As storm clouds of cynicism gather over a troubled economy and uncertain world, the Democratic Congress delivers a breath of fresh air: a national call to service that triples AmeriCorps and strengthens our national commitment to the common good.
HR1388, renamed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which passed the House last week and the Senate the week before, will expand AmeriCorps from 75,000 positions today to 250,000 by 2017 and increase AmeriCorps education awards for college or repay student loans, create a "summer of service" program for middle and high school students, and provide education awards for volunteers 55 and older who can transfer these earned awards to a child, grandchild or foster child.
Some question the need to facilitate volunteerism when so many people are crunched for time and resources as they encounter mounting personal debt, tuition bills, job insecurity and skyrocketing health care costs. But this is exactly the time when America's generosity of spirit is made manifest, as people overwhelmingly support funding and assistance to nonprofits, public agencies, community and faith-based organizations that want to hire help.
The bipartisan Congressional support for this cornerstone of the Democratic agenda is an encouraging sign that solutions are possible -- and that not all politics are polarized. When President Obama signs the bill this week, he will officially usher in a new era of responsibility, where Americans are willing to foster a culture of service. Now that is the change we voted for.
And even better, if we say that the congress, which is going along with the Wall Street bailouts, is failing the US, then we are being cynical.
The Democratic party is standing by as Obama transfers really all of our wealth to Wall Street and we are supposed to support that?! That's crasy.
But that is the state of the American left. We are acting like the GOP, just follow the leader, just be happy our guy won, just be happy!
That attitude is what ruins nations. We need to oppose every Democratic rep who is enabling Obama to bleed this nation. We need to start taking resumes for Obama's replacement. At this point the theft is so clear that we need to use the up-coming congressional elections to change congress into one that will challenge Mr Geithner and Mr Summers who are robbing the nation for their Wall Street masters.
As we said during the Bush years "Wake up Sheeple!"
Being forced to work for the federal government is in no way volunteerism, it is conscription.
Enquiring minds want to know.
Here is the 13th amendment to the constitution:
"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. "
Conscription is involuntary and it is a state of servitude. Being forced to attend and participate in a school is also involuntary and a state of servitude. Both are unconstitutional. The draft has been forced through on numerous occasions, but many laws are broken over and over again, that does not change their illegality. No one is forced to go to a government operated school. They can be home schooled or even not go to school (even though few people let their children choose to not go to school). Add on top of that this "summer of service" which doesn't even have the (insufficient) pretext of education. It is just forced servitude doing whatever the federal government demands of people. Great if you're the one holding the chains and the whip, that's free labor for you! Not so great if you believe in the rule of law and value liberty.
"Here’s how it would work. Young people will know that between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, the nation will enlist them for three months of civilian service. They’ll be asked to report for three months of basic civil defense training in their state or community" - Rahm Emanuel, Chief of Staff
"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. " - change.gov (removed in November)
Some times it is hard to separate what these politicians are openly advocating from what they sneak into 200 page bills that require you to read an additional 1000 pages of existing law to understand.