Rick Raw: Civil Service Draft –Putting Young Slackers to Work

By Rick Grant Commentary rickgrant01@comcast.net http://www.rickatnight.com/

Now that Obama has taken the helm of a nation in the grips of the Great Recession, he is soliciting ideas from his vast E-mail supporters’ list. There are myriad economic problems to solve, bailouts to manage, stimulus packages to initiate, and new jobs to create. It’s a daunting job for our new president. Expectations are unreasonably high.

Indeed, Obama has landed in a pressure cooker White House with his staff of experts and wunderkinds. Obama will be tested like no other president since Franklin Roosevelt. He must give us positive indicators that he will promote change, or there will be a backlash of disappointment and despondency.

First and foremost, Obama must stop the recession’s downward spiral stemming from our country’s economic collapse. However, Obama must also create new jobs to get the millions of unemployed people back to work to jump start the economic engine. Presently there are millions of disenfranchised youth who have no job prospects. Some are joining the military to find financial stability and to serve their country, which is a noble endeavor.

In contrast, others are slackers who hang around being a burden on their parents and society. Yes, they are unmotivated dweebs who think they can skirt the system by becoming overnight rock stars by imitating the success of four generations of established rockers. I see them on Jay Leno every night. They have one hit record, one tour, and are never heard from again. They pose well though. They’ve got the rock star look down pat. Alas, they can’t write memorable songs.

My first letter to Obama suggested that he form a Civil Service Draft. A mandatory conscription for men and women that would mandate young people (18-25) who were not serving in the military would be obliged to join a Civil Service Corp for four years. It would be much like the military with a boot camp, uniforms, special training, and military styled discipline. The pay scale would be setup similar to the military with a ranking system. Shelter, uniforms, and food would be included, like the military. Transfer into the military would always be an option at a comparable rank and pay.

After boot camp and training, the Civil Service Corp personnel would be assigned to community service organizations across the country helping restore ghettos, infrastructure projects, help build homeless shelters, administer medical help to people who have no health insurance.

Of course, college students with grade point averages 2.5 and above would be exempt. Civil Service Corp four-year tenure would be a respected credit on the Corp member’s resume.

Like the military, the Civil Service Corp will teach young people that they are not the center of the universe, and the needs of others are more important than their meaningless lives of doing nothing and being a burden on society.

At some point young people need to face reality and see the world beyond themselves. This would give them the chance for a steady job of self reliance and sacrifice. It would serve as a bridge from dependence on their parents to true independence and self respect.

The lessons Corp members would learn from this experience can’t be taught in schools. Clearly, there will be young people who can’t be helped. They will end up in jail or dead. But, this Civil Service Corp would save many of our youth on the brink of being lost forever.