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Compulsory Service
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http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg8-2008jul08,0,368008.column

Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.  I have heard compulsory service bantered around for many years.  There is no doubt in my mind that Mormons are much more humanistic, have a much broader view on the world, and are more charitable because of the widespread practice of dedicating 2 years of their lives to serve missions, plus the myriad other services and financial charities that are common. 

At a recent speech, Obama said he would work to require all those attending college or middle and high schools to be compelled to do 50-100 hours of service a year.  The enforcement would come from withholding funds to colleges that refuse.  According to the article, this is not restricted to Obama, but has been bantered around by McCain and many other republican and democratic politicians, too.  I've personally heard it discussed on talk radio. 

Do you think that a compulsory military or other service oriented endeavors would be benificial to the USA? 

My biggest objection comes from the Constitution, 13th ammendment.  

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.



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LoudmouthMormon


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I think I've become a fan of the "Starship Troopers" book, where anyone can be a resident, but if you want to be a voting citizen, then you go do a term of service. Your choice.

I'm under no delusion that such a state of affairs will actually exist any time soon, but hey, we're just playing what if here, yes?

LM

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hiccups


Future Queen in Zion

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This is what comes of federalizing the education system, I think.

I see some big issues with this for some different reasons. (Outside the 13th ammendment issue.) As a government program, service related to religion in any way would be discounted. When I think of the youth who do community service now without being compelled much of it is through their religion. Mandatory non-religious service might turn youth away from doing as much active service within their church. That strikes me as a bad thing. IMO, our society needs more religious devotion, not less.

Also, being forced to do community service, makes it not charitable in my book. Youth aren't going to learn the same lessons they could if they simply did service because they want to help. If I have to, it's got very little chance of coming from that place of love where those lessons of service are learned.

As far as the 13th Ammendment issue, I'm not sure that's an issue for colleges. Because colleges themselves are optional (and many are private, even if they do receive federal funding as well.) I still don't think it's a good idea, but I think it wouldn't be very hard to structure it in such a way that it wouldn't conflict with the 13th Ammendment.

Interestingly, some high schools already effectively have something like this in place. They have a required civics type course where a passing grade requires a certain number of hours of community service.

-- Edited by hiccups at 12:01, 2008-07-08

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