04-10-2007, 10:57 PM
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Special Report
April, 5 2007
[url "http://www.defendscouting.com/"]www.DefendScouting.com[/url] [center][/url]Great News -- Big Win for Scouts in Court![/center]
Dear Friend of Scouting,
The Scouts won an important victory in court yesterday when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously reversed the District Court decision in Winkler v Gates, a lawsuit to prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from supporting the Scouts' jamborees. The Scouting Legal Defense Fund staunchly defended the Scouts by filing an amicus brief in the case in support of the DOD.
This case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing the plaintiffs who had challenged the Defense Department's support for the Scout jamborees held at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. Specifically, they claimed that Scouts are a "religion" and that consequently the federal law that authorizes this support for the Scouts' jamborees is an unconstitutional "establishment of religion."
The District Court had ruled in the ACLU's favor and issued an injunction against the DOD supporting future jamborees. But the Appeals Court for the 7th Circuit found that the plaintiffs and the ACLU did not have standing to bring their lawsuit and dismissed the case.
Ed Meese, former U.S. Attorney General and Chairman of the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, agreed that this is a "very important victory for the Scouts" because it opens the way for the Defense Department to provide support for the Scouts' centennial Jamboree to be held in 2010, as well as for future jamborees.
This case exemplifies the problems the ACLU is creating and underscores why my husband formed the American Civil Rights Union (ACRU). As our General Counsel, Peter Ferrara, asks in our press release ([url "mhtml:mid://00000005/#pr"]below[/url]) "What sound public purpose does it serve for the ACLU to be suing an organization like the Boy Scouts over their national jamboree? The interpretation of the Establishment Clause advanced by the ACLU is so extreme that it does not serve to protect liberty, but, rather, it assaults the liberty of the religious and those seeking to promote traditional moral values."
The Scouting Legal Defense Fund is a project of the ACRU and one of several important efforts we are taking to help stop the damage the ACLU is causing to our national fabric. Our mission is to protect our basic rights and freedoms from their attacks.
In addition to our press release attached below, we have posted the [url "http://ctserver.ath.cx/sldf/pdf/SeventhCircuitopinion05-3451.pdf"]Circuit Court's decision[/url] on our Web site and provide a link to the [url "http://www.bsalegal.org/"]press release[/url] issued by the Scouts.
This decision is the latest in a series of court victories for the Scouts. But we know that the ACLU is not going leave them in peace and that there will be more legal battles in the future. But, with that in mind, I can assure you that the Scouting Legal Defense Fund will be there to help defend Scouting in whatever way we can.
Sincerely,
![[Image: susan-signature.jpg]](http://www.defendscouting.com/sldf/images/susan-signature.jpg)
Susan A. Carleson
Editor
P.S. Please forward this good news on to others on your list. Also, you can help us defend Scouting even more effectively by making a [url "https://www396.ssldomain.com/domainid31284/sldf/contribute/"]generous tax-deductible contribution[/url].
[/url][size 4]American Civil Rights Union/Scouting Legal Defense Fund
Press Release[/size] [center]April 5, 2007[/center] [center]Boy Scout Jamboree OK with Court[/center]
Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit dismissed the lawsuit brought by the ACLU to stop the Defense Department from allowing the Boy Scouts of America to hold their National Jamboree every four years at Fort A.P. Hill in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The ACLU argued that because membership in the Boy Scouts is limited only to those who believe in God, allowing the Boy Scouts to hold their national jamboree on public property is an unconstitutional establishment of religion. But the Court ruled that the ACLU, suing on behalf of individual named taxpayers, did not show standing to bring the lawsuit. Peter Ferrara, General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union explained, "In other words, the court ruled that the ACLU did not show a sufficiently direct interest in the Defense Department's practice regarding the Jamboree to allow it to sue. The ACLU could complain to the Congress or the President over this policy, but they had no business bringing a lawsuit over it and asking the courts to step in."
The Defense Department allows the Jamborees to be held at the fort because it considers the events to be helpful in promoting the military and recruitment. The Defense Department policy is expressly authorized by a Federal statute enacted by Congress. The 10 day Jamboree focuses on activities involving physical fitness, appreciation of the outdoors, and patriotism. Seven Presidents have attended and spoken at the Jamborees starting with Franklin Roosevelt in 1937. The court ruling yesterday opens the way for the Scouts to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the organization at its next Jamboree in 2010.
"What sound public purpose does it serve for the ACLU to be suing an organization like the Boy Scouts over their national jamboree," Ferrara asked. "The interpretation of the Establishment Clause advanced by the ACLU is so extreme that it does not serve to protect liberty, but, rather, it assaults the liberty of the religious and those seeking to promote traditional moral values," Ferrara added.
Your Generous Contribution Helps Us Defend Scouting
Our efforts to defend scouting depend entirely on contributions from people like you. Please help us defend Scouting even more effectively by making a generous contribution to support our efforts. Your contribution is tax deductible.
