Obama issues new call for national service
Wed Jul 2, 2008 2:07pm EDT
www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0126054220080702?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10179
By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised on Wednesday to create new opportunities for national service that would give Americans a chance to fight growing challenges on issues like poverty, climate change and education.

On a trip to Colorado, which Obama hopes to turn into an election battleground in his November White House race with Republican John McCain, Obama said Americans were ready to answer a new call for national service.

"I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate -- I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States," Obama said.

"This will not be a call issued in one speech or one program -- this will be a central cause of my presidency," he said. "We will ask Americans to serve. We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve. And we will direct that service to our most pressing national challenges."

Obama, an Illinois senator, touted a package of proposals he first offered in December that would expand AmeriCorps, the domestic service agency, and double the size of the Peace Corps.

He also would offer more service opportunities to retirees and set goals for middle- and high-school students to serve 50 hours a year of public service, and for college students to serve 100 hours a year.

The speech was part of a week-long campaign focus for Obama on values and patriotism in the run-up to the Independence Day holiday on July 4.

Obama, who would be the first black president, has been dogged by Internet speculation about his patriotism and criticism from Republicans about his liberal voting record.  Continued...

"Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger."

Colorado Springs is in a conservative region of the state that is home to a military base, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the religious conservative group Focus on the Family.

Obama, who was scheduled to meet in the afternoon with military officials, renewed his call for bigger and stronger U.S. forces.

But the future of the United States does not just depend on the military, he said, "It also depends on the teacher in East L.A., the nurse in Appalachia, the after-school worker in New Orleans, the Peace Corps volunteer in Africa and the Foreign Service officer in Indonesia."

He criticized President George W. Bush for not taking advantage of a national desire to serve others shown by Americans after the September 11 attacks.

"Instead of a call to service, we were asked to go shopping," Obama said. "Instead of a call for shared sacrifice, we gave tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans in a time of war for the very first time in our history."

Obama cited his decision to become a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago after college as the kind of service that was beneficial to the community and satisfying.

"We need your service, right now, at this moment -- our moment -- in history," he said.

(Editing by David Wiessler)

Fuck you Obama!

Quoted: I'll do my part by voting against you

This fool needs to get served.

Quoted: Quoted: I'll do my part by voting against you

"Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger."

He must not have realized that we are celebrating throwing off a repressive gov.

Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger."

Truer words have never been spoken. Although, I have a feeling my definition of service to my country and yours differ slightly you commie piece of shit.

"Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger."

This is something ALL of our candidates should be saying.  Wasn't there another famous guy that once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country..."

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll do my part by voting against you

And the other party that wants me to "serve the government" as well.

Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." This is something ALL of our candidates should be saying.  Wasn't there another famous guy that once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country..."

Quoted: Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." Truer words have never been spoken. Although, I have a feeling my definition of service to my country and yours differ slightly you commie piece of shit.

+1.  I have no problem with this in theory.

But, I still think that Obama is a communist piece of garbage pandering for votes.

ETA:  The only place I see "government" mentioned is in the title of this post.  There's a difference between serving your country, and serving the "government".

Quoted: Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." This is something ALL of our candidates should be saying.  Wasn't there another famous guy that once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country..."

Call me a troll if you want.  I want ALL of our candidates to love our country.  I want ALL our candidates to want to serve Americans.  I want ALL Americans to love America, and want to make her a better place.  

It galls me that there's not a single candidate running that fits this criteria.  

All very inspriing....not.  

Where's my free gummint cheeze!?!?!?!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." This is something ALL of our candidates should be saying.  Wasn't there another famous guy that once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country..." Call me a troll if you want.  I want ALL of our candidates to love our country.  I want ALL our candidates to want to serve Americans.  I want ALL Americans to love America, and want to make her a better place.   It galls me that there's not a single candidate running that fits this criteria.

America would be a better place if people would quit asking the government for everything and for politicians to stop asking us to serve them or society.

This country was founded on the idea of individualism.  It works best when people work for their own self interests, not that of their neighbor, community, or their government.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." This is something ALL of our candidates should be saying.  Wasn't there another famous guy that once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country..." Call me a troll if you want. I want ALL of our candidates to love our country.  I want ALL our candidates to want to serve Americans.  I want ALL Americans to love America, and want to make her a better place.   It galls me that there's not a single candidate running that fits this criteria.

You're contradicting yourself.  In your second post you are saying that politicians should serve the People.  Obama is not saying that.  He is saying that the People should serve the gov't.

