Mandatory Service for Young Adults

Absolutely. And I still think in-country mandatory service (with no education award) is a fantastic idea.

I don't view service as a type of punishment or something that should be a last resort. It's an investment in the country, first of all. We, as citizens, *should* want to do something.

I'm aware that there are lots of people who don't want to work. My point is that, since there ARE, currently, lots of volunteer programs in existence -- alll of which provide some kind of service and many times offer financial/educational assistsance -- and people don't take advantage, that points to the fact that those people are not the kinds who I'd want working *for* me in my community.

 

KJIM, I disagree with mandatory service. Not because our country doesn't deserve everyone's contribution. Not because we couldn't use a larger "talent pool."

It's because not everyone in our society is suited for service. This requires a modicum of discipline that some 18-25s have ... and some do not.

My father was a retired liutenant colonel in the Air Force. My older brother was the chief officer on Air Force One. And when I gave some thought to military service as an 18-year-old, my father said to me, "The military can make you or break you. In your case, it might break you."

I take that to heart. It's not for everyone, and not everyone would bring something to the table.

 

And the tax dollars to do this will come from where?

 

Oh, God, I absolutely do NOT mean military service. But I feel everyone has a talent that can be of use.

 

As I posted on the first page, a small increase in efficiency in other departments would be enough to fund the program. And the colleges chip in partial tuitions as a condition of their charters - with the understanding that they get a proportional tax write-off for doing so.

Or maybe we pay for it with the money we save by building fewer prisons.

As to whether or not it's possible to favor that which is mandatory in American life, there are already plenty of mandatory moments for us all, including taxes. I'm not sure why there should be any difference here philosophically.

Whether or not we make military service mandatory is to me a completely separate issue. I'm the one proposing a mandatory CCC.

 

Been watching the news at all since, oh, about Jan. 21, 2009?

 

Taxes aren't mandatory?

 

Didn't it take a Constitutional Amendment to introduce the Federal Income Tax?

 

16th amendment.

 

Save us, Pipe Dreams!

 

So, unless you're proposing a Constitutional Amendment, comparing mandatory service with the income tax doesn't make sense.

I'm not against service. We were required to do it in order to graduate from (private/Catholic) high school.

But, even putting the logistics and costs aside, a Federally mandated service program is not something I would support, and I don't think it would be legal.

 

Legal issues aside, why wouldn't you support it?