are sitting at their computers, slack-jawed, reading this:
The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. 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. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.
I've heard and read a lot of commentary on this today. Some questions people are asking: Who's going to pay for this? How will they enforce it in schools? What about private schools? What about homeschoolers? What would be considered "community" service?
Here's my prediction for schools: first public schools will have to hire a volunteer coordinator to drum up work for the students. I am not sure how they'll get private schools into it, but maybe through the accreditation organizations (I am not sure of the right term for that): no accreditation unless you hire a volunteer coordinator and find some ways to put the kids to work. Oh, I am pretty sure that anything related to a church will be verboten. Maybe not right away, but, eventually someone will complain that that violates something. Or maybe they'll force Christian and Jewish kids to go "serve" at a Mosque - mandatory volunteerism and cultural reeducation in one fell swoop! Pro-life kids at an abortion clinic. Etc.
Anyway, then the homeschoolers. At some point we will need to be reined in. (I can't believe I had originally typed in "reigned" instead. While I was washing dishes and singing Johnny Rivers songs in my head, the error popped into my brain. Weird.) They could just criminalize it, but I don't think that'll happen, at least not for a while. I think eventually there will be a federal homeschool law with lots and lots of regulations. Oh, the Dept of Education will love getting their hands on us, won't they?
I also wonder how many Obama voters are wondering why they hadn't heard about all this before. But of course we know why, don't we?
UPDATE! The change.gov site was changed today. If you look at the paragraph I copy/pasted above, you will see that the "requirement" for middle and high schoolers is now a "goal" and there's a cash incentive too!
Lots of hope and change going on here these days!
Dr Helen and Joanne Jacobs are talking about it too.
6 comments:
We did know about this before the election, but people did not want to hear it. I think this is what the Bible refers to as having ears but not hearing. Let's make sure we all have this straight. He's going to take our money...and make us work more...for free...or else. Is this still America? I can tell you right now this is not the America my husband wore a uniform to defend.
I explained this to all those who busted my chops for my Country First vote. Love it. Just love it. But, not really.
Well, be sure your liberal friends who look at the site today (or did late yesterday) know that the terms were quietly changed. See the update.
Is that Orwell or Huxley? Really, I keep saying it but I need to reread both those books.
Hey,
I really appreciate your blog. I read it every morning and it keeps me up-to-date on the "goings on" in the political world. It saves me from having to watch all the news junk.
Thanks! :-)
I'm afraid that many Obama supporters may think this is just fine. Especially, if it's other people and other people's kids who are required to do the community service.
There is so much wrong with this I don't know where to start. Involuntary servitude, potential for brainwashing, etc. I support voluntarism and my kids and I put in more hours than what is stated here. But, with Obama's program, you can bet it will be for "approved" programs only and those approved programs will be left leaning. I wonder if fraudulently recruiting voters will count as community service.
Brumbemom, thanks for the compliment and for faithfully coming by! But... I am not exactly unbiased... :-) Or complete. Add Instapundit.com to your morning reading. :-)
Dadvocate, I am sure Boy Scouts will be on the blacklist.
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