Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry’s recent proposal for a new national service program may indicate he intends to borrow the "ask not what your country can do for you…" idea of another JFK from Massachusetts. It is a theme that should be as resonant forty years later with many Americans reconsidering whether we have asked enough of ourselves as citizens since 9/11.
In the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the public seemed to show a new spirit of unity and willingness to do whatever necessary to contribute to the nation’s recovery. Yet, U.S. leaders have not drawn upon that resolve and directed it constructively toward strengthening the society.
In fact, over the past two-and-a-half years, the government has asked little new of its citizenry. If anything, President Bush has encouraged Americans to return to their normal lives. That may have been an important goal to steady the country initially. But he has not even raised the question of whether the possibility that the responsibilities and expectations of citizenship should be any different in light of the new threats of this new era.
At present, the brunt of post-9/11 sacrifices and obligations are being borne by the few, the armed forces and their families, while the rest of us take on almost none. The nation is at war footing abroad, but there is not the same urgency at home. This bifurcation cannot be healthy for a society, and it does not maximize our potential as a country.
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, some raised the possibility of re-instituting the military draft or establishing some kind of compulsory national service. Both ideas have been rejected by the Bush administration. Kerry’s more limited service proposal would offer federal aid for college tuition to students in return for community work. Yet, it would be optional and include those young people who need college aid. Yet the underlying idea that the public should be doing more to contribute to the country is significant.
Most citizens do not feel a part of our nation’s defense even though the war has been brought to our shores so dramatically. The Bush administration has exacerbated that disconnect with its "less is more" public information philosophy on homeland security matters.
Understandably, officials don’t want to frighten or overload people with too much information, but the lack of communication has had the effect of anesthetizing Americans against doing anything -- even preparing themselves for a terrorist attack. One way the government could create a sense of citizen involvement is putting more emphasis on civil defense.
If Americans are challenged to take on more responsibilities, they are likely to respond. One small example occurred here in New York City. When Mayor Michael Bloomberg suspended plastic and glass recycling two years ago, New Yorkers were taken aback. They had accepted and even embraced the added hassle, because their effort was contributing to a better environment. Last month, under pressure, Mayor Bloomberg reinstated recycling.
Americans would be willing to change their behavior if it would improve our common national good, but they need to be led. There has been little effort made to conserving energy as a part of reducing our reliance on Mideast oil
The only mandatory responsibility of citizenship is paying taxes, and even that burden has been reduced over the past several years. We don’t demand that citizens vote and so most do not. The low level of civic involvement and knowledge underscores that we continue to take our own citizenship for granted. For example, how many of us could answer all the questions that new citizens are asked on their entrance exam. (Quick, how many amendments are there in the Constitution?)
Though he has not yet done so, President Bush still has a chance in the upcoming campaign to ask the public to reexamine and broaden their responsibilities as citizens. If he does not, it would appear to be a good political opening for Kerry. His recent national service proposal shows that he intends to try to take it.
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