Have you noticed in the philly.com redesign that next to "people who read this also read" there is "and also bought..." with pictures of a tripod and car stereo??? Is this a joke or are people who are reading Bob Ford's latest immediately buying massive amounts of electronic equipment? Please explain this.

That's not the only point on which Flowers's column is misleading or outright mendacious. Her assertion that the City is somehow flouting the Supreme Court decision by suggesting that the Boy Scouts follow City law or discontinue receiving benefits from the City is absurd.

I love Christine Flowers' use of "sarcasm quotes" in her "writing." To bad she's such a "syphilitic harpy."

Wait, did I want the quotes there or not? I'm "confused"...

Yeah, I had written about that, too, but cut it because it scanned weird. (I actually do read over these posts before I write them... sometimes.) Flower is a laywer and seems smart -- I have to believe she's misdirecting intentionally. (This isn't a new thing.)

Bubba and I are going out on a shrimp boat. It'll be fun!

"Flowers leaves out of this column a part about how the local Boy Scout council had to rescind their nondiscrimination policy due to the national group, but, hey, she's trying to make a point." D-Mac

"Anyway, in the spirit of compromise, the Cradle of Liberty adopted a nondiscrimination pledge that was good enough for one city solicitor, and everyone thought the matter had been satisfactorily resolved." Flowers

Hey, Dan, can you split hairs a little more so we understand YOUR point?

Things have changed a lot since the aforementioned city solicitor approved the compromise non-discrimination pledge. The city's demographics (I.e. voters) look significantly different now.

"Things have changed a lot since the aforementioned city solicitor approved the compromise non-discrimination pledge. The city's demographics (I.e. voters) look significantly different now." 207

What do demographics have to do with anything? The Boy Scouts serve tens of thousands of Philadelphia's kids and it makes no sense to persecute them at a time when violence is on the increase. THAT'S THE POINT!

They deserve to prevail.

The nondiscrimination policy Flowers writes about was rescinded by the local chapter: "The group adopted an explicit nondiscrimination policy in 2003 after negotiations with the city. But it was forced to rescind it when the Boy Scouts of America said Philadelphia Scout officials could not deviate from national rules barring participation by anyone who is openly gay." That was my point.

Thanks for the link, Dan. I compared the text of that report with Flowers' piece and found no essential contradiction. Essentially, the local chapter found an accommodation with the national policy by saying that as long as anyone gay or atheist did not broadcast it, there would be no problem. (How do you ask an 8 year old if he is gay?) The problem is that the city will not allow them to have anything less than complete disavowal of the national policy which they are unable to do. It is this hardheaded attack on the Scouts that demands a remedy in the courts. It just isn't fair to punish the local group because of a conflict with their parent organization. I think her piece makes a valid point and we should support the Scouts. Don't you agree?

Demographics have to do with a lot because politicians pander to their constituencies in order to get elected.

"Demographics have to do with a lot because politicians pander to their constituencies in order to get elected.: 207

Except, in this case, what has changed in Philly to make this relevant? Has the number of homophobes increased?

This whole thing has been blown out of proportion. If the city gives tax breaks to other organizations with religious or other biases, why not the scouts? Have they withdrawn that support from every agency that does not pass the politically correct test?