6th March 2023 - Disgust and Disappointment
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Last Friday I received a phone call from a fellow Scout leader which 
has spent my head spinning between disgust and disappointment. Turns 
out that a Scout leader in the local area had appeared on a paedophile 
hunter Facebook page. It appears he had been sending messages to a 15 
year old boy about meeting up. This particular person was someone who 
I have worked with professionaly and as a volunteer with. I looked up 
to him and thought he was a sensible voice to get advice from. This 
news has shocked me. I am surprised he could do or contemplate 
something so disgusting and debased. My mind has been spinning ever 
since. This has filled my mind and destroyed any spare thoughts. The 
video from the paedophile hunters is a hard watch. It shows a group 
confronting him on his doorstep. His wife comes out eventually and 
doesn't appear shocked. She is also heavily involved in local Scouting 
and another reason for the mind spinning. What if she knew and wasn't 
reporting? How could someone do that? I occasionally hope it is 
some sort of mix up. It probably isn't. The good news is that the 
police have been presented with evidence and are investigating. I have 
no idea if he has been arrested. 

I feel disappointed that someone could do something so wrong and 
disgusting. I feel disappointed that there is another occasion people 
can point to so they can justify their belief that all Scout leaders 
are paedos. We are not. We just believe that people need to learn 
skills for life and want to help them realise who they are. There is 
lots of wanting to scream into the void. This phlog post is one way to  
do so I suppose. 

Such horrific acts should not and cannot absorb our attention. Such 
horrific acts should not and cannot cancel out the good work many 
volunteers do. Such horrific acts should not happen but still do. We 
need to protect as many as we can and give everyone the opportunity to 
be their best. Fuck the disgusting abusive bastards for all of their 
harm. Do what you can to make life better in some way for everyone you 
can.