(Host) Commentator Madeleine Kunin is dismayed to hear that federal funding is about to be cut from a program that engages young people in community service.
(Kunin) President Kennedy said it best, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Other Presidents followed suit. The Peace Corps is one example.
President Clinton initiated AmeriCorps. I was involved in the writing of that law. It has the virtue of providing a $4,725 stipend in return for public service in our communities. Bi-partisan support was strong for the concept of community service. It was an idea that resonated with young people who wanted to serve their country by working in schools, community centers, public parks.
When President George Bush announced in his 2002 State of the Union address that he wanted to expand AmeriCorps by 50%, I cheered. He had understood how strongly motivated our young people were. The desire to give something back to our country had been strengthened by the shattering experience of 9/11. It was a time when people sorted out what was important in life: family and community. Those who served the community became our heroes, like police and fire fighters.
For many, serving in the community became an alternative to the military – a show of patriotism. Young men and women may not be as interested in politics as they should be, but they are interested in changing the world through volunteering.
Now – the disappointment. President Bush has reneged on his promise. Instead of expansion there will be a major contraction of funds for AmeriCorps. The Congress must share the blame with the president. It placed a 50,000 member cap on the number of slots that would be available. If the president truly believed in this program, he would fight for it.
This cut is but one modest example of the consequences of the massive tax cuts which have been enacted by the Bush administration. There will be more to come – in education, health care, and social services. Tax cuts are the vice which squeezes programs which will not only effect the young, but also the elderly.
This cut is of particular significance because it wouldn’t take a huge amount of money to restore it. It is the spirit of the program, which is most important. With AmeriCorps the government is saying, “We will give you an opportunity to serve and to help finance your college education at the same time,” two laudatory goals.
In an ideal society, I believe every young American should spend a year doing community service. It would be the best education they could obtain – an education about life in America’s cities, rural areas, and neighborhoods.
As in any act of generosity, they would receive more than they gave. It’s time to remember Kennedy’s words, and help our young people ask the question once again, “What can I give to my country?”
This is Madeleine May Kunin.
Madeleine Kunin is a former governor of Vermont.