Hopes this new Program doesnt drown kids off a bridge....

So today the Big O is supposed to sign the bill that expands AmeriCorps and has been renamed after Edward Kennedy.


I know there are going to be those out there that equate this with Hitler's Youth so thats where I went first - good ole Wikipedia to get an overview to see if I saw any similarities.


Hitler's Youth were a paramilitary kids club, so to speak. It was voluntary and had about 1000 kids when it started which then jumped to 5000, 25,000, 150,000 and then over 2 million. When all was said and done, all other kids clubs, including the Boy Scouts had been outlawed and absorbed into Hitler's Youth and it was no longer voluntary, but mandatory; millions of Jews were dead, a country was destroyed and kids who were trained as warrior/weapons were left out in the cold, supposed to go back to playing with marbles, I guess.....


But National and Community Service Program is nothing like Hitler's program if you only look at the military part of Hitler's Youth. There is none of that in BO's program - of course not....


But if you read just the press release from yesterday - even the short version - its creepy. The long version can be found HERE.


Here is my Creepy List:

1 - All oversight of this program is through a federal agency called CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. In the detailed account of this program, it is referred to as "THE CORPORATION". I do not like this subtle perceived mixing of public and private. Like they are trying to get me or worse, my kids, used to the Government being involved in "Corporations."


2. They are starting YOUNG - 6th grade - thats 12 years old..... They have programs for these kids during SCHOOL YEAR as well as during the SUMMER - 100 hours during the summer.... They wear these little Tshirts that have these emblems on them - all official, governmental like. Not just AMERICORPS emblazoned across their chest, but little patch looking decals on the sleeves of these t-shirts....


3. They go after the poor. At least 50% of summer enrollment needs to be from "economically and ethnically diverse backgrounds, including youth from foster care." I have nothing against this thing in general, but this wreaks of raising another impoverished generation who looks to the Government for their handouts instead of taking care of themselves.


4. Americorp volunteers are to be trained and used in disasters.....


5. Encourages INTERNATIONAL volunteerism


6. If you give to this program, your contributions retain their tax deduction status. So it seems that not all "charitable" giving is evil - its good to give charity to a government "corporation" that does nonprofit work, that also gets your tax dollars....did that even make sense?


7. Authorizes a Civic Health Assessment comprised of indicators relating to volunteering, voting, charitable giving, and interest in public service in order to evaluate and compare the civic health of communities. This is the last paragraph in the short overview. What this says to me, is that kids, volunteers, old people will be used to rank communities on whether they vote, give or volunteer - probably to determine who to send in to recruit. If they vote, I would think that ACORN would be sent in. If they give, I have no idea who they would send in - maybe the IRS? If they volunteer, I am sure that ACORN would be there for them too... I do not like that neighborhoods would be targeted, which is exactly what this means.




There was a lot more creepiness in the long version - such as the new Faces on the Board of Directors - EPA director, FEMA Administrator, and Secretary of Transportation, as well as others.


Look - I realize that this program has nothing to do with Hitler's Youth, except maybe the play for the minds of kids....ok, and maybe that they both started as VOLUNTARY.....ok, and that they wore little uniforms with badges and such.....ok, and they were initiated by people who believe that the Government should be end-all-be-all to their countries.....but, really, they arent anything alike and you should NEVER look to the Hitler program to see where this one could go....I mean, if you did, that would be like, crazy, CRAZY RIGHT WING EXTREMIST kind of stuff.....ya know? :)


Man, I hope parents wake up to this and DO NOT enroll their kids - but who am I kidding - they are handing out cash and this program preys on those that need it most - retirees and poor kids.... and that is the SLEAZIEST thing of all.