Freedom to Act ; Cutting Government Ties Can Be Liberating

Summary

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One of our bedrock principles is that of the personal responsibility that goes hand-in-hand with the freedom we cherish. We often point out that while people are (or should be) free to pursue their goals without government restraint so long as they don't infringe on the rights of others, along with that freedom comes the responsibility to accept the consequences for one's actions. On March 8 the Boy Scouts of America found out the hard way that the U.S. Supreme Court agrees with us.

The Scouts scored an important Supreme Court victory four years ago in a case that affirmed the organization's right to bar homosexuals from membership. Under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution people have the right to associate with folks of their choosing and the government has no say in it. That's why government cannot force the Boy Scouts to accept members they feel don't adhere to the moral standards they espouse. But that freedom comes at a price.

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Extract

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Freedom to Act ; Cutting Government Ties Can Be Liberating

If a private organization accepts support, in any form, from government, it must expect there's a price to be paid. For the Scouts, the price is that the organization finds itself increasingly locked out of public schools, parks and asso...

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