Obama calls on Americans to volunteer

Wednesday 22nd April, 07:15 AM JST

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skipthesong at 03:11 PM JST - 22nd April

criticizing Obama's excellent initiative"

Well, for those of you that are soooo supportive of these words, which have been said many times, both repubs and dems mind you; its nothing new, go ahead and tell us what you're going to do?
smithinjapan at 03:14 PM JST - 22nd April

teleprompter: Hilarious to see you against doing any kind of volunteer work for others, instead choosing to say how Rush Limbaugh simply throws money at some organizations and that makes Obama somehow a bad guy.

Face it, this is a good thing. If you don't like it, simply don't volunteer, as you probably won't anyhow as it doesn't fit your political agenda.

adaydream: I agree, in ALL countries, save for the military service deal. I think people should have to give the six months you mentioned or the equivalent over a certain period of time for those who have full-time jobs they cannot easily take a break from to volunteer. Such volunteer work should likewise give them some kind of credit they can apply to certain fields. If you're a teacher, for example, some PD work credit, which could also in turn eventually lift your pay grade. If you're a lawyer or tax accountant, lecturing/helping people (moreso than already required in some fields) fill out documents and what not could help towards free time you must give, etc. That's the beauty of this idea is that, while giving, you could still be earning in more ways than one.

It's absolutely astounding that people would be against this, or worse yet that they would compare donations of political groups in an attempt to undermine the idea of volunteer work.
dennis0bauer at 03:20 PM JST - 22nd April

“Somebody forgot my boots,” Obama joked to the students.

i am sure a rightwinger will throw his boots at you.
timorborder at 03:27 PM JST - 22nd April

i am sure a rightwinger will throw his boots at you.

Or some wayward Iraqi journalist. Apparently it is all in the wrist.
timorborder at 03:40 PM JST - 22nd April

Alphaape - An interesting argument about military service. The last two Presidents have children (daughters) of military service age, however, I don't see them beating a path to a recruiting station. On the hand, McCain's son has hxmped his axs in Iraq. This is just typical of the McCain family. With regard to Obama's children, talking about whether or not his daughters should serve is probably a bit premature. At the same time, however, if he gets himself further involved in conflicts around the world and finds himself having to put other people's kids in body bags, then I suppose their is a moral obligation to encourage his own flesh and blood to join up. At the same time, however, the final decision lies with the person in question. Forcing people to join the miliary (through coocerion or a draft) doesn't do much for moral. From a military standpoint, it is a lot better to have a highly motivated volunteer force rather than a bunch of pimply kids who don't want to be there.
sailwind at 04:05 PM JST - 22nd April

I'm having a hard time with this one. I do volunteer work for a home for kids with special needs here in Japan, mainly children with Downs syndrome. Last Christmas, I got to be Santa Claus and hand out the gifts to the kids. It's really hard to describe the feelings I had after that or for that matter the feelings I have everytime I've helped out there. Though, boy I sure feel good after it.

I don't think I'd have the same feeling if I was getting 'paid' to do it. I might be a little weird in my thoughts here, but if I was Santa for the kids and then afterwards was handed a check by the sponsors for my time......I'd feel horrible if I accepted it. I really would. I'm going to have fall on the side that it sounds noble but in the long run will be self-defeating if people start to feel that they actually expect to get paid to do volunteer work. It may end up with people not actually wanting to do 'real volunteer' work, the type that doesn't come with a paycheck but the feeling I get everytime I handed a gift to those kids.
teleprompter at 04:09 PM JST - 22nd April

It's absolutely astounding that people would be against this,

Always with the melodrama. No one is "against" this. I know this is hard for Obama's starry-eyed devotees to understand but the man is not the first to undertake volunteer work or request others to do so.

We are headed for double digit unemployment. It's not like we are looking at a shortage of skilled people who can make a difference in their communities.

Indeed, I reckon the vast majority of the country is wondering what Obama and his little coterie of social engineers are going to do as regards getting more Americans gainful employment.
skipthesong at 04:53 PM JST - 22nd April

sailwind:

I commend you for that. I feel like sending you something just as a gift.

