Mandatory community service...
It's indistinguishable from slavery.
You must work and will not be paid. It's an abomination that people will bend over and accept with just a little glycerin...
You should serve the remainder of your life performing exactly this sort of mandatory community service just to understand the danger it represents as the requirement incrementally grows for your grandchildren and their children.
I'm not addressing mandatory community service, just the value of community service to a young person.
What we have lost in this country is a sense of community, neighbor helping neighbor.
These were values our country had from its inception and for many years following (barn raisings being one example that stands out in my mind.) I think voluntary community service helps to restore this to the community and the individual.
Obviously, my kid, being homeschooled is not required to perform community service, but I see definite positive aspects that he is acquiring from community service.