UPDATE: Compulsory Civil Service in the Obama Administration
November 9, 2008 at 4:01 pm
by: Allison Bricker
President-Elect Obama’s transition website “change.gov”1 has now retracted and revised the page regarding mandatory civil service for American youth. The original page at the time of my initial post stated the following:
“Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year,”
However after quickly receiving mass criticism all over the blogosphere the website has altered the copy to read:
Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free.
Yes fellow readers, the Obama Administration is already trying to cover and spin their true intent by removing the word ‘require’ and thus replacing it with a $4,000.00 Dollar bribe. Regardless, we as Americans were given a brief insight to the true nature of this statist’s definition of “CHANGE”.
Mark my words fellow readers, neither King Obama, Rahm Emanuel, nor their “Civilian National Security Force” will get their hands on our two boys, so as to indoctrinate them into the centralized state’s definition of “community service”. Teaching our boys a sense of responsibility is our job, not the nanny state’s. The federal government has already demonstrated its inability to educate the public through their state run government schools; we will not be fooled again.
Finally, let us not forget the “Obama Youth - Junior Fraternity Regiment” video that made its way around YouTube featuring a group of brainwashed students conducted at the request of a Kansas City middle-school teacher. The students march in military garb chanting “Alpha-Omega” and “Yes we can”. History has shown that such blind allegiance is both dangerous and destructive to liberty.
Source(s):1http://change.gov/americaserves/
November 9th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Scary video. There has been a quasi-fascistic tendency in a lot of African-American education programs since the 1980s, it seems to me–perhaps in reaction to law enforcement’s failure to protect predominately black communities and the education system’s wholesale abandonment of young black males … perhaps it’s the quasi-military uniforms, suggesting a kind of caricature of discipline. Do you really think Obama has such a secret plan still? Isn’t it possible that he’s actually “changed” his plan in response to the blogosphere’s protests? It would be terrible, of course, if he plans to secretly indoctrinate children to some form of nationalist authoritarianism anyway–on the other hand, when I was a kid, I remember my mother working herself into a near frenzy over JFK’s plan to bodily remove children from their parents and raise them on distant compounds. Now I have no idea where my mother picked up that idea–I can’t say that I ever found out that it was ever in JFK’s game plan. A kind of conscripted Peace Corps does strike me as a really bad idea, but doesn’t it seem just as likely that Obama and his camp are backing off from their original wording because they’re listening to the concerns of parents? In that case, this would be pretty good news, wouldn’t it? Of course, if there’s reason to believe the plan as originally stated is “go” despite the changed wording, I’d like to hear it–I’d be most concerned.
November 9th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Joe, as always your analysis most certainly does not allow for those with a weak intelect. =)
My personal opinion is that a leopard does not change his spots.
Moreover, his record and public statements suggest that he believes it is appropriate for government to dictate behavior via legal coercion. Whether it be the environment, healthcare, or his vision for community service. It is difficult for me to believe that some harsh criticism in the blogosphere would suddenly change his internal philosophy.
Personally, I think, President-Elect Obama does not want a controversy of this magnitude prior to his inauguration.
Further, just like when the Bush Administration’s Rumsfeld and Wofowitz let it slip that they believed it appropriate to put out “false” information regarding the war, in order to confuse our “enemies”, this story will disappear for the time being.
And just like the “Office of MisInformation” still existed via the “Pentagon Advisor Scandal” as reported by the New York Times, so too will this mandatory civil service program. Perhaps it will be incrementalized, tucked into some other appropriations bill, or renamed altogether. History proves that sunset rarely ever finds a government program.
If I am wrong however, I will be the first to apologize, until then, I remain wholly suspect of his “Change” of heart.
November 11th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Come on now. People all over this nation sound like a bunch of Chicken Little’s crying that the sky is falling. This plan of serving our own communities would be greatly accepted if it was the McCain campaign that offered the idea. It is common decency, and unselfishness to participate in the ownership of our nation. What is wrong with our selfish children learning to “give back?” With the exception of very few parents nowdays…..(Some who have done a tremendous job raising their children) We as a nation have failed our youth. “Parenting” is not being done by the masses. We are busy trying to bail out our little precious charges when they get in trouble, and we allow THEM to tell US what rules they want to follow. They are so focused on ME ME ME, that they need to look outside of themselves to learn how to GIVE and not just TAKE. I am all for my children and grandchildren learning to volunteer in their communities. This will also call on parents to tow the line. Wake up AMERICA!! We are selfish and this needs to STOP!
November 12th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Lynn, you are sadly mistaken if you think that people would embrace such a plan under a McCain Administration. The liberals would be crying “fascism.” But, seeing as you have bought into this plan hook, line, and sinker based on the presumed “good intentions” of giving back to the community, you are completely missing the point.
Of course it is decent and unselfish to, as you say, “give back”, and certainly the lives of people all over the globe are the better for it. Americans, for as selfish as you make them out to be, have been afforded the luxury to be more generous than any other country. Who do you think has been rebuilding New Orleans and helping restore the lives of Katrina victims? It certainly is not the government, it is individuals, American citizens. In the area that I live, several communities were hit horrendously with floodwater a few months back. It was not FEMA there to save the day with shelter and food and clothing and cleanup. It was the people and businesses of the community doing all they could to help those in need.
I witness at least one act of human compassion and common decency every day. But far beyond that, the point is that the government is already far too involved in the decision making of a household, as well as the parenting of our youth. Do you understand that mandating an American citizen to sign a portion of their life to the powers that be is a another gigantic leap away from a person’s pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness, their freedom to make choices for themselves?
And, bad parenting is no way to excuse such a mandate. In fact, the worst way to solve bad parenting would be to enable it, which seems to be what you’re calling for. A fine example of what happens when the state takes over our youth is the foster care system.
For every selfish one, I’ll find a giving one. To serve the community and give back is a wonderful way to be fulfilled while helping others, but you ought to start with your own children, and I’ll start with mine. The best results will always come from those who seek that path on their own. No government interference necessary.