But, why I am so hyped, and I was before back when Colin Powell set something this up under Bush, my response was the same. Here is what I want before I feel that hve the right, politicians, to make such a request: 1. I want them to do some volunteer work and not just for PR. 2. I'd like them to get a flat rate for pay 3. I'd like to see their kids out there more. When have we seen any politicians kids doing anything, yet the politicians get extra pay for family members. 4. Under the new tax plans, its going to be harder to write off charity payments, I want that reverted back. 5. Politicians, including Obama, are notorious for hiring their family members as their staff. That has to stop or it should be completely volunteer work. 6. I know some able bodied people, men, who get welfare. Put them to needed work. 7. All lawyers and doctors should be required to teach 8. Politicians should not get paid for speeches, it should be done voluntarily.

am I asking for too much?
Alphaape at 05:57 PM JST - 22nd April

timorborder: I was aware that the Bush daughters did not join the military to fight nor did Chelsea and any of the Kennedy's after JFK do any sort of "in harms way obligation." I know that when it is all said and done, the decision to volunteer for military service is just that a decision to volunteer. If the eldest Obama daughter does not wish to do that, I understand. But, just like the others on both sides of the aisle who tell us how good it is to do something like volunteer (and I am not talking about just military service) and then don't have anyone that is directly related to them actually doing the same thing kind of seems hypocrical to me.

Take a look at the Obama decision to send their daughters to private school. I understands their concerns about security, but you have to admit, if Obama can go visit troops in Iraq, I am sure that his daughters will be well protected in any D.C. Public School. Yet on the campaign trail he talks of revitalizing the failing schools and all of the reforms he wants to institute. So why not send his own kids if he is that much of a believer? Or, if he is concerned about security, then why not let other parents who show those same concerns have the option of maybe getting a voucher to send their child to a private school. Sending your daughers to a private school, and then having a photo op at the White House with public school children digging in your garden to plant vegtables pretty much sums up what I think will become of this inititiave. It will sound good and make good press, but in the end, it will be the rest of us "Imperial Grunts" who will be forced to give up their time in order to volunteer for more access to educational funding or whatever other carrot they put out there for people to do this. Typical elite (both Rep. and Dem.) way of doing business in D.C.
Badsey at 08:01 PM JST - 22nd April

If this money was used to set up volunteering systems for people in need -I would maybe gofor it.

Ex. There is a 7-8am slot on Tuesday to teach/assist/help a class.

I would also say it is always better to help your own community first. --Many people are having real questions about many of these national non-profit groups.

Could there be a tax deduction for your travel and time -seems fair.
ca1ic0cat at 08:45 PM JST - 22nd April

Although I agree completely that there are a lot of hypocrites in politics (probably close to 99%) there is nothing wrong with this message no matter who is delivering it.
TexasAggie at 02:12 AM JST - 23rd April

Students from sixth grade through senior year of high school could earn a $500 education award

In Obama's America people can become government employees as early as the sixth grade, and child labor laws will become a thing of the past.
TexasAggie at 02:18 AM JST - 23rd April

Memo to Obama: People getting paid to perform a public service are not "volunteers".
Ashiri3 at 10:42 PM JST - 25th April

As a past AmeriCorp volunteer I can attest to the fact that the pay received is so minimal that I could not have lived on this job alone had I not been a student receiving education loans! Due to my "income" I qualified for food stamps...a person deciding to serve their community while living in poverty are volunteers to me- (FYI funding for AmeriCorp was decreased under Bush)
LostinNagoya at 08:18 AM JST - 27th April

I don´t understand you people who already are volunteers, saying you are having a hard time with volunteering and receiving some money at the same time. Does it hurt? I have volunteered under these terms and it helps a lot. With subway and train tickets, for instance. And if you feel uncomfortable with receiving some money while volunteering...well, you can always give this money away for charity funds. Or the homeless close to you home. I am sure he/she will be happy to have some food that day. Open your mind, people!