Carrot or Stick?
November 6, 2008
President-elect 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.” Require? Or what? They won’t graduate? Seriously? Some students need all of their time to study. Some need it to study and to work.
Can you imagine the bureaucracy necessary to administer this “volunteer” plan?
h/t quercus albus at LGF links
Update November 7…Change:
Note – the word “require” is now gone…and a college tuition incentive has been added – carrot.
h/t sweetness-light
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I wonder what will be considered “community service” exactly…
I registered my doubts about this plan here</a.
Amendment XIII
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime
whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Oh, it will be couched in terms of “If you want X, then you have to give (or do) Y.”
Want to graduate middle school or high school? You have to serve.
Want money for college? You have to serve.
Want to get a driver’s license, use the library, get your Social Security check? Show your certificate of service completed.
Those last examples may be extreme…but not impossible. He’s definitely on retirees to “serve.”
And then there’s always the “America” card to play: “When you choose[?] to serve…you are connected to that fundamental American ideal…”
If you choose to not serve, you’re unAmerican.
Unity…or else.
it’s only four years…it’s only four years…