As someone who was a scout for nearly two decades, this tore my heart apart. I was a camp counselor, Vigil member of our honor's society, and an assistant scoutmaster for my home troop, so when I watched this documentary, I couldn't help but to put myself in the shoes of these victims, and it was sickening to see the complete lack of consideration of the safety of children in this program.
As long as scouting is treated more like a business than a service to our young people, these horrific things will continue to happen. There are absolutely 0 excuses that can make this alright. I hate to see people saying "this kind of stuff happens everywhere" as if that makes the complete lack of national oversight acceptable. This documentary perfectly captures how this organization values money over safety for the kids that make the organization what it is.
I cannot begin to express how important it is to see this film in its' entirety. It is difficult to watch, but these stories deserve to be heard, not just by current and former scouts, but also by the general public.
I am so grateful for the victims who bravely stepped forward to tell their stories, and for the filmmakers who gave them a platform to be heard.
This documentary is not about "destroying the boy scouts" it is a call to action for meaningful change so that future scouts do not have to experience the same horrendous treatment at the hands of adults who were supposed to protect them.
If you are on the fence about watching this documentary, I implore you to watch every minute of it. Unfortunately, I think the only way that we will see real change in the organization is if their bottom line is affected, and the only way that can happen is if enough people start making their voices heard.
I hope to see a second part to this documentary, because I think there are still a lot more stories to tell from the inside of this organization, and this film only scratches the surface.
