Posts Tagged ‘HR 1388’
The New Volunteerism
Things could really start getting interesting in Washington with the passage of HR 1388 by the House of Representatives. If there ever was cause for alarm in the minds of young people, this should be it. The name alone is yet another misleading government acronym created specifically for the purpose of confusion on the bills actual implications. Deviously entitled the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, this legislation vastly expands on AmeriCorps. It is estimated to cost $6 billion over 5 years and increase the current national volunteer program by 175,000.
Of course, to call this “volunteerism” is a misnomer. Current AmeriCorps volunteers typically receive college scholarships and stipends after completing one of the programs. This idea of government funding and rewarding acts of charity runs contrary to the idea of charity and places morality in the hands of government while taking away private incentives to give back to their communities. The government will pick which areas they believe are in need of the most help, and all “volunteers” will go to work. This, of course, feeds off the idea that government has a better understanding of what is best for a local community than the community itself. Not to mention, this is yet another form of criminality on the part of the American government. If you are in disagreement with this program, the government is politely saying, “Too bad.” This type of legislation reveals the underlying thought process abounding within the halls of big government and the citizens that support it. These are the people that believe they have the right to take your money by force and tell you how to live your life.
