government mandated slavery

[33girl]

Originally Posted by I.A.S.K.

I think that suggesting that young people should only do community service because they want to is sending the wrong message. In life we all have to do things that we don't want to. As you grow up you realize that you cannot always do what you want and get what you want in life.

That's like an employer saying that an employee should complete detailed weekly reports because they want to and not because they want to get a promotion or a check at the end of the week. Incentive motivates people. That is the whole point behind paying college students for community service.

Your logic is faulty. Completing weekly reports on your job is something you have to do FOR YOUR JOB. Obviously if you don't do your job you don't get paid. If I do community service, my employer isn't going to reward me in any way - because it has NOTHING to do with my job. Why should a student studying theater have to volunteer at a nursing home? It has nothing to do with their career path.

Oh, and if you pay someone for it, IT'S NOT SERVICE.

Originally Posted by AlphaDeltaDelta

This is why we don't put you in charge of the military, since if the US was a volunteer only force without the GI bill, we wouldn't have nearly the number of soldiers required to "protect America's interests" around the world.

If we weren't so insistent on remaining the world's policeman that wouldn't be a problem. But that is another thread.

[AGDee]

I think we're defining service differently based on 33Girl's comment that if you pay someone, it's not service.

Military service is a type of service and they are paid. The kind of program I envisioned would be like that... service to either the military or the community in a structured way, with pay (much like Israel does).

[I.A.S.K.]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Your logic is faulty. Completing weekly reports on your job is something you have to do FOR YOUR JOB. Obviously if you don't do your job you don't get paid. If I do community service, my employer isn't going to reward me in any way - because it has NOTHING to do with my job. Why should a student studying theater have to volunteer at a nursing home? It has nothing to do with their career path.

Oh, and if you pay someone for it, IT'S NOT SERVICE.

If we weren't so insistent on remaining the world's policeman that wouldn't be a problem. But that is another thread.

I don't understand what is faulty about it. The same way that completing weekly reports is something you have to do for your job completing community service hours is something you have to do to get the $4,000. Obviously, if you don't do your service you dont get the money.
There are employers that reward employees for doing community service. I never said the two things were related. I used it as an analogy not to show correlation between the two.

A student studying theater would not necessarily have to volunteer at a nursing home. They could volunteer at a theater/performing arts based after school program for youth. Or they could volunteer to put together a play for the people at a nursing home. Or they could volunteer to put on a play with an after school program for youth and have the youth do the play for the people at the nursing home. Community service always relates to a person's career.

From Dictionary.Com:
community service

noun1. a service that is performed for the benefit of the public or its institutions
community service

n.

1. Services volunteered by individuals or an organization to benefit a community or its institutions.

It is still service even if you are paid to do it. By either definition a person who gives a service for the benefit of the community is doing community service. Even if you take the second definition which says that the person must do it voluntarily this would still be considered community service since it is not mandatory for the college students. Most community service organizations provide some type of incentive or reward for their volunteers if they can. Red Cross gives away stuff all the time. Their give aways are the same thing as this $4,000. It is a thank you for helping out.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by I.A.S.K.

A student studying theater would not necessarily have to volunteer at a nursing home. They could volunteer at a theater/performing arts based after school program for youth. Or they could volunteer to put together a play for the people at a nursing home. Or they could volunteer to put on a play with an after school program for youth and have the youth do the play for the people at the nursing home. Community service always relates to a person's career.

No, it doesn't. I was a Candy Striper in the pediatrics ward and that has NOTHING to do w/ what I'm doing now, nor did it have anything to do w/ any of my jobs ever. And I'll say the same thing about this I say about school choice - the same breadth of opportunities do not exist everywhere. The kids in the rural and poorer areas are going to have very limited options, just like with school choice.

[AKA_Monet]

33girl,

Help me understand where you are coming from, are you saying if someone is not passionate or committed to serve either in the community or military in what way ever, then they should not have to serve or be made to serve or be told to do this for any amount of money?

I am wondering, though, how else could young people consider life's options besides being out there practically nothing, expecting everything. And we are NOT talking about the kids who have legal jobs, like working in a fast food place, etc. We are talking about all those myspace/messageboard children cyberbulling an unsuspecting newbies and lying about who they really are online... We are talking about gang-bangers, car choppers, or tick-tock gun shot bang spinner wheel chair stealers... What about those kids whose only concepts about doing right by people is something like digital exams? LOL...

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

33girl,

Help me understand where you are coming from, are you saying if someone is not passionate or committed to serve either in the community or military in what way ever, then they should not have to serve or be made to serve or be told to do this for any amount of money?

Yes.