Was This Cub Scout Kicked Out of His Den for Asking Tough Questions About Gun Control?

Lori Mayfield

When 11-year-old Ames Mayfield received the opportunity to meet Colorado state senator Vicki Marble, the boy took full advantage of his opportunity.

Agree or disagree with Ames' point of view, we'd say it's pretty darn impressive that such a young child would be so well-versed on what's happening in the world right now and have the confidence to question a political leader in such a way. You can even hear Marble and the other adults in attendance praising Ames in the video.

But apparently not everyone was happy about his questions.

The boy's Cub Scouts den leader reportedly deemed them "too political," according to Ames' mother, Lori, who says Ames was kicked out of the den for asking them.

(According to The Washington Post, which covered the story, "the Scouts did not explicitly say he was kicked out of the den." But the paper wrote that both the Post and a local Colorado news station were given a statement by the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts saying "only that he remains a member of the larger pack, and that the organization is working with the family to offer him options that will 'allow him to continue his Scouting experience in a way that fits his and his family’s needs.'")

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"After the second reporter left last night, my son hugged me and said, 'Mom, I’m proud of us, but I’m ready to forget and forgive and move on.' And I said, 'Me too. It’s time we get back to our normal lives again,'" Lori, told Parents.com. "We do not hold any grudges and know the pack leader surely felt very torn. We liked so many of the families in that pack and one of my son’s best friends was in the pack but in a grade level under my son’s den (not there that evening). So sadly my son won’t get to do all the activities he worked hard for at his popcorn sales (selling $2750, the most in his pack). The big activity was that he had earned enough for us to join the old pack for a weekend at Wolf Lodge. My son is bummed we won’t get to do that."

The good news? According to Lori, the Cub Scouts pack from the family's church has accepted Ames into their den.

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Ames touched on a tough, polarizing issue with his questions, and we see why the adults in attendance may have felt unprepared for them. But we think this sends the wrong message to kids. They should be praised, not punished, for asking tough questions, exhibiting curiosity and standing by their beliefs, as we see it.

"So many people have reached out with kind words of support, even a former Eagle Scout, who emailed to say while we don’t share the same political views he applauded my son and he was right to take a stand for what he believed in," Lori said. "After all, the chapter for the assignment he was given in the Webelos handbook was, Building a Better World. And that’s what his questions aimed to do."