With Senator Kennedy at his side, President Obama signed the National Service Bill into law. This $5.7 billion program will triple the size of AmeriCorps from 75,000 enrollees to 250,000 over the next several years. "What this legislation does, then, is to help harness this patriotism and connect deeds to needs," said President Obama.
While I applaud this effort I don't think it goes far enough. I'm a firm believer in the need for mandatory public service. The United States is suffering from a lack of patriotism and a sense of entitlement. The baby boomer generation has fostered a sense of self indulgence that has shifted the focus away from serving a cause greater then oneself. Beginning in the 1960's, some Americans have changed the definition of patriotism and have succeeded in placing protest and rebellion on a moral standing equal to military and public service. This needs to change and President Obama has the political capital to make it happen. We need to make public service mandatory for all American youth. This obligation should require two years of service before the age of 25. This service could be performed in the Military, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps or other structured programs that could be created to help rebuild Urban America. This would require a substantial commitment in terms of funding, but this is the kind of program that I believe most taxpayers would be willing to pay. Having volunteered myself for a deployment in support of Operation Iraq Freedom, I can tell you that there is no greater feeling than to wear the uniform for our country and serve others. It helped put my life into perspective in ways that would not have been possible otherwise. I would not ask others to do something that I would not be willing to do myself. We are suffering from a fatherless generation in Urban America and so many of our young men have no role model or father figure to provide structure and discipline. Mother's are having to take on both roles and its just not working. Public service could instill a sense of pride, patriotism and discipline that could transform the lives of many of our youth. This mandatory service would be required irrespective of socio-economic status. The rich and poor, black and white would all be required to serve a greater cause. President Obama , that is the kind of transformation that I could believe in!
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