GIVE / SERVE...Building The Obama Civilian Army?

Here's something I bet you didn't see on your local news. During the past week, Congress has expanded "Americorps", increasing the number of federally funded service jobs from 75,000 to 250,000...cost $5.7 Billion.

You may remember the "Civilian National Security Force" then-candidate BO proposed during the campaign. Well, this bill isn't exactly forming a "security force", at least not yet, but it has some disturbing provisions.

From Michelle Malkin's article, "To GIVE and to SERVE: the $6 billion National Service Boondoggle" on March 25, 2009:
"Those who have watched AmeriCorps from its inception are all-too-familiar with how government voluntarism programs have been used for propaganda and political purposes. AmeriCorps “volunteers” have been put to work lobbying against the voter-approved three-strikes anti-crime initiative in California and protesting Republican political events while working for the already heavily-tax-subsidized liberal advocacy group ACORN."

From "The Examiner" Editorial of March 26, 2009 states:
"With almost no public attention, both chambers of Congress in the past week advanced an alarming expansion of the Americorps national service plan, with the number of federally funded community service job increasing from 75,000 to 250,000 at a cost of $5.7 billion. Lurking behind the feel-good rhetoric spouted by the measure’s advocates is a bill that on closer inspection reveals multiple provisions that together create a strong odor of creepy authoritarianism. The House passed the measure overwhelmingly, while only 14 senators had the sense and courage to vote against it on a key procedural motion. Every legislator who either voted for this bill or didn’t vote at all has some serious explaining to do."

Although there is was some wording taken out before the vote, there is an update from Michelle Malkin's site today that states:
"On a related note, the congressional push to study a mandatory service requirement was dropped from the GIVE/SERVE package, but is part of a stand-alone bill to establish the “Congressional Commission on Civic Service.”"

I've linked to 3 articles about this, the third being an update. Read them for yourselves and think about whether or not you should be concerned, especially for your children and grandchildren. I sure am.

I encourage you to read all three articles, and pay special attention to the third link. It talks about the "Congressional Commission on Civic Service" which is a mandatory service program that is being considered. Scary!

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/25/to-give-and-to-serve-the-6-billion-national-service-boondoggle/

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Expanded-Americorps-has-an-authoritarian-feel-41889742.html

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/27/hatch-dedicates-6-billion-giveserve-boondoggle-to-kennedy-plus-mandatory-service-study-lives/