CITIZEN SERVICE?
By ATWadmin On September 6th, 2007Another day, another announcement from "Call Me Dave" Cameron, leader of Her Majesty’s Offical Quisling Opposition. Today, Dave proposes setting up a six-week programme for young people called "national citizen service". He will say 16-year-olds should get the chance to do activities such as physical training or charity work. The Tory leader will say such work would "be about inspiration, making young people feel that British society is something they want to be part of". It will be the modern equivalent of national service, he added, but it would not be compulsory.
Our ambition is that every young person takes part – a truly national programme that everyone does in their summer holidays after their GCSEs, after leaving school or between GCSEs and sixth form."
Mr Cameron says that participants would be eligible for a cash sum on completion of their service, with half going to a charity of their choice and half to the organisation that ran the project. Youngsters would also attend a "graduation ceremony" in front of family and friends, he said. So, what do you think about this?
Is it a good idea to offer teenagers the chance to do something "inspirational" or is it a pile of pious drivel from a Conservative Party committed to avoiding any of the big issues that confront our society. For example, will the gangs of Croxteth be signing up to do good work? Or is this more middle-class humbug? Your call.
I’ll go with middle-class humbug thanks. I cannot imagine a Blu-Labour program about feeling part of British society doing more than having the kids sing campfire chorusus of ‘glad to be gay’ and ‘If you’re an institutional racist clap your hands’.
When I hear of prating and prancing politicians who say that their only desire is to inspire others, especially the young, my mind automatically returns to a picture of another inspirational organisation. And the same goes for our ‘son of the manse’ as well as Cameron!
This David Cameron…?
http://www.moonbattery.com/
The first three stories are all worth a read in fact.
Isn’t he replicating what is already there like the Duke of Edinburgh award? Or is that gone now, I know my kids entered into it, and found it rewarding. If the DoE is still around what not expand, encourage and fund what is already there.
This very subject is on the cover of Time magazine this week here in the states.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1657256_1657317_1658698,00.html
"One of the comforts of middle age — a stage that the editor of TIME and I have both reached — is that you can start making demands on young people, safe in the knowledge that they won’t apply to you. Having safely escaped the Vietnam era draft ourselves, we are overcome by the feeling that the next generation should not be so lucky. Many of these young folks are volunteering for socially beneficial work, and that’s good. But it’s not good enough. "Volunteerism" is so wonderful that every young person should have to do it."
Great idea.
I have no problem with national service as long as people are paid. Ca-moron’s plan is to have the pay donated to a charity of the person’s choice. I think the young should be tought that work equates to having some money in your pocket as well as a sense of well being and civic pride.
""Volunteerism" is so wonderful that every young person should have to do it."
What a wonderful sense of humour you have Charles!.:-)
And this bright idea is supposed to do what? Reform the animal/hooligans?? LOL.
Part of our homeschooling is getting the girls involved in volunteering. It’s the American way. They are interested in helping for the Breast Cancer 3 Day that will be taking place here in Philly. We’re waiting to find out if they are old enough.
This is on my shortlist for stupidest idea of the week, but I’m pretty sure that sneding inner city kids to rural schools (another of CMD’s ideas) will beat it to the top.
What I’d like to know is: will helping out at the local shoot or fox hunt be valid ways to spend your volunteer time?