from joining them.

The boy scouts are not like a retail business. A retail business can't refuse to service someone, unless they are a private club; I've been pretty clear about that.

But, you are just too much of a meat head to keep track of anything, so I'm not surprised.
 

waffleironhead

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
6,917
429
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Most Boy Scout camps have shooting ranges on site. Boy Scouts still encourages shooting real firearms, just no squirt guns.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,504
12
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Most Boy Scout camps have shooting ranges on site. Boy Scouts still encourages shooting real firearms, just no squirt guns.

Which is a bit ironic. Though the difference is you're shooting targets at the range, not people.

I agree with Newell that they're a private club and can do what they want. However, I was in scouting in my childhood so I have every right to criticize irrational decisions. I actually quit because I felt like I wasn't getting anything out of it. Seemed like all we ever did in the cubs was play dodge ball. I'm guessing that's banned now too.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,284
5,057
136
So scouting is becoming a crafts class where young men are taught the value of a good yarn wrapped soup can.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,392
5,257
136
Sad. I learned how to shoot a rifle in the Boy Scouts. Now you can't even shoot a water gun.

Seriously...I learned how to shoot guns, bows & arrows (which turned into an awesome hobby), fish, camp, make a fire, etc.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,392
5,257
136
So scouting is becoming a crafts class where young men are taught the value of a good yarn wrapped soup can.

I'm getting strange looks at work because I literally LOL'd visualizing this :biggrin:

I'll have to give that a try right after the underwater basket weaving class :awe: