TCU Daily Skiff - Boycotting cookies doesn’t solve issue

	*Thursday, March 11, 2004*

Boycotting cookies doesn’t solve issue

Jennifer Noy is a sophomore advertising/public relations and psychology major from Austin.

With all the controversy over the relationship between Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, you would think Girl Scout leaders are teaching their daisies and brownies to have sex, abortions or worship the devil, perhaps. But in reality, Girl Scouts has only a loose connection to Planned Parenthood and takes no stance on abortion or contraceptives.

The big debate stems from a sex education program given by Planned Parenthood. Girl Scouts does not support this program financially, nor does it force Girl Scouts to attend. The horrific crime Girl Scouts does commit is allowing their logo to be printed on the program. Although people who protest this act would like us to think the program teaches about abortion and homosexuality, it actually promotes abstinence for the youth. The seminar teaches girls about puberty and sex. It is nothing they won’t learn from their peers. It is presented in a more educational manner. Many parents have even found this program helpful in educating their daughters about sex.

Another so called atrocity the Girl Scouts committed was honoring a woman who was a Planned Parenthood executive. The woman was honored for her work with civic and church organizations, not Planned Parenthood. By honoring this woman, Girl Scouts is supporting the woman and her work, not the organization she works for. The boycotters would like us to refuse to honor a woman who has given so much to her community because she works with an organization that goes against their beliefs.

Protesters are portraying Girl Scouts as a sacrilegious organization, when the reality is that they do not promote anything against Christian teachings. Girls Scouts put their name on an education program that teaches girls about their bodies and the changes they will experience during puberty. This program does not encourage sex, but rather promotes abstinence for younger girls. For the older girls, the program teaches about condoms but still does not encourage girls to have sex. The program gives girls the information they need to make their own decisions about sex so they won’t be pressured into it later on.
Girl Scouts also honors women that have made a contribution to their community. The Planned Parenthood executive in question was honored for her work with a church — that’s right, a Christian church. Her dedication should not be ignored because she happens to work for Planned Parenthood.

The worst part of the situation is that these protesters, instead of maturely going to the heads of Girl Scouts, targeted the young girls. They got their way by bullying Girl Scouts into severing ties with Planned Parenthood. By boycotting the cookies, the protesters brought young girls into the middle of a very adult debate. Because Girl Scouts does not want to put their members in such a position, they had no choice but to give in.

In the end, who lost? Only the little girls. Girl Scouts didn’t lose. All they did was take their logo off a sex education program. It was the little girls who were exploited and forced to confront issues they don’t even understand. Some of these little girls were even taken out of the organization all together. While their parents are fighting a political battle over abortion, Girl Scouts loose the opportunity to participate in an organization that builds character and teaches them valuable life skills.

Accessibility