Perhaps it is just because my son is in the Cub Scouts, but I found this article on Ars Technica that the MPAA has pursuaded the Boy Scouts to give out a “respect copyright” patch based on MPAA developed materials revolting beyond measure.
Since when did indoctronating kids in corporate propoganda become part of scouting? I don’t see anything about a “respect fair use” patch.
This is only the latest stunt in the general propoganda war waged by big media companies and trade groups against children through trusted institutions. Already these same trade associations and companies sponsor and develop lesson plans targeted to promote thier view of how copyright law should work — without providing any balanced perspectives on fair use or informing students of what copies they can explicitly create by law.
This is not about training youngsters to respect the law. This is about promoting a particular corporate perspective under the guise of trusted institutions.
I'm an Eagle Scout, and
I’m an Eagle Scout, and I’m pretty unhappy with a lot of the decisions that the national Boy Scout organization has made. However, it’s worth pointing out that this is specific to the Los Angeles-area organization, and the patch just represents an activity - it’s not an award or honor of any kind. We got badges like this for all kinds of activities like going to camp or learning fire safety.
You ask, “Since when did indoctrinating kids in corporate propoganda become part of scouting?” I think this has long been a part of scouting. If you sneak a peek at the list of merit badges, you’ll find plenty that are tied into businesses and specific industries. “American Business,” “Composite Materials,” and “Entrepreneurship” are a few examples.
As an autobiographical note, my experience in the scouts often demonstrated that the organization largely supported existing powerful interests, while discouraging boys from formulating their own ideas. I finished my Eagle as Bush launched Gulf War I, and we were pressured to wear yellow-ribbon badges (much like the copyright badge) and appear in uniform at pro-war rallies. As a fifteen-year-old, I thought this kind of indoctrination crossed a line and struck me as a little un-American. My refusal to wear yellow ribbons and attend pro-war demonstrations became an issue during my Eagle Scout review.
If you don’t like what the scouts are doing, take your kid out of scouts.
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I don't see anything about
I don’t see anything about a “respect fair use” patch.
Coming soon: the “Buy the Same Content Five Different Times So You Can Use It in Five Different Formats” merit badge.