You can easily and securely contribute on line [url "https://www396.ssldomain.com/domainid31284/sldf/contribute/"]here[/url] or print out a form there to mail in your contribution. [center][#8c2821][size 4]Thank you for whatever you can do to
help us better defend Scouting![/size][/#8c2821]
[/center]
[signature]
Special ReportApril, 5 2007
[url "http://www.defendscouting.com/"]www.DefendScouting.com[/url] [center][/url]Great News -- Big Win for Scouts in Court![/center]
Dear Friend of Scouting,
The Scouts won an important victory in court yesterday when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously reversed the District Court decision in Winkler v Gates, a lawsuit to prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from supporting the Scouts' jamborees. The Scouting Legal Defense Fund staunchly defended the Scouts by filing an amicus brief in the case in support of the DOD.
This case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing the plaintiffs who had challenged the Defense Department's support for the Scout jamborees held at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. Specifically, they claimed that Scouts are a "religion" and that consequently the federal law that authorizes this support for the Scouts' jamborees is an unconstitutional "establishment of religion."
The District Court had ruled in the ACLU's favor and issued an injunction against the DOD supporting future jamborees. But the Appeals Court for the 7th Circuit found that the plaintiffs and the ACLU did not have standing to bring their lawsuit and dismissed the case.
Ed Meese, former U.S. Attorney General and Chairman of the Scouting Legal Defense Fund, agreed that this is a "very important victory for the Scouts" because it opens the way for the Defense Department to provide support for the Scouts' centennial Jamboree to be held in 2010, as well as for future jamborees.
This case exemplifies the problems the ACLU is creating and underscores why my husband formed the American Civil Rights Union (ACRU). As our General Counsel, Peter Ferrara, asks in our press release ([url "mhtml:mid://00000005/#pr"]below[/url]) "What sound public purpose does it serve for the ACLU to be suing an organization like the Boy Scouts over their national jamboree? The interpretation of the Establishment Clause advanced by the ACLU is so extreme that it does not serve to protect liberty, but, rather, it assaults the liberty of the religious and those seeking to promote traditional moral values."
The Scouting Legal Defense Fund is a project of the ACRU and one of several important efforts we are taking to help stop the damage the ACLU is causing to our national fabric. Our mission is to protect our basic rights and freedoms from their attacks.
In addition to our press release attached below, we have posted the [url "http://ctserver.ath.cx/sldf/pdf/SeventhCircuitopinion05-3451.pdf"]Circuit Court's decision[/url] on our Web site and provide a link to the [url "http://www.bsalegal.org/"]press release[/url] issued by the Scouts.
This decision is the latest in a series of court victories for the Scouts. But we know that the ACLU is not going leave them in peace and that there will be more legal battles in the future. But, with that in mind, I can assure you that the Scouting Legal Defense Fund will be there to help defend Scouting in whatever way we can.
Sincerely,
Susan A. Carleson
Editor
P.S. Please forward this good news on to others on your list. Also, you can help us defend Scouting even more effectively by making a [url "https://www396.ssldomain.com/domainid31284/sldf/contribute/"]generous tax-deductible contribution[/url].
[/url][size 4]American Civil Rights Union/Scouting Legal Defense Fund
Press Release[/size] [center]April 5, 2007[/center] [center]Boy Scout Jamboree OK with Court[/center]
Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit dismissed the lawsuit brought by the ACLU to stop the Defense Department from allowing the Boy Scouts of America to hold their National Jamboree every four years at Fort A.P. Hill in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The ACLU argued that because membership in the Boy Scouts is limited only to those who believe in God, allowing the Boy Scouts to hold their national jamboree on public property is an unconstitutional establishment of religion. But the Court ruled that the ACLU, suing on behalf of individual named taxpayers, did not show standing to bring the lawsuit. Peter Ferrara, General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union explained, "In other words, the court ruled that the ACLU did not show a sufficiently direct interest in the Defense Department's practice regarding the Jamboree to allow it to sue. The ACLU could complain to the Congress or the President over this policy, but they had no business bringing a lawsuit over it and asking the courts to step in."
The Defense Department allows the Jamborees to be held at the fort because it considers the events to be helpful in promoting the military and recruitment. The Defense Department policy is expressly authorized by a Federal statute enacted by Congress. The 10 day Jamboree focuses on activities involving physical fitness, appreciation of the outdoors, and patriotism. Seven Presidents have attended and spoken at the Jamborees starting with Franklin Roosevelt in 1937. The court ruling yesterday opens the way for the Scouts to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the organization at its next Jamboree in 2010.
"What sound public purpose does it serve for the ACLU to be suing an organization like the Boy Scouts over their national jamboree," Ferrara asked. "The interpretation of the Establishment Clause advanced by the ACLU is so extreme that it does not serve to protect liberty, but, rather, it assaults the liberty of the religious and those seeking to promote traditional moral values," Ferrara added.
Your Generous Contribution Helps Us Defend Scouting
Our efforts to defend scouting depend entirely on contributions from people like you. Please help us defend Scouting even more effectively by making a generous contribution to support our efforts. Your contribution is tax deductible.
You can easily and securely contribute on line [url "https://www396.ssldomain.com/domainid31284/sldf/contribute/"]here[/url] or print out a form there to mail in your contribution. [center][#8c2821][size 4]Thank you for whatever you can do to
help us better defend Scouting![/size][/#8c2821]
[/center]
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