“Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year.”
Someone should tell Mr. Obama that Mr. Lincoln freed the slaves.
While they are at it, they should also tell this Constitutional scholar that the Constitution now forbids involuntary servitude:
Amendment XIII
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
The Republican Party got rid of slavery 143 years (and a bloody Civil War) ago.
And the Democrats have been working ever since to bring it back.
Update!
It should be noted that when this “service” program was mention during the campaign it sounded quite “voluntary.”
Indeed, there was even a financial incentive promised.
From the Obama campaign site:
(Click to enlarge)
“Obama and Biden will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year, and will establish a new tax credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.”
What a difference an election makes.
Update!
Hilariously, the Change.gov “Service” page has now been changed:
(Click to enlarge)
Suddenly, all mention of “required” has been disappeared. And the college tuition incentive has been added.
Maybe this is what they mean by “change.”