Why doesn't he suggest the lazy ghetto trash pull up their boot straps and help them selves......Empowering them to help themselves is much more valuable that giving them more handouts.  They have these kind of volunteer programs in my town, where people vo9lunteer to go into the bad neighborhoods to pick up garbage and litter....makes me ill to think people are to lazy to pick up their own neighborhood.

Quoted: America would be a better place if people would quit asking the government for everything and for politicians to stop asking us to serve them or society. This country was founded on the idea of individualism.  It works best when people work for their own self interests, not that of their neighbor, community, or their government.

+1000

The People serving the gov't = Communism.

Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." This is something ALL of our candidates should be saying.  Wasn't there another famous guy that once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country..."

+1

FORCED servitude, however, isnt the way to do it.  Is that what Obama wants?  Forced servitude?  Its kind of hard for me to decipher his true meaning.

The Obamamessiah will issue us cute little hats and books covered in red soon enough.
Don't forget to tell your neighborhood commisar who has made jokes about the hope or change we will experience once we're worthy.

Kharn

If this isn't a push for communism, I don't know what is.

I'm beginning to think he is the "Anti-Christ. Anybody else feel this way?
Hessian-1

Quoted: I'll do my part by voting against you

Amen Brother

I'm doing my sacred duty to vote against that windbag.

Involuntary community service is slavery.  

I hate Obama as much as the next guy, but I think you guys are reaching on this one.  Where does he specifically say people must serve the "government"?  Looks like this is a call to voluntarily serve the country (ie, your fellow citizens), not the government.

Again, in theory, I have no problem with it.  In practice, a communist like Obama would never be able to pull it off without fucking it up through big government involvement.

Quoted: Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." Truer words have never been spoken. Although, I have a feeling my definition of service to my country and yours differ slightly you commie piece of shit.

I agree.  But, as with so many other levels of society, the translation is:  "We, the officials, collect and line our pockets while you the peasants do the work for free and feel good about it."  SOme of the most selfish people in existence tell others not to be selfish.  Funny who collects.  

Quoted: Quoted: America would be a better place if people would quit asking the government for everything and for politicians to stop asking us to serve them or society. This country was founded on the idea of individualism.  It works best when people work for their own self interests, not that of their neighbor, community, or their government. +1000 The People serving the gov't = Communism.

Yep. His voting block is too stupid to understand that. Most of them are either too young to remember the evils of communism during the Cold War and the rest are a pathetic bunch of parasitic losers that are reveling in the idea that finally, finally, someone understands the plight of the lazy and drug addled.

Quoted: Involuntary community service is slavery.

!

Quoted: I hate Obama as much as the next guy, but I think you guys are reaching on this one.  Where does he specifically say people must serve the "government"?  Looks like this is a call to voluntarily serve the country (ie, your fellow citizens), not the government. Again, in theory, I have no problem with it.  In practice, a communist like Obama would never be able to pull it off without fucking it up through big government involvement.

"and set goals for middle- and high-school students to serve 50 hours a year of public service, and for college students to serve 100 hours a year."

Sounds like it right there.  Not to mention there is enough class warfare/anti capitalist rhetoric in that article to sink a ship.

Quoted: Why doesn't he suggest the lazy ghetto trash pull up their boot straps and help them selves......Empowering them to help themselves is much more valuable that giving them more handouts.  They have these kind of volunteer programs in my town, where people vo9lunteer to go into the bad neighborhoods to pick up garbage and litter....makes me ill to think people are to lazy to pick up their own neighborhood.

Why would he suggest that? That would alienate 99% of his support base!!!

Quoted: By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised on Wednesday to create new opportunities for national service that would give Americans a chance to fight growing challenges on issues like poverty, climate change and education. Fuck you Obama!

There's not a thing on that list about the national good.

There's everything on that list about forcing self-respecting, literate, self-supporting people to SERVE the ghetto scum.

Some of us folks don't have a dang thing against serving our NATION.

But I for one -- this old lady out in the sticks -- I for one do not bow down to lick the self-inflicted sores of ghetto scum.

You can imprison me, even kill me.  But you do not make me bow down.

There is still sinew upon the bones of some Americans.

Charles Stuart had his Cromwell, and I have but little doubt but that the Obamessiah may well have his.

Quoted: Quoted: I hate Obama as much as the next guy, but I think you guys are reaching on this one.  Where does he specifically say people must serve the "government"?  Looks like this is a call to voluntarily serve the country (ie, your fellow citizens), not the government. Again, in theory, I have no problem with it.  In practice, a communist like Obama would never be able to pull it off without fucking it up through big government involvement. "and set goals for middle- and high-school students to serve 50 hours a year of public service, and for college students to serve 100 hours a year." Sounds like it right there.  Not to mention there is enough class warfare/anti capitalist rhetoric in that article to sink a ship.

