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    Indiana lawmaker says Girl Scouts promote abortion

    INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Undaunted by ridicule from the leader of his own party, an Indiana lawmaker is standing by his allegations that the Girl Scouts is a radical organization that promotes abortions and homosexuality.

    The scouts and Planned Parenthood have dismissed Rep. Bob Morris' comments as absurd, as did Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma. But Morris, a Republican, told The Associated Press his critics need to do more research into the 100-year-old scouting organization.

    "My family and I took a view and we're sticking by it," Morris said Tuesday, adding that his daughters were joining an alternative group for young girls run by conservative Christians. "My girls are no longer Girl Scouts. They're now going to join American Heritage Girls."

    Morris' comments were the butt of jokes inside the House on Tuesday, with Bosma spending much of the day handing out Thin Mints to lawmakers. He joked that Morris' comments led him to buy hundreds of cases of the famous Girl Scout cookies.

    "I purchased 278 cases of Girl Scout cookies in the last four hours," said a clearly sarcastic Bosma, who closed Tuesday's session by asking the former Girl Scouts in the chamber to stand up.

    Morris' comments about the Girl Scouts came in a letter he sent to House Republicans on Saturday that said he had conducted some research on the Internet and discovered that the scouts are a "tactical arm" of Planned Parenthood.

    The Girl Scouts flatly denied Morris' accusations, and Planned Parenthood of Indiana issued a separate statement calling Morris' charges "woefully inaccurate."

    "On the national level, inflammatory and generally inaccurate claims about a partnership between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood have been promoted primarily by anti-choice lawmakers seeking to place pressure on organizations to disassociate or distance themselves from Planned Parenthood," Betty Cockrum, the chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, said in a statement.

    Morris, in his letter to lawmakers, said some Christian conservatives who share his concerns have pulled their children out of Girl Scouts. He also pointed to a Colorado Girl Scout troop's acceptance of a transgender child last month as another reason to leave the group.

    ___

    Tom LoBianco can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/tomlobianco

