USD College Republicans
- All
- Climate Change/Global Warming
- Affirmative Action
- Freedom
- Medicare
- No Child Left Behind
- Economics
- Media
- Taxes
- Ridiculous!
- Trade
- Democrats
- Telecom
- The Courts
- Neo-conservatism
- Presidential Race 2008
- Libertarianism
- Earmarks
- Student Government Association
- Congress
- University of South Dakota
- State and Local Politics
- General
- Republicans
- Grassroots conservatism
- Iraq
- Education
- USD Political Science League
- Afghanistan
- SCHIP
- Subsidies
- Spending
- Health Care
- Social Security
- Africa
- Labor unions
- Political Philosophy
- Hyperion Oil Refinery at Elk Point
- Foreign Policy
- War on Terror
Dems Prez off the mark
In response to my column last week, USD Democrats President, Brittany Neiles wrote a letter to the Volante editor. An Obama supporter, she was off-the-mark.
Her primary argument is that government-forced civil service, like USD's IDEA program and other programs, are already established in citizens' lives. Therefore, expanding them is acceptable.
But this assumes that those initial plans are acceptable. They are not. No kind of government-forced community service is acceptable. In a truly free country, citizens have the right to decide whether or not they want to serve.
Obama's plan would not only force us to serve, but it would tell us how to serve. We would no longer be able to work in ID Weeks or as a Tech Fellow for student work. Instead, we would be forced to work in a soup kitchen, pick up trash, or any number of community service positions.
A secondary assumption Neiles makes is that the actual work the government forces us to do is good work. By forcing us to do its bidding, the government is telling us what is important. For instance, if I value saving the environment, but am forced to work in a soup kitchen, my passion and knowledge about the environment is wasted. It wouldn't have been if I had the right to serve if/how I wanted.
The Democrats often say that the US cannot force democracy on nations like Iraq, because they didn't fight for, and earn, it. If fighting for, and earning, something is required to appreciate it, then it must be true that government-forced service does not instill any values into citizens.
Obama's plan is still a gross infringement on our freedoms.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 09:29AM Sep 17, 2008 by College Republicans in Presidential Race 2008 | Comments[1]
First, you do not HAVE to do the national service program under Obama's Plan. If you do, you will get a $4,000 tax credit. You have free will to do it or not. This just provides another option to students.
Second, you cannot be serious that you honestly believe this program would end very successful programs like work-study (which ID weeks would fall under). Work-study provides good work experience. The Obama plan just adds another option for students.
Third, you have no idea that the government actually tells you where you will have to volunteer. That is no where in the plan and he never says it. Additionally, why would a former community organizer want to force people to do something they don't like? He knows that it only works when you are truly impassioned about it.
If you would just fact check your dubious libertarian assumptions about Obama's govt. programs before writing whatever thoughts you have in your head, my day would be much more enjoyable.
Posted by Its called research! on September 17, 2008 at 01:28 PM CDT #