Page 35 - 2023-bfw-TLC-4e

Nearly 90 years ago, in response to the Great These are but three examples. A one-year
2
Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt universal national service program could take
created the Civilian Conservation Corps, what many other forms, but it is easy to imagine that it
was then America’s largest organized nationwide could be a vehicle to provide necessary support
civilian service program. About 30 years later, to underserved urban and rural communities,
Argument
President Lyndon Johnson brought to fruition help eliminate food deserts, contribute to
President John Kennedy’s “domestic Peace rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, enrich our
Corps” initiative, the Volunteers in Service to arts and culture, and bolster our community
America program, known as VISTA. Today, health clinics, classrooms and preschools.
domestic civilian service is dominated by Furthermore, because service would be man-
AmeriCorps and nongovernmental programs datory, it would force all of our young people to
like Teach for America. better know one another, creating the opportuni-
Taken together, these programs have been 5 ties to learn about and appreciate our differences.
enormously successful at putting people to Speaking as an educator, I know that we get bet-
work, broadening the reach of basic social ter answers to complex problems when we
services related to education, health and assemble teams from a wide range of back-
welfare. Most important, they have helped grounds. Once these teams realize that they have
citizens see the crucial role that they can play a common purpose, their collective differences
in strengthening our democracy. Given that we and diversity in race, gender, expertise, faith, sex-
know service programs can be so effective in ual orientation and political orientation start to
shoring up the nation in moments of crisis, the emerge as a strength. If you look at the state of
time has come for a broader initiative, with our civic culture, it is clear that we have a long
higher aspirations and goals. The time has way to go before we can claim that we are doing
come for compulsory national service for all the best that we can. The kind of experiential
young people — with no exceptions. education I am advocating could change a life,
Universal national service would include could open a mind and could save a democracy.
one year of civilian service or military service A sensible system of compulsory national ser-
for all adults to be completed before they reach vice would build bridges between people and turn
the age of 25, with responsibilities met domes- them into citizens. It would shore up our fragile
tically or around the world. It would channel communities and strengthen us as individuals
the conscience of the Civilian Conservation and as a nation. Compulsory national service
Corps and put young people in the wilderness would make us more self- reliant and at the same
repairing the ravages of environmental destruc- time more interdependent. It would help us to
tion. It would draw on the lessons of the Peace realize our remarkable individual strengths and
Corps and dispatch young Americans to distant would reveal the enormous collective possibilities
lands where they would understand the chal- when we pull together instead of rip apart.
lenges of poor countries and of people for At its core, we need to heed the call for 10
whom basic health and nutrition are aspira- citizenship. We need to take the natural
tional goals. It would draw on the success of inclination to help out our friends and families
our military programs that in the past created and turn it into a willingness to support
pathways toward financial stability and educa- strangers. We need to inspire people to answer
tional progress for those with limited resources the call to serve because in so doing, they will
while serving as great unifiers among America’s discover ways to have their voices heard and
races, religions and social classes. their communities seen and respected.
92

Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample. Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.
03_sheatlc4e_40925_ch02_058_111_4pp.indd 92 8/9/22 2:54 PM