     
    • Adam  •  Limestone, Maine  •  1 mth 22 days ago
      The girls in Girl Scouts are great kids. It is the leadership that we parents need to be concerned about. In January 2012, Renise Rodriguez wore a "Pray to End Abortion" t-shirt during an off-duty visit to her Tucson Girl Scout office and was ordered to leave the building or turn the t-shirt inside out. In 2010-2011 Girl Scouts in Waco Texas co-sponsored a Sex Ed conference "Real Life, Real Talk" with Planned Parenthood. Finally, at least 16 Girl Scout councils admit in a national survey to partnering with Planned Parenthood.
    • funnime  •  Elkhart, Indiana  •  2 mths ago
      Life is getting totally insane . I think PPL are thinking about any reason to get o the net , get recoginzed or make money
    • Melissa  •  San Francisco, California  •  2 mths ago
      You're a special kind of loony if the GIRL SCOUTS aren't wholesome enough for your kids. I guess we should be glad he didn't call GSA "Future sluts of America."
      Note: Rep Morris, be careful when battling young girls in green selling cookies, because even if you win, you'll lose. You can't do it without looking like a bully and a butthead, and deservedly so. Pick on somebody your own age and size!
    • BlueFalcon  •  Doylestown, Pennsylvania  •  2 mths ago
      Seriously......Where do they find these TOOL-BAGS as our so called Leaders??? Stop the madness!!!
    • Wayne  •  Houston, Texas  •  2 mths ago
      These religious nut jobs are coming out of the wood-work. Time to pay a bit more attention at election time and keep the insane bible-thumpers OUT OF OFFICE.
    • PatriciaW  •  Denver, Colorado  •  2 mths ago
      His first mistake was "researching it on the internet". Hasn't he learned yet that anyone can post anything and it doesn't have to be true? There are all sorts of hate sites out there and apparently he found one to back him up. Obviously missed his research lesson in college.
    • Charlotte  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  2 mths ago
      This is TOTALLY RIDICULOUS! I am a Girl Scout Leader and I absolutely adore the program and the things that Girl Scouts believes in such as COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, & CHARACTER. Some of the women that are currently or previouly in legislation were once Girl Scouts. If the federal government takes away our voices we will be finding babies in trash cans, teenage mothers dieing from lack of care, not to mention the disease rate will go through the roof due to lack of educating individuals on protective sex. For the last few months we have been seeing parents that have pulled their daughtes out of Girl Scouts, with claims that we believe in abortion, birth control, etc. When they say these FOOLISH things to me I reply with, " I am a mother and a Girl Scout Leader that has made a choice to make a diffenence in the lives of young women. I in by know means have now or ever been pursuaded by Girl Scouts on what my personal beliefs should be". When I meet with my girls I teach them their worth as young ladies, and we also foster a love of learning & independence, as well as teaching that they can do anything they set their minds to. It's amazing how these Conservative SO CALLED Christians have become so judgmental on an organization that has proven for 100 YEARS to have turned out some of the most awesome leaders throughout the nation and around the world, but they have NO COMMENT when their leaders are molesting young boys or when their SO CALLED leaders are practicing poligamy? They continue to have baby after baby saying that it's God's will for them to have as many babies as He allows them to and not to use birth control, but then when things get difficult they become a DRAIN ON SOCIETY when utilizing certain forms of public aide. This is FOOLISHNESS and in NO WAY honors our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, nor does it have anything to do with being a Christian. The meaning of a Christian is to be CHRIST LIKE. If you are CHRIST LIKE, stop bad mouthing your brothers & sisters. The Bible speaks of not being able to provide for your family. Wake up people your protecting your daughters from a world that eventually they are going to become a part of. A real world with REAL ISSUES. As far as the transgender issue is concerned, as Girl Scout Leaders we are in the business of promoting great leaders within our organization, but if the truth be told how the HELL can we truly determine the true gender of any child unless the parent or guardian chooses to disclose this information? I don't know about anyone else but when my dauther became a Girl Scout no one lifted her dress to see if she met the requirements. Any one can be a member of Girl Scouts. We have dads, grand dads, brothers, uncles', and of course mom's who are registered Girl Scouts. This does not mean that they partake in "GIRL LED" activities, but merely support the efforts of Girl Scouts. Let's get off the BS and start building better leaders for a BRIGHTER TOMORROW.
      • sharona 2 mths ago
        You hit the nail right on the head....
    • Andrea  •  Cicero, Illinois  •  2 mths ago
      This man makes me sad to say I'm a Hoosier. If the people we elect to represent ALL the people, should they be biased against ANYONE???
    • Kormster  •  3 mths ago
      When did my party stop being about free markets and strong defence and start down this strange road?
      • Deck 3 mths ago
        about 15 years ago.
      • PlainJane 3 mths ago
        When you let the extreme right-wing born again Evangelical Christians run the show..
      • Jills Favorite Cousin 3 mths ago
        When they hijacked Jesus for their political purposes.
    • WillTaylor  •  3 mths ago
      Right now the statehouses have more nuts in them than a jar of Planters. Good Lord people....think before you cast a vote.
      • Patriot 3 mths ago
        The Tennessee state house just went Republican, and the nuts are in charge of the asylum!!!
      • Ron S 3 mths ago
        I wholeheartedly agree! Why can't people look at a candidate, and judge him/her on their own merits, instead of being sheeple, and voting strictly along party lines!
      • Rocket Man 3 mths ago
        When gas gets to $6 a gallon maybe you will think before you vote!
