Parents and alumni were furious about Trump's speech to the Boy Scouts.
The Boy Scouts of America forbids its chapters from pursuing "any objectives related to political or social advocacy, including partisan politics."
As a result, many parents, volunteers, and former scouts were outraged when President Donald Trump took the stage at the organization's annual jamboree on July 24 and turned the nationwide gathering into a campaign rally.
In a characteristically free-form address, the president cursed, encouraged attendees to boo former President Barack Obama, and alluded to sexual activity that took place at a cocktail party he attended in the 1980s.
Photo by Saul Loeb/Getty Images.
Not long after video of the event went viral, hundreds of alumni and relatives of current scouts posted their reactions to the organization's Facebook page.
The responses were overwhelmingly frustrated, angry, and mournful.
Some noted that by condoning Trump's furiously partisan speech, the Scouts were implicitly supporting the goals of the Republican party, in a violation of the organization's charter.
All comment images from Boy Scouts of America/Facebook.
Others argued that the speech — and its speaker — conflicted with the stated values of the organization...
...while many were simply saddened that the organization's leaders would permit such a violation of what they believe to be the core Scout ethos.
The Boy Scouts of America released a statement the following morning that reaffirmed the group's nonpartisan character, though it remained quiet on Trump's conduct.
"The invitation for the sitting U.S. president to address the national jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies," the statement read.
This is not the first time the Boy Scouts have found themselves at the center of a political struggle.
For decades, the Scout bylaws held that, "homosexual conduct," is "inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath," and openly gay children were banned from participating. The ban was ultimately removed in 2013 after years of mounting public backlash, though openly gay adults can still be prohibited from being scout leaders.
Photo by George Frey/Getty Images.
The controversy flared again when a transgender scout was kicked out of a Cub Scout pack in New Jersey in December 2016.
Transgender scouts were officially permitted the following January.
But a sitting president involving the 117-year-old organization with party politics is new — and unsettling.
Trump's speech broke with eight decades of precedent, upheld by presidents from both parties, of using the speech to speak broadly about citizenship and service in a nonpartisan fashion.
In response, alumni, parents, and commentators from across the political spectrum are taking notice — and asking the Boy Scouts of America to stand up for their stated values.
Whether they find the loyalty, courtesy, and bravery to do so remains to be seen.
Clarification 7/25/2017: This post was updated to clarify that while the Boy Scouts of America does not prohibit openly gay troop leaders, it does allow for individual charters to do so.
Updated 7/27/2017: This post was updated to clarify that groups of Cub Scouts are "packs," not "troops."
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."