Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Give Until It Hurts

Stop me if you read this one. THE GIVE ACT (H.R. 1388. You probably haven't and neither have most of the Congress I suspect. This initiative was one of Obama's main talking points during the campaign so I guess I can't call him on this one.
This act sounds OK I guess, you know, kids volunteering in service to America, you know, giving back. This bill whisked through the House and is now being fast-tracked through the Senate.

What wasn't advertised during the campaign was the real agenda hidden in the small print.
For example, the House version of the bill, in Section 6104, directs a committee to study: "The effect on the Nation, on those who serve, and on the families of those who serve, if all individuals in the United States were expected to perform national service or were required to perform a certain amount of national service. (6) Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds." Actually this part was taken out of the original bill and resubmitted under a separate bill H.R. 1444. There is also language in the House bill (Section 115) which requires private schools to include their students in these programs and requires private school teachers to take training so that they can "carry out the objectives" of the bill.

In California, homeschoolers are registered as private schools which might mean that even those who opt out of the school system could not opt out of this requirement.

If this act is really voluntary what is the need for a study on the advantages of making it mandatory? Also what is the need to make sure private schools and homeschoolers are forced to participate in this?

I wonder if they provide the Brown Shirts and Armbands or do you have to provide your own?
Who would have thought that the first black president would advocate slavery?

No comments: