Current Events > Should Americans be required to do public service when they turn 18?

(+) Yeah! (+)

When you turn 18, you would have to do a certain number of hours of public service (say 100 hours). This would be run through the Selective Service System, so you couldn't just make stuff up or find loopholes. You would have to do pre-approved things (such as working in a soup kitchen or cleaning litter off a highway, for example) until you reach the required time.

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Kinda wish everyone did two years of the armed service, but that's also pretty unAmerican

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Nope. That shit is inherently discriminatory towards lower income individuals.

Fuck no all it would be is free labor for some rich fuck

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Yes, maybe we will have less NEETs if they are exposed to how the real world works. It kind of shocks me how many people are in their 30's still living with their parents and did nothing after high school, and never had a job.

I think a program to require them to independently participate in the work force and real life activities would give them a boost.

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MabusIncarnate posted...

Yes, maybe we will have less NEETs if they are exposed to how the real world works. It kind of shocks me how many people are in their 30's still living with their parents and did nothing after high school, and never had a job.

I think a program to require them to independently participate in the work force and real life activities would give them a boost.

We have so many NEETS in America is because of the public school system. If government cannot educate it's citizens to prepare them for the real world, how is another mandatory government program going to help? Also a lot of Americans are unemployed is because of all the labor laws put on businesses; high minimum wage, payroll taxes, workers compensation laws, anti-discrimination laws, unemployment benefits, etc.

thats not very american

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darkstar4221 posted...

We have so many NEETS in America is because of the public school system. If government cannot educate it's citizens to prepare them for the real world, how is another mandatory government program going to help? Also a lot of Americans are unemployed is because of the labor laws put on businesses; high minimum wage, payroll taxes, workers compensation laws, anti-discrimination laws, unemployment benefits, etc.

its more to do with there not being enough jobs because they were all exported so the investor class could make more money

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Yeah but it depends on their health condition. Not everyone is fit to do public service.

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No, but everyone should be required to spend a year in the military.

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What next, have women be eligible for the military draft? lol.

Yes, I would accept that.

bump

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13th amendment may have issue with this.

DocDelicious posted...

No, but everyone should be required to spend a year in the military.

No thanks.

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darkstar4221 posted...

We have so many NEETS in America is because of the public school system. If government cannot educate it's citizens to prepare them for the real world, how is another mandatory government program going to help? Also a lot of Americans are unemployed is because of all the labor laws put on businesses; high minimum wage, payroll taxes, workers compensation laws, anti-discrimination laws, unemployment benefits, etc.

Thats not how any of that works for businesses but ok

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Questionmarktarius posted...

13th amendment may have issue with this.

TIL the military draft was illegal

Also schools that require students to do community service.

Edit: People would obviously have the choice as to which service programs they want to do, making this separate from "involuntary servitude" and therefore not unconstitutional.

Although it's interesting to know that if this was an actual political issue, opponents would definitely call it slavery.

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Knowing the US, this program would be easily co-opted by corporations and a year after its institution, "public service" would just be working in an Amazon factory

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ToadallyAwesome posted...

Thats not how any of that works for businesses but ok

The more overhead costs that government puts on businesses when they hire people, the less they will hire people. Simply because the government has made it expensive to hire that individual, especially if that individual is low-skilled.

Damn_Underscore posted...

Edit: People would obviously have the choice as to which service programs they want to do, making this separate from "involuntary servitude" and therefore not unconstitutional.

Choosing what to "volunteer" for involuntarily doesn't help much.
Possible constitutional issues aside, the bigger problem in involuntary volunteerism, is that it poisons any volunteer activities later - the easiest way to make something undesirable and distasteful, is to make it mandatory.

My son had to do 200 hours of public service before he could graduate in my state. He helped out with a local politicians campaign because we knew them.

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Maybe Americans would learn some fucking empathy if they did

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