RE: Compulsory service

Laws, David (lawsd@magic.dcrt.nih.gov)
Sat, 19 Apr 1997 17:41:53 -0400

ACH! Required community service? Certainly sounds like 'serve Big
Brother' to me. A good idea if everyone believes in the exact same things
(the definition of 'heaven' or total societal brainwashing) but a very BAD
idea if society allows dissent. There cannot be a universal consent of
'community service', unless it's so watered down as to mean only sweeping
the streets. A misdeamenor punishment requiring this for those who trash
the streets sounds much better.

-drl
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david_laws@nih.gov
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-----Original Message-----
Phil Goetz wrote (on Exi-East):

>I like the idea of required community service.
>At least, I don't see it as an abrogation of personal freedom,
>any more than compulsory education is.

!! Which is pretty bad!
.......
..........
>Anyone who calls community service "servitude" doesn't know what the
>word means.

And vice versa. Let's not confuse slavery with true service.
The main question is whether one's service is voluntary or not. An
additional question is, who is being served? The actual community or
an organization that happens to claim to represent the community?
Who is deciding what form "service" should take?

--Steve