    • Robert  •  Springfield, Illinois  •  2 mths ago
      IS THIS NUT CASE JUST TRYING TO GET SOME AIR TIME.
      This is totally STUPID.
      Must be something in the water over there that affects this guy's brain cells.
    • Enrique B  •  Miami, Florida  •  2 mths ago
      I remember the 70's & 80's very well and the GOP had smart leaders, who went across the aisle and compromise with my Dem party and viceversa..I know there're extremists on both sides but honestly lately I have seen more on the right than anything else.
    • horsefan  •  Austin, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      Here is the Girl Scout Promise & Law - On my honor, I will try:To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
      The Girl Scout Law -I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout. I have been a Girl Scout leader & volunteer for over 13 years now - it has been the best organization for my daughters to learn what volunteering & community service is all about!
      • Above the Law 3 mths ago
        Stop it Stop it. Girls can't think for themselves. They have to have a creepy old republican pervert tell them what to do or say. There are no words to discribe this cretin. I hope his kids disown him.
      • SantaCruzing 3 mths ago
        Maybe our lawmakers would be better people if they only adhered to the Girl Scout oath.
      • Kathryn P 3 mths ago
        A really terrific comment, Horsefan. I was a Girl Scout many, many years ago. My mom was the troop leader. That fool has no idea what he's talking about. And while I'm normally on a constant diet, I'm going to buy lots of cookies this year, eat some and give the rest to the local women's shelter. I guess he didn't figure his stupidity would actually sell more cookies, huh? LOL
    • Vince  •  3 mths ago
      WOW .... I was never taught hate and discrimination in my church. The bible is all about love, acceptance and tolerance. This dude has a right to put his daughters in any group he wants but to use his political position to attack the Girl Scouts is HATEFUL! Vote this idiot OUT of office!!!
      • Just Me, Richard 3 mths ago
        Actually, Vince, there is a lot in the Bible that is neither love, acceptance or tolerance. I tend to agree with you, though, but I've been reading and studying Scripture for a bit over 40 years now...
      • Darren 3 mths ago
        The Bible is about true love not the way it's defined today. It is definitely not about tolerance. It's about acceptence in the fact of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior and following his commandments. Ever heard of thou shall not kill? Well, millions of babies are slaughtered in the name of "pro-choice". I love the propaganda of "anti-choice". We are pro-life for the mother, the father and the child. Call it what it is. "Pro-killing" not "pro-choice". Oh, and it's not hateful to tell the truth. We live in a time when the truth is something no one wants to hear. When the girl scounts partnered with Planned Parenthood around 8 years ago, in effect, the girls scouts are promoting abortion.
      • Me 3 mths ago
        #$%$ Darren- get your stupid head out of your arse and learn something for a change instead of ramming your stupid, insane, archaic thinking down everyone's throat. Just because YOU think that as soon as a man nuts inside a woman he makes a baby doesn't mean it's true. Just because YOU think that abortion is killing a person doesn't mean others have to believe it. PERIOD. End of story. That was already decided in the Roe V. Wade decision by the Supreme Court. Abortion is legal- PERIOD. If you are against abortion then I would suggest you talk to YOUR significant other that you don't believe in abortion and don't expect her to get one while you guys are together instead of pushing your beliefs on other people. That's the point of all this bickering- you people on the pro-life side trying to take away the rights of people on the pro-choice side. Tell me, what rights have the pro-choice side tried to have taken from you pro-lifers?
    • joel  •  3 mths ago
      Can anyone, left or right, explain to me why we were in Iraq and are in afghanistan fighting religious extremists only to find them in our own back yard? I am not amused. That there are policy/law makers at any level of government that have these views is troubling and a threat to the republic. What next...book burning?
    • Doug W  •  Indianapolis, Indiana  •  3 mths ago
      On behalf of the citizens of my state, I apologize for him. We aren't all absolutely off-the-charts insane.
    • Mere  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  2 mths ago
      The Girl Scouts promote homosexuality and are the tactical arm of Planned Parenthood. Well darn it, Morris has let the cat out of the bag. Yes, in the 15 years I was a Girl Scout we held secret meetings and had special handshakes and we even got decoder rings. We kidnapped little boys and programmed them to be homosexual and then released them back to their families as sleeper agents to promote immorality. Then we secretly funneled cash from our cookie sales to Planned Parenthood and under cover of night spirited away young teenage girls to get abortions and we even secretly passed out the morning after pill to them shhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone! Someone needs to get Morris on some medication cause he's clearly lost ALL sense.
    • paul  •  3 mths ago
      This has got to be one of the most stupidest statements I have ever heard. How are these idiots getting elected? Do they make up conspiricies just to scare the ignorant who think that because they're "good christians" they're telling the truth? Nothing but a bunch of idiots.
    • GEORGE  •  Washington, District of Columbia  •  3 mths ago
      Where in hell do idiots like this come from?
    • Jeff  •  Southfield, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      Never before has there been more evidence for the need of separation of Church and State in governing our nation, that protects the very fiber or freedom this country was founded on. Today's candidates and many of our elected leaders could serve this country more effectively as clergy rather than as political leaders .
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