[Sixstrings]

IMPERIAL, Calif. — Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor.

The responding officers — eight teenage boys and girls, the youngest 14 — face tripwire, a thin cloud of poisonous gas and loud shots — BAM! BAM! — fired from behind a flimsy wall. They move quickly, pellet guns drawn and masks affixed.

“United States Border Patrol! Put your hands up!” screams one in a voice cracking with adolescent determination as the suspect is subdued.

It is all quite a step up from the square knot.

The Explorers program, a coeducational affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America that began 60 years ago, is training thousands of young people in skills used to confront terrorism, illegal immigration and escalating border violence — an intense ratcheting up of one of the group’s longtime missions to prepare youths for more traditional jobs as police officers and firefighters.

“This is about being a true-blooded American guy and girl,” said A. J. Lowenthal, a sheriff’s deputy here in Imperial County, whose life clock, he says, is set around the Explorers events he helps run. “It fits right in with the honor and bravery of the Boy Scouts.”

Cathy Noriego, also 16, said she was attracted by the guns. The group uses compressed-air guns — known as airsoft guns, which fire tiny plastic pellets — in the training exercises, and sometimes they shoot real guns on a closed range.

“I like shooting them,” Cathy said. “I like the sound they make. It gets me excited.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/us/14 ... ml?_r=1&hp

As a former scout, I'm not so sure about this. I think these kids are too young.. and these kinds of programs really belong in the ROTC groups and such, not the Scouts.

We do need to encourage young people to consider law enforcement careers, but I just think you have to be careful with this kind of training at such a young age -- 14!

Having said that, from a kid's perspective this must be the coolest thing since sliced bread. But I don't know.. the adolescent years are unstable enough, hormones flying and all that. Is it really a good idea to have 14 year olds practicing commando raids against fictional Iraq War vets who've gone postal? Just sounds a tad intense to me.

[Grautr]

14 is the perfect age for joining the Obama Youth. I wonder when they will get their daggers?

[Roy]

They disagree...



And so do they:




Though I'd have to say I agree with Sixstrings here.

[rangerone314]

Everybody likes the guns, but lots of people have guns. I like the vests and also the belts!

Can I sign up my 5-yr old?

[PrestonSturges]

14 is the perfect age for joining the Obama Youth. I wonder when they will get their daggers?

For those of you who just fell off the turnip truck, the Scouts have been strongly anti-gay and anti-atheist, and they are increasingly dominated by the Mormon church.

[jasonraymondson]

I never could stand people who were in boy scouts. I remember wanting to beat the crap out of those little nerds. walking around with their blue little scarfs and shit.

No wonder pedophiles number their ranks

plus all of that christian nazi propaganda bullshit

[jasonraymondson]

14 is the perfect age for joining the Obama Youth. I wonder when they will get their daggers?

For those of you who just fell off the turnip truck, the Scouts have been strongly anti-gay and anti-atheist, and they are increasingly dominated by the Mormon church.

morons gewwwwwwwwwwwww

[Ayoob]

I can't believe you guys are bagging on the Boy Scouts. You really DO hate America.

[Grautr]

14 is the perfect age for joining the Obama Youth. I wonder when they will get their daggers?

For those of you who just fell off the turnip truck, the Scouts have been strongly anti-gay and anti-atheist, and they are increasingly dominated by the Mormon church.

Well thanks for letting us know that. No need for me to ever fall off the turnip truck again.

[vision-master]

At least kids will be introduced back into how to use guns.

Those poor Mothers.............

[green_achers]

They didn't have anything fun like that during the 5 minutes or so back in the 1960s when I was in scouts.

[Caffeine]

Iraq war veteran...

So, let me get this straight. Some Boy Scouts are receiving paramilitary training, and part of that training features veterans of the United States military as the 'bad guys.' Is that correct?

[efarmer]

I think I will just wait and just buy a few boxes of MRE's from the Girl Scouts.

[Sixstrings]

I never could stand people who were in boy scouts. I remember wanting to beat the crap out of those little nerds. walking around with their blue little scarfs and shit.

No wonder pedophiles number their ranks

plus all of that christian nazi propaganda bullshit

The blue scarves are cub scouts. As for abuse, it's an isolated thing. It's kind of like church.. just because something bad happens in one church, it doesn't mean it's going on in every church. As for the religion debate.. when I was involved, I'd say very very few of the kids / families were church-going. You do have to say God in the oath though. But other than the oath, God was never discussed.

They allow for every religion on the planet from hindu to buddhist, but not for atheism or agnosticism. It's really way past due that this change, it's ridiculous that atheistic kids can't be a part of what really is a secular organization.

As for gays, that's a thornier issue. Looking back, I can remember a couple adults who were likely gay. But it wasn't ever discussed, and I really don't think it should be. Scouting is about the kids, and the adults involved need to keep their personal lives to themselves in the same manner that teachers are expected to. So I think the don't ask / don't tell policy is best here.

I agree that yeah, a lot of kids have either a mediocre or bad experience. It just comes down to the quality and dedication of who's running the troop. You either luck out with that or not.

It's the local adult leadership that makes all the difference. I had a very good experience.. scoutmaster was a middle school teacher, a really fantastic person. I got to do things as a kid that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to.. trips to DC, the national jamborees, hiking the Rockies, mountain climbing, canoe treks.

One thing I never got to do though was simulated urban warfare assaults on postal Iraq War vets.

[PrestonSturges]

I knew a woman whose husband used to urge her to starve herself until her curves disappeared. I asked her "Does he make you wear a Cub Scout uniform?"

[Munqi]

I can't believe you guys are bagging on the Boy Scouts. You really DO hate America.

Are you for real?

Everytime you post, you reach a new level of stupidity. Its amazing.

[spotacus]

Paramilitary training sounds so cool, Kids will want to join now.

[SchroedingersCat]

If I recall, my scouting days taught me ropes and knots, wild-crafting, camping, foraging, first aid, wilderness survival, archery, knife skills, target shooting, trapping, cleaning and cooking game, and much more along the same lines. If I'm not mistaken, these are the very skills that most people on this board feel are essential for surviving the upcoming 'disruption' to our social structure.

[Sixstrings]

Some more pics of the Assault Scouts: