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CLOSE TO HOME: How can volunteerism in America be 'mandatory'? (Op-Ed on HR 1388)
The Press Democrat ^ | March 25, 2009 | Ann Jordan

Posted on 03/25/2009 12:15:13 PM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert

My parents taught me to read every word of any contract I signed. Obviously Congress doesn't follow that rule.

Already we have Congress' frantic backlash from the AIG bonuses, which were in fact authorized by specific language buried deep in the stimulus bill that gave AIG its handout.

Now we have more dynamite buried in the GIVE Act (H.R. 1388), already passed in a whirlwind by the House and being fast-tracked in the Senate. The GIVE Act reauthorizes the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, and also includes many more new programs encouraging Americans to volunteer and "give back" to their country. Who could object to this?

Yet, there are disturbing clauses which could change the institutions of this country in unprecedented ways. For example, the House version of the bill, in Section 6104, directs a committee to study: "The effect on the Nation, on those who serve, and on the families of those who serve, if all individuals in the United States were expected to perform national service or were required to perform a certain amount of national service. (6) Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds."

Shall we and our children then be "required" to perform national service? How can that requirement be "mandatory?"

It is one thing for schools to require community service, as many do now, since students have the option to attend another school or to home school. However, if enacted on a national level, such "mandatory service" is no longer voluntary, but in fact would be either conscription or involuntary servitude.

Service which is not freely given from the heart is no longer service but an imposition by an exterior force -- in this case, our government.

There is also language in the House bill (Section 115) which requires private schools to include their students in these programs and requires private school teachers to take training so that they can "carry out the objectives" of the bill.

In California, homeschoolers are registered as private schools which might mean that even those who opt out of the school system could not opt out of this requirement.

We must cease casually passing bills which no one has read. It has already cost us more money than most of us can conceive of. But it could be worse. It could cost us our freedoms.

I urge you to read H.R. 1388 for yourself, and contact your Congressional representatives.


TOPICS: Education; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 111th; 13thamendment; acorn; agenda; barackobama; bho2009; bho44; bhofascism; bhomarxism; charity; civiliandraft; communism; communityorganizer; congress; cw2; cwii; democratcongress; democraticsocialists; democrats; education; fascism; first100days; give; giveact; government; hr1388; impeachobama; labor; leftwing; mandatory; marxism; nationalservice; neomarxism; obama; obamabrownshirts; obamacontrol; obamanation; obamapower; obamapowergrab; ofa; organizingforamerica; publicserviceacademy; s277; serve; serveamerica; serveamericaact; service; servitude; slavery; socialism; sorocrats; unconstitutional; volunteer; volunteerism
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1 posted on 03/25/2009 12:15:13 PM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert
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To: joygrace

This appeared in our local rag. Thought you might find it of interest.


2 posted on 03/25/2009 12:16:28 PM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert (Q: How many Obamas does it take to change a light bulb? A: THAT'S NOT FUNNY!)
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert

It’s Orwellian Newspeak, of course. The essay at the end of Orwell’s “1984” makes everything clear.


3 posted on 03/25/2009 12:18:00 PM PDT by devere
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert

Nobody believes me when I tell them about this bill.


4 posted on 03/25/2009 12:19:33 PM PDT by LongElegantLegs (Militant fecundity personified.)
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To: LongElegantLegs

Thewy will find out for themselves soon enough.


5 posted on 03/25/2009 12:20:49 PM PDT by sport
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To: devere

You beat me to it. Yes it’s Orwellian. We’re going to have mandatory volunteerism. Of course, makes perfect sense.


6 posted on 03/25/2009 12:21:40 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert

If this were to be passed (which I don’t think will happen), it will soon be challenged in the Supreme Court and the Feds would lose.


7 posted on 03/25/2009 12:24:13 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert
It can't, the 13th amendment stopped slavery. Only a court can impose involuntary servitude after the conviction by jury of a crime.
Section 1. 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.

Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Note that it doesn't say that Congress can impose mandatory service on anyone they want.

Maybe the Democrats plan on blacks becoming slaves again? It wouldn't surprise me if they did.

8 posted on 03/25/2009 12:25:35 PM PDT by Tarpon (It's a common fact, one can't be liberal and rational at the same time.)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Try to think of it as a “Domestic Contingency Operation”.


9 posted on 03/25/2009 12:27:39 PM PDT by andy58-in-nh (You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.)
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To: LongElegantLegs

Me either. I teach private school and I told my students about this bill today and they left class raging mad. I have already had an adult in the office here (who had no clue about the bill) tell the students that they were blowing things way out of proportion and making stuff up. I told her, no they are not...read it yourself. She looked at me with a very skeptical look on her face.


10 posted on 03/25/2009 12:29:19 PM PDT by DrewsMum (Comcast sucks!)
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert
The bill also includes language for a National Public Service Academy (4 year-college level) set up like the current US Military Academies (ie: Annapolis, West Point, AFAA etc....)

There is rumor that the funding for the Public Service Academy (Acorn University) will be derived from the closing of one or more existing Military Academies.

Mandatory/Required volunteering of 100 hours by all High School and Middle School students.

11 posted on 03/25/2009 12:29:19 PM PDT by nevergore ("It could be that the purpose of my life is simply to serve as a warning to others.")
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert; Revolting cat!

He’s just spreadin’ the slave trade around.


12 posted on 03/25/2009 12:33:01 PM PDT by a fool in paradise ("I certainly hope he (Bush) doesnÂ’t succeed" - Democratic strategist James Carville 9-11-2001)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

“We’re going to have mandatory volunteerism. Of course, makes perfect sense.”

You already have it, it is called income taxes. Read the statement in the front of your tax book, also on you tube you can find a video of Harry Reid talking about how taxes are voluntary.


13 posted on 03/25/2009 12:33:15 PM PDT by DaiHuy (')
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To: Dilbert San Diego

It is Stalinist. George Orwell was warning of the Stalinsts he’d encountered in the West.


14 posted on 03/25/2009 12:33:35 PM PDT by a fool in paradise ("I certainly hope he (Bush) doesnÂ’t succeed" - Democratic strategist James Carville 9-11-2001)
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To: a fool in paradise

It’s called slavery.


15 posted on 03/25/2009 12:34:30 PM PDT by elk ((A Member of the Silent 58)TM)
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To: nevergore
Is that 100 hours total, 100 hours per academic year, or 100 hours per week?

This flies in the face of the 13th amendment and of American traditions of freedom in general (one of the most valuable rights is the right to be left alone), but it will all depend on what five members of the Supreme Court think...so anything is possible.

Obama's goal is to make the US like Cuba under Fidel or Red China under Mao. The New Dealers may have admired Mussolini and Stalin, but even they didn't try to impose mandatory "volunteering" on everyone.

16 posted on 03/25/2009 12:36:28 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert

I just wonder how Obama is going to get private schools and private school teachers who don’t get a dime of federal money to participate in this.

People have to let the White House, Congress, and the Senate know via fax, e-mails, phone calls, and letters that in no way will they participate in this crap.

These low lifes who voted for this want to be elected next time around. When this travesty becomes public knowledge (and it sure isn’t now) and people know what the ramifications are for themselves and their families, they will be outraged. It will become that third rail that terrifies government officials and they will do everything they can to distance themselves from it.


17 posted on 03/25/2009 12:39:39 PM PDT by goldi
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To: MEGoody

That sounds familiar.


18 posted on 03/25/2009 12:51:11 PM PDT by Durus (The People have abdicated our duties and anxiously hopes for just two things, "Bread and Circuses")
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert

I just read this to my son (13) and his response was, “Great, a black president making a bunch of white people into slaves.”


19 posted on 03/25/2009 1:43:20 PM PDT by Frogtacos (I will NOT G.I.V.E. y0u my children!!)
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert

And since when are ‘volunteers’ PAID (Clintoon’s AmeriCorp)


20 posted on 03/25/2009 2:38:26 PM PDT by Mr. K (physically unable to proofreed (<---oops))
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