- Update 3/27/09 - RedState dissects the legislation: National Service - Soviet Style
- Update - Michelle Malkin posted an article on the GIVE Act (“Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act”) and was later interviewed today (video) by Glen Beck.
(Original Post) - This DC Examiner editorial really scares me! In truth, it's not the editorial that scares me, but the legislation with all its authoritarian vibes that it exposes! Talk about a threat to liberty! Here's the Examiner's editorial (my emphases):
With almost no public attention, both chambers of Congress in the past
week advanced an alarming 
expansion of the Americorps national service
plan, with the number of federally funded community service job
increasing from 75,000 to 250,000 at a cost of $5.7 billion. Lurking
behind the feel-good rhetoric spouted by the measure’s advocates is a
bill that on closer inspection reveals multiple provisions that
together create a strong odor of creepy authoritarianism. The House
passed the measure overwhelmingly, while only 14 senators had the sense
and courage to vote against it on a key procedural motion. Every
legislator who either voted for this bill or didn’t vote at all has
some serious explaining to do.
Last
summer, then-candidate Barack Obama threw civil liberties to the wind
when he proposed “a civilian national security force that’s just as
powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded” as the regular military.
The expanded Americorps is not quite so disturbing, but a number of
provisions in the bill raise serious concerns.
To begin
with, the legislation threatens the voluntary nature of Americorps by
calling for consideration of “a workable, fair, and reasonable
mandatory service requirement for all able young people.” It
anticipates the possibility of requiring “all individuals in the United
States” to perform such service – including elementary school students.
The bill also summons up unsettling memories of World War II-era
paramilitary groups by saying the new program should “combine the best
practices of civilian service with the best aspects of military
service,” while establishing “campuses” that serve as “operational
headquarters,” complete with “superintendents” and “uniforms” for all
participants. It allows for the elimination of all age restrictions in
order to involve Americans at all stages of life. And it calls for
creation of “a permanent cadre” in a “National Community Civilian
Corps.”
But
that’s not all. The bill also calls for “youth engagement zones” in
which “service learning” is “a mandatory part of the curriculum in all
of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency.” This
updated form of voluntary community service is also to be “integrated
into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics curricula” at
all levels of schooling. Sounds like a government curriculum for
government approved “service learning,” which is nothing less than
indoctrination. Now, ask yourself if congressmen who voted for this
monstrosity had a clue what they were voting for. If not, they’re
guilty of dereliction of duty. If yes, the implications are truly
frightening.
Me: This bill portends very difficult days ahead. Liberty? Is it becoming a thing of the past?