Most middle school and high school students currently have to do community service.  Public school attendance is virtually mandatory for most people.  

I think mandatory community service is slavery.  Community service is supposed to be voluntary in nature.  Only the willing should do it.  

I'm young enough that I was supposed to complete a community service requirement in middle school and high school.  

Luckily, I had teachers who were willing to lie on the paperwork.  So many of my classmates and myself were able to slide.  

This is how close we are to having Obama


Obama 317    McCain 221

Quoted: We will ask Americans to serve. We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve. And we will direct that service to our most pressing national challenges. Dear Senator Obama, We have these organizations in the United States called "churches" and "charities". These are organizations comprised largely of volunteers who donate their time and their own money to attempt to help out people in need. In churches, assisting the poor and the needy is a tenet of faith. I know this may come as a revelation to you since the church you went to for 20 years didn't seem to teach that, but simply spend some time in churches that actually have something to do with Christianity and you'll discover that they are working to address problems of crime, healthcare, poverty, and social decay rather than just "god damning" America.   Similarly, if you spend time looking at charities you'll discover that there are already a lot of people who care deeply about issues effecting the elderly, children, the disabled, and the poor and who have organized around a need they see to try and do something about it. You'll also find that the majority of funding for those organizations comes from donations from ordinary folks who also care enough to open their wallets to effect change. In short, Senator, there are already many millions of people in this country who are in some way working to fix the problems they see in our society. They have been doing this for a long time. They were taught from an early age by their parents that helping others was virtuous, and their parents were taught to do it by people who were already spending their days in service to others long before "Ask not what your country can do for you" came from the lips of President Kennedy. In short, Senator, America seems to be doing a pretty good job of trying to fix the problems of our society without the directive of a president. I know you've been very busy with your political career, but I'm forced to wonder if perhaps you had spent more time hanging around ordinary folks rather than race baiting "preachers", unrepentant terrorists, and similarly distasteful individuals...maybe you would already know that.

So paying taxes and voting isn't enough?



"Tell me what my orders are Comrade Obama, for the motherland."

Quoted: We will ask Americans to serve. We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve. And we will direct that service to our most pressing national challenges. Dear Senator Obama, We have these organizations in the United States called "churches" and "charities". These are organizations comprised largely of volunteers who donate their time and their own money to attempt to help out people in need. In churches, assisting the poor and the needy is a tenet of faith. I know this may come as a revelation to you since the church you went to for 20 years didn't seem to teach that, but simply spend some time in churches that actually have something to do with Christianity and you'll discover that they are working to address problems of crime, healthcare, poverty, and social decay rather than just "god damning" America.   Similarly, if you spend time looking at charities you'll discover that there are already a lot of people who care deeply about issues effecting the elderly, children, the disabled, and the poor and who have organized around a need they see to try and do something about it. You'll also find that the majority of funding for those organizations comes from donations from ordinary folks who also care enough to open their wallets to effect change. In short, Senator, there are already many millions of people in this country who are in some way working to fix the problems they see in our society. They have been doing this for a long time. They were taught from an early age by their parents that helping others was virtuous, and their parents were taught to do it by people who were already spending their days in service to others long before "Ask not what your country can do for you" came from the lips of President Kennedy. In short, Senator, America seems to be doing a pretty good job of trying to fix the problems of our society without the directive of a president. I know you've been very busy with your political career, but I'm forced to wonder if perhaps you had spent more time hanging around ordinary folks rather than race baiting "preachers", unrepentant terrorists, and similarly distasteful individuals...maybe you would already know that.

Quoted: I'll do my part by voting against you

Heheheh.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: "Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger." This is something ALL of our candidates should be saying.  Wasn't there another famous guy that once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country..." Call me a troll if you want. I want ALL of our candidates to love our country.  I want ALL our candidates to want to serve Americans.  I want ALL Americans to love America, and want to make her a better place.   It galls me that there's not a single candidate running that fits this criteria.   You're contradicting yourself.  In your second post you are saying that politicians should serve the People.  Obama is not saying that.  He is saying that the People should serve the gov't.

I don't think I'm contradicting myself.  Maybe I'm not speaking plainly what I feel, though.  

Christ, this is so hard to say...

America is the greatest country in the world.  We're all blessed to be Americans.  I, personally, feel a certain obligation to my fellow citizens to do whatever I can to help America (and all Americans) stay strong.  For my part, that means being honest, being a hard worker, not being a drag on the economy, and not taking what's not due me.  It also means little shit like not littering, and not causing forest fires... shit like that.  If I had the ability to be a politician, I would, just to do my part.  If I had the ability to be a radio or TV broadcaster, I would, just to try to keep things honest.  

