Trump’s Boy Scouts speech broke with 80 years of presidential tradition

The following article by Katie Mettler and Derek Hawkins was posted on the Star Tribune website July 25, 2017:

Photo Credit: FlickR/Gage Skidmore

For 80 years, American presidents have been speaking to the National Scout Jamboree, a gathering of tens of thousands of youngsters from around the world eager to absorb the ideas of service, citizenship and global diplomacy.

In keeping with the Scouts’ traditions, all eight presidents and surrogates who have represented them have stayed far, far away from partisan politics.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt used the occasion to talk about good citizenship. Harry S. Truman extolled fellowship: “When you work and live together, and exchange ideas around the campfire, you get to know what the other fellow is like,” he said. Continue reading “Trump’s Boy Scouts speech broke with 80 years of presidential tradition”