The Service Nation folks provided me with a list of people I could request to interview as a blogger. I guess Governor Paterson was not available, because he was busy, because he never heard of me, or because he has heard of me. No matter. I spoke with one of my own kind instead, Dr. Robert Grimm, the Director of Research and Public Policy for the Corporation for National and Community Service, the organization that produces this report. I asked three questions. Is there a problem of declining civic engagement in the United States? Why is the level of voluntary service so low in the New York Metro area? And did some generations let American down in this (and other regards), according to the statistics?
The Latest
It’s time to chill: I am suffering from political priapism.
|Earlier this week, I was confronted once again by the demons of blogdom; this time around, I found them to be both disappointing and tiring (see my column on “Eric Adams” and then view the comment section -www.r8ny.com). I still have a lot to say about Denver, and I know there are many who are waiting for my post-convention epiphany (which I have been sitting on): but suddenly I have lost my zeal. I also wanted to write a post-primary election analysis (especially dealing with Kevin Parker’s victory -the analysis of which would have surprised many), but there too the desire has gone. I have lots of info on next year’s primaries I want to share, and even a revelation or two about my recent experiences on the campaigns of Ed Towns, Cenceria Edwards and a few others; but right now I am not in a sharing mood.
Community Service as an Interest Group?
|The strong emphasis by both candidates for President on military service, discussed in the previous post, could be considered a surprise given the issues that have convulsed the country in the past few years. There was, however, an unsurprising difference of emphasis in voluntary service. Senator Obama showed greater interest in federal programs to recruit and compensate social volunteers, and spoke to the need to attract people to federal civilian employment because federal agencies have been “hollowed out” in recent decades. He wants to “make government cool again.” While endorsing the expansion of organizations such as Americorp and Peace Corp, Senator McCain said “I also wanna emphasize there– it doesn’t always have to be run by the government. That’s why we also ought to understand that faith-based organizations, other volunteer organizations that are completely separate from the government, have nothing to do with the government, are amongst the most successful. So let’s not get entrapped by the idea that the government has to run these voluntary organizations and volunteer kinds of programs.”
The Moral Equivalent of Peace?
|I’m back at the Service Nation summit, with a newfound understanding of journalists. If I were one, I would have had to have tossed off a story on what the candidates for President said yesterday, for the late night news or morning newspaper, before I had a chance to think about it. Perhaps that explains a lot. I’ve heard repeated calls to service at intervals throughout my adult and near adult life, and definitely see something different here. The Service Nation summit includes both social service organizations and foundations, and the military, together as examples of service. I’m not sure that would have been the case 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. And during their interviews last night, both candidates spoke to the relationship between the military and the broader country, and how it needed to change. Not the military, the respect and appreciation for the military in some parts of the country. Such as ours.
Waxings
|My alarm rang at 5:30 AM. Approaching coherency, I tried to remember why.
Then it came to me: it was primary day.
The candidate I would be riding the polls for was running for Brooklyn Borough President. He was not my first choice. If I’d been voting with my head, it would have been for Ken Fisher. If I’d been voting with my heart, it would have been Jeanette Gadson, a wonderful woman who could bring one to tears reading a laundry list (a task which, in her role as Deputy Borough President, she’d often been called upon to perform).
But, my work for the day had been determined not by head or heart, but by stomach; I wanted to keep on eating, and my boss was backing Marty Markowitz, a man I‘d ghostwritten for once or twice, and who I had introduced to a couple of Rabbis.
Preaching to the Choir?
|My initial reaction is that for one night, the candidates for President, Senator McCain and Senator Obama, seemed willing to say what I wanted to hear, but I’m not sure what that was. Both agreed that there are serious problems in the country, and that a spirit of service to others needs to be “restored.” Both see the military as an important component of service, and want it to be expanded and better paid. Both believe a lack of trust in government and politics has discouraged concerned citizenship. Senator McCain said that restoring trust is the key to encouraging community service, Senator Obama said that there is a spirit of idealism in the country that just needs to be given an opportunity by the government. People know things have to change. People are ready for change. Unions are ready. Politicians are ready. Young people are ready. Old people are ready. There was a spirit on 9/11. It should have been taken advantage of. It’s still there.
Bollinger’s Statement
|The head of Columbia University said that thousands of students were gathered outside the event to show their support for a day of service, and thousands volunteer each year. The school’s core curriculum, he said, is based in part on the idea of citizenship in a democratic society. He pointed out that the School of Engineering has a mandatory service requirement, and that many prospective engineers work to improve the technology available in the public schools. Mandatory volunteering?
Governor Paterson’s Statement
|The Governor cited former New York State Governors and Presidents FDR and TR on the value of service and compassion. He praised the personal example of service both candidates have provided in their lives, and said that it shows service is bipartisan. He talked about the spirit of service in New York. And he said the Office of Community Service in New York State will become a cabient level position.
AARP’s Statement
|We heard from a leader of the American Association of Retired Persons, AARP. He said his organization is dedicated to service on its 50th anniversary. It was founded based on the principles of collective service, collective voice, and collective purchasing power, and its motto is “to serve not to be served.” AARP, he said, has 40 million members. More than 50% of senior citizens volunteer, and “they are prepared to do.” Those over 50, he said, accounted for more than half of those who voted in the recent election. Their kids and grandkids need them more than ever, because most people now believe that these generations will be worse off than those who came before, and we “can’t let that happen.”
Be The Change or Be the Victim?
|In a previous post on the upcoming Presidential election, I pointed out that a good deal of it comes down to trust. We humans are social animals, who rely on our social institutions for our well-being, but we have selfish impulses as well. A leader is someone who can influence people to voluntarily make efforts and sacrifices on behalf of the common well being, by assuring them that their efforts and sacrifices would not simply be exploited by those less cooperative and fair minded than themselves. The President of the United States is the leader of the country, not just the administrator of the federal government, which is just one of many institutions in our society. And in world affairs, influence and cooperation are the only tools he has. In a circumstance when the nation is facing a series of crises, can either of the candidates for that office inspire the trust required for some people, more people, to be willing to cooperate and change their behavior? We may get an idea tonight.