Git 'er Done

I will get things done for America-

to make our people safer,

smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together

to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy,

I will take action.

Faced with conflict,

I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity,

I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment

with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member,

and I will get things done.

A couple of days ago, I started seeing story about Obama's address to students pop up on the news sources I follow.  I didn't pay much attention to it.  I thought it was a cool idea and figured I would have an opportunity to see or read it more closely when it actually occurred.  Then I started seeing pieces about the uproar by some parents.  And then I had to figure out what was going on.

"At 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama will deliver a national address to the students of America. During this special address, the president will speak directly to the nation's children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning."

Okay, sounds harmless.  Except for the fact that this speech came along with optional lesson plans, which suggested that elementary school students "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president."  That's where people started to freak.  So the administration took it out.  Now it says that they can "write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term educational goals."  Sounds pretty harmless, especially considering the fact that all of this is optional.  No student has to watch this address and no teacher has to follow the suggestions in the lesson plan.

But people are still freaking out.  Honestly, I didn't understand the hoopla in the first place. The original suggestion sounded very much like Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country."  Is that dangerous?  Is that an attempt to indoctrinate the innocent children of America and mobilize them as a sort of Dumbledore's Obama's Army?  Regardless, I don't think there was this much uproar when Reagan addressed students in 1986, or when G. H. W. Bush did in 1991.  And it boggles my mind that so many people can forget that these two events happened and state that this is a daring new move by the Obama administration.

But the point is...are we being indoctrinated?  That's kind of a scary thought.  I sure hope not.  Granted, Glenn Beck did recently tell America that Obama is growing the AmeriCorps as his own SS.  And honestly, that offended me.  I did ask what my country could do for me, and the answer was that it could provide me with this opportunity to do something for my country.  And I'm doing it for a bare-bones living stipend.  No one has "indoctrinated" me into choosing this year of service.  And I have yet to be approached to fight for Obama's secret mission. 

Mr. Beck mocked the AmeriCorps pledge.

Now, I'll be honest, I did find it kind of amusing when I read this pledge in my binder on Tuesday.  But let's make this clear:  I read this pledge, I didn't take it.  I didn't actually pledge anything.  To me, this pledge is more of an idea, an explanation of what my goals are for this year.  And it doesn't seem all that unreasonable.  I do want America to be safer, smarter, and healthier.  I do want stronger communities in this age of isolation and apathy.  I do want to take action, seek common ground, and persevere.  And shouldn't it be everyone's goal to get things done?

I am a member of the AmeriCorps, and I am proud of that.  I tell everyone that I meet.  And it was my choice.  I decided to do this.  And no one can or should reduce that to an insinuation of brainwashing.