Mon 30 Mar 2009
Turning something good into a law
Posted by Susan under Life at Home , Parental Watch Issues , Good Things about Homeschooling , Mental Health Screening , Universal PreschoolIn a world (country) gone mad, I see that volunteerism is now a law…as soon as President Obama signs it anyway.
Not volunteering is illegal? Hard to say as this is one more big, fat law.
Why would something good be made into a law? I think I need to repeat that to myself a few times to try to make some sense of it.
ht to Barbara Frank, now in Door County: Mandatory Service Requirements for Youth
Ironically, despite the use of the word ‘mandatory,’ the name of the bill is GIVE (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act). Isn’t ‘mandatory volunteerism’ an oxymoron?
Yes, ma’am, it is indeed. However, and much more importantly, in government speak, it’s along the same lines as voluntary pre-school, voluntary kindergarten, and voluntary mental health screening.
Universal is another code word for voluntary.
How about education done in that backward way called compulsory attendance? Something good like learning new things turned into a law a few generations back. Works real good, I hear.
A law is made to create justice by a controlling authority. I thought that was a good definition in an ever increasing legal swirl of whether you smoke cigarettes illegally, while smoking dope legally, while eating bad fat illegally, while having prayer illegally in the schools that can just be turned into moments of silence in the schools legally…..did I mention Illinois has 7,000 bills out and about this year?
One of those bills is about demanding community service for a school diploma. The 4-H kids debated that in the Capitol at the Great 4-H Debate. The 4-Hers’ bill passed. Funny thing about that, from my experiences; kids like to give. Americans like to give. We have a little 4-H club here and the kids introduce ways to give. I’m not talking about just money, because our club just barely scrapes by monetarily with our funds. Our kids in the county give their time. Boxing food, folding clothes, gathering soldier supplies…they offer the ideas and do the time. Happily.
But I’ve noticed that when our kids have fulfilled their points to satisfy their junior zookeepers’ requirements for the year, volunteering to help out at the zoo seems to have dwindling interest. (Even though they like doing it.) If their instructor asked for help, they would and have happily provided it in a pinch. But now, they apparently feel their goal has been achieved and zoo volunteering is officially ‘done’ for the year. Kinda sad, and I understand it so well as it seems to fit my human nature too.
Shame that human nature (naturally generous and giving, when not measured) is being legislated by our government(s). I don’t think it will work.
I say you should be able to do a whole lot legally (without a law) and then we wouldn’t be having discussions about who can get a marriage license or not. Why did I have to pay the state to get married anyway? Kinda creepy when you think about it.
No one murdered, no one injured, children always protected….most especially from the government. No laws except to create justice. I thought the Constitution took good care of that, but where did that little document go anyway?
March 30th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Our nation has truly gone mad!
Mandatory volunteerism? Government Motors (GM). This morning I felt shocked, although I had thought after the so-called stimulus bill, I was shock proof.
March 30th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I think I may love you! You just very clearly wrote exactly what we’ve been discussing about that bill at our house!
March 31st, 2009 at 7:23 am
This has been never ceasing since inauguration day (before inauguration during transfer).
Of course, George B. did Americans few favors in the name of freedom. (I’ll give him the protections w/i our country since 9/11 and the tax ‘cut’, but not much else.)
What’s the diff. between the 2 parties/’leaders’? Not much. My Republican Rep voted for the federal bill. (I have zero expectations, except disappointment, from Durbin and Pooh Bear Burris.)
I’ve been rolling this compulsory aspect around in my head for some time. Since we started homeschooling, I realized we don’t need an authority figure ‘to help’.
Most humans are naturally curious until it gets mentally beaten out of them.
Most humans are naturally giving unless there’s someone counting the contribution and then limits seem to develop. (Whether for tax deduction or anything else usually revolving around financial payoff).
I think this administration is incredibly cynical.
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
NHELD just put out a bulletin about the GIVE Act
http://www.nheld.com/BTN66.htm
Thanks for blogging about this
April 14th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I can’t wait until they start making lists of which community service will be acceptable under this law.
Weeding or cleaning or library shelving or office work . . . at your church? Will this be acceptable or not community enough?
What about promoting a woman’s right to choose . . . by volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center and helping women find what some of the other options to choose might be?
What about promoting a love for the outdoors . . . by helping teach clinics on fishing and archery?
I think that beyond the horror of mandating volunteerism, we have the spectre of the government further deciding which activities are an acceptable contribution to the community.
Yuck.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Yuck, indeed! It’s creepy. This is pushing the passion for doing good things (helping out, learning) one step further….the wrong way.