What Can You Do For Your Country?

Barack Obama has the answer to that question. It seems that the new president wants everyone to volunteer their time in service to this country. Obama believes we should all take 2 weeks off work and spend some time working with groups like Habitat for Humanity or Americorps or another organization that appeals to us. I'm not suggesting these aren't wonderful groups where you can volunteer your time helping others. This is not about them. This is about a very real piece of legislation that's coming, possibly by Sept. 11, 2009. Obama wants us to "voluntarily" serve for 2 weeks a year, except for the 18-24 year olds, which would likely serve a full year. The plan's strategy indicates that volunteer service would begin as early as kindergarten and continue through college, with credits to students based on time served. Obama's also going to enable more Americans to join the armed forces. I'd really like to know how he's going to do that since joining the army, or any armed forces unit, is already voluntary and fairly simple. You run down to the local recruitment office and sign up. As long as you have a diploma or GED, there shouldn't be a problem. The recruitment centers will even put your enlistment papers on hold and wait for you to pass the GED class, if you need to take it. How much easier could it get? Well, I guess since you're already going to serve your country in some capacity, you might as well serve in the military, right? It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the draft come back soon after this Serve America Act gets passed. I say the end of this year or early next year.

The word 'service' gets used quite a bit on the Be the Change website but why would it be necessary for Congress to vote on something that's voluntary? Aside from changing MLK's birthday to National Service Day, Obama plans to offer tax incentives to employers that give 'volunteers' the time off with pay. Now you can be pressured by your boss to 'volunteer' so the company gets a nice tax credit. Won't that be fun? But wait, that's not all! You're retired and enjoying your life of leisure; gardening, playing golf, and traveling. Well, I hate to break it to you but you're not exempt from this service plan either. Obama thinks you'll do nicely mentoring to young minds that can benefit from your experience and wisdom. And because he thinks so much of our senior citizens, he's going to offer 'enhanced' incentives for a year's service and even establish an Encore Fellowship for those that would like to serve longer. Isn't that great? Now you'll be able to serve from kindergarten and all during your retirement. No worries about getting bored and not knowing what to do with yourself. Thank you, President Obama!

It all sounds good, in theory, but I have my reservations about it all. The cynic in me feels like this has been done before and it didn't work out so well for the Germans then either. Check out Service Nation and Be the Change for yourself. Read all about it and draw your own conclusions. Mine are based on the fact that I don't trust a politician as far as I can throw one.

Links for more info on Service Nation and Be the Change:

www.barackobama.com download the .pdf entitled: National Service Plan Fact Sheet

www.bethechangeinc.org

http://s3.amazonaws.com/btcreal/816/ServiceNation_Policy_Doc_Exec_Sum.pdf

http://s3.amazonaws.com/btcreal/856/SERVICENATION_POLICY_BOOK.pdf

Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report:
http://philanthropy.com/giveandtake/article/867/stephen-colbert-signs-declaration-of-servicesort-of be sure to watch the video from Comedy Central at the bottom of the page

My Inaugural Post

In two short days, Barack Obama will do something no other black person, male or female, has ever done in this country's history. He will become the first black President of the United States. I'm ambivalent about it since I don't like politicians in general; however, I'd like to see Obama make a good showing. Not only is he going to represent the black people of this nation but now, he's going to represent me as well – a single, middle class, white woman. I sincerely hope that this man puts forth a face and a character that represents me and my idea of what this country should stand for. I want to be proud to be an American again because I’m not proud of the torture, humiliation and abuse of fellow human beings – regardless of their crimes – that has been done under the cloak of patriotism and in the name of the United States of America for the last 8 years. That was not me and those were not my principles being represented. Now maybe there’s a chance for the world to see the real me. So, how hard can it be? I want the world to see that I’m intelligent, compassionate, tolerant, giving, firm when necessary, hard if I have to be but fair; a wise and worthy leader and smart enough to know that I can’t do it without the help of good people to advise me. I believe I could live with that. I could hold my head up again and be proud.