I can't do any of those things.  Just because I can't, though, doesn't mean that nobody else can.  Some people are born politicians.  Obama, Clinton... born politicians.  Bush... not so much, but what can you do?  My opinion is that anybody that sets himself up to take a leadership role owes America (and all Americans) things like honesty, integrity, loyalty... Things we haven't seen in a leader since the days of Teddy Roosevelt.

I agree with the statement Obama made, as it stands.  I disagree wholeheartedly with the hidden meanings and agenda that stands behind it.  That's why I made my original post.  That IS something all politicians should be saying, and they should mean it when they say it.  Of course, life should be all rainbows and puppydogs, too.

Quoted: I'll do my part by voting against you

Twice.  Its the Democrat way.  

"Loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July," he said. "Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger."

While I do agree with this, this guy is an asshat.  He wants all college students to do 100 hours of community service?  I don't have time for that shit, and I don't think most students do.  Between working 60+ hours a week to pay for school, and giving up almost all of my free time to school work, my free time is a precious commodity.  

Maybe we could have all welfare recipients, people on assisted housing, and people being put on "disability" because they are morbidly obese to work doing all of this community service as a way to pay back society for the strain they put on it.  

Quoted: I agree with the statement Obama made, as it stands.  I disagree wholeheartedly with the hidden meanings and agenda that stands behind it.  That's why I made my original post.  That IS something all politicians should be saying, and they should mean it when they say it.  Of course, life should be all rainbows and puppydogs, too.

Let's shuck this right on down to the cob.

Just why the hell should somebody like me be forced to "serve" other people who just plain choose to not take care of themselves?

Remember get used to a lower standard of living. The Democrats and environmentalist as working very hard toward that end.

Quoted: Quoted: We will ask Americans to serve. We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve. And we will direct that service to our most pressing national challenges. Dear Senator Obama, We have these organizations in the United States called "churches" and "charities". These are organizations comprised largely of volunteers who donate their time and their own money to attempt to help out people in need. In churches, assisting the poor and the needy is a tenet of faith. I know this may come as a revelation to you since the church you went to for 20 years didn't seem to teach that, but simply spend some time in churches that actually have something to do with Christianity and you'll discover that they are working to address problems of crime, healthcare, poverty, and social decay rather than just "god damning" America.   Similarly, if you spend time looking at charities you'll discover that there are already a lot of people who care deeply about issues effecting the elderly, children, the disabled, and the poor and who have organized around a need they see to try and do something about it. You'll also find that the majority of funding for those organizations comes from donations from ordinary folks who also care enough to open their wallets to effect change. In short, Senator, there are already many millions of people in this country who are in some way working to fix the problems they see in our society. They have been doing this for a long time. They were taught from an early age by their parents that helping others was virtuous, and their parents were taught to do it by people who were already spending their days in service to others long before "Ask not what your country can do for you" came from the lips of President Kennedy. In short, Senator, America seems to be doing a pretty good job of trying to fix the problems of our society without the directive of a president. I know you've been very busy with your political career, but I'm forced to wonder if perhaps you had spent more time hanging around ordinary folks rather than race baiting "preachers", unrepentant terrorists, and similarly distasteful individuals...maybe you would already know that.

That picture got a chuckle from me.

on opposite day-

Smart move on his part. Most of his voters are going to be thinking "yay, government jobs" We all know who is going to get hiring preference in his government jobs.

whitey need not apply

McCain believes this too.

I got drafted in 1969.  I am not a believer in mandatory service.

Quoted: Quoted: So paying taxes and voting isn't enough? No, it isn't. The founders never intended the ballot box and the taxpayers to be the solution to all of society's problems. ...of course, given the direction government has taken in the last 80 years and given where people like Senator Obama want to take it you would never know that, but it's the truth.

Agreed. I was speaking as your avg John Q. American that does nothing but the very least (if that).

quick story/example:
I am a firm believer in getting involved in your community, not serving the gov.
I'm sure some would think its wasted effort, money and time the "stuff" that my wife and I give to our local soup kitchen in the City where we lived when we were newlyweds. Its a church soup kitchen in the basement of the church we were married in.
Anyway, I'm a firm believer that its better for me to voluntarily help people in need and go about doing it in a way that I deem is best than to let some faceless big government alphabet soup group do it instead.

Read: the nutritious and warm (free) meals that we help provide hopefully means less that a "recipient" is potentially gonna go look for from the .gov, well at least thats how in theory how its supposed to work: Communities helping themselves and the needy of the community VS the big gov doing it all.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I'll do my part by voting against you