Volunteers: ; Young idealism



Volunteers: ; Young idealism

Volunteers: Young idealism

Feb 17, 2002 - Sunday Gazette - Mail; Charleston, W.Va. Author(s): Gzedit

THE noblest part of President Bush's State of the Union message was his call for multitudes of college-age Americans to volunteer for humanitarian work among people in need, both in the United States and overseas.

Especially, Bush said he wants to double the size of the Peace Corps over the next five years "and ask it to join a new effort to encourage development and education and opportunity in the Islamic world." He said this project could "lead the world toward the values that will bring lasting peace."

Bravo. We hope great numbers of idealistic young people answer this invitation to donate a couple of years to helping the less fortunate - particularly in Muslim lands.

America is hated and vilified in numerous Islamic locales. "Death to the Great Satan!" slogans were common in Iran during the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini. Many other religious tyrants and agitators find it easy to rouse Muslim fervor against America as a heartless superpower bent on injuring Islamic peoples. That's why news film often shows mobs burning the U.S. flag and effigies of Uncle Sam.

But if conscientious young Americans work as volunteers among the poorest Muslim villages - helping to feed, clothe, house, educate and otherwise care for deprived people - the populace will see clearly that the slurs of the fanatics aren't true. Surely, that would reduce the hate.

When this story was posted in October 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference. RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls. Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate. Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

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Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before. Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.

Schwarzenegger praises PC at Convention Governor Schwarzenegger praised the Peace Corps at the Republican National Convention: "We're the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach village children." Schwarzenegger has previously acknowledged his debt to his father-in-law, Peace Corps Founding Director Sargent Shriver, for teaching him "the joy of public service" and Arnold is encouraging volunteerism by creating California Service Corps and tapping his wife, Maria Shriver, to lead it. Leave your comments and who can come up with the best Current Events Funny?

Peace Corps: One of the Best Faces of America Teresa Heinz Kerry celebrates the Peace Corps Volunteer as one of the best faces America has ever projected in a speech to the Democratic Convention. The National Review disagreed and said that Heinz's celebration of the PCV was "truly offensive." What's your opinion and can you come up with a Political Funny?

Read the stories and leave your comments.