I would like to make a proposal for a National Service Program (which I will refer to in the rest of this diary as "NSP" for ease). The short and sweet version of it is this: for one year, starting after one graduates from high school, all Americans will be required to participate in an NSP. Whether that means joining the military or taking part in the non-military part of my NSP is up to the individual, but either way, it will be compulsory. I'll get into the nitty gritty below the fold.
First, the disclaimer: this is not a proposal for a draft, and the compulsory nature of it is not up for debate. This program would require that people like Paris Hilton take part, just as much as people from inner city Detroit, rural Nebraska and suburban Connecticut. It is only by making this program compulsory that it can ensure the involvement of people from all walks of life.
The purpose of the program is to help to build a sense of civic responsibility in all Americans. I'm targetting high school graduates only because the time after high school is an incredibly convenient time (for high school drop-outs, they would be given the option to join the program from the time they drop-out or to wait until the time when they would have joined the program had they continued high school). I am not suggesting that older people have a greater sense of civics than young people; on the contrary, I want to make sure that successive generations continue to have solid civics senses.
The way the NSP would work is that it would take people out of their comfort zones. A rich city girl, for example, might find herself working in a rural area, helping to build houses or helping out on farms, or perhaps in a more impoverished inner city area far from her home. Someone from a farm could end up working to help rebuild New Orleans or, again, in the inner city. The purpose of this part is to ensure that the person is forced to encounter people who are different from him or herself in some way, and to understand that all of it is America. Also, there are the obvious benefits of helping the needy, which would benefit not just the needy but, one would hope, the person doing the aiding.
Before that point is reached, however, there is an intensive civics training period during which one is taught the basics of citizenship from voting to American history to anything else could be determined to be necessary to build good citizens. Throughout a person's time in the program, one is subjected to serious discipline, similar to military discipline, and for similar reasons. One result of this kind of discipline, typically, is to build a sense of community among those dealing with it. It also helps to break down mental and emotional barriers that keep people overly individualized.
Those are the basics of the plan. If Paris Hilton or Britney Spears had been required to take part in a similar program would they still be who they are today? It's possible, though I'd like to believe that they would have gotten something out of the program. The whole point of the program is to help develop good citizens.
I know there are those who will feel that the compulsory nature of the program is antithetical to democracy, but a program such as this would not work otherwise. Also, for those concerned about the draft, this is not the military, and though people involved in the program could be turned into a civil defence force if America was invaded (9/11 would not count), it would be strictly illegal to send these kids to another country for any reason; they'd have to switch over to the military to be involved in an invasion.
I hope I've addressed all the basics of the program. Feel free to challenge or make recommendations in the comments.