2009.01.22: January 22, 2009: Headlines: Obama: Speaking Out: Expansion: Congress: Budget: Times Herald: Michael McCarthy writes: Obama ought to call for a new, expanded Peace Corps
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2009.01.22: January 22, 2009: Headlines: Obama: Speaking Out: Expansion: Congress: Budget: Times Herald: Michael McCarthy writes: Obama ought to call for a new, expanded Peace Corps
Michael McCarthy writes: Obama ought to call for a new, expanded Peace Corps
"I urge President Barack Obama, as soon as possible after inauguration, to challenge the American people to a new level of service -- a renewed expanded Peace Corps/AmeriCorps. Recruit us to a new, informed, competent, nonviolent national service that includes, but goes way beyond, the Peace Corps' 9,000 volunteers and AmeriCorps' 75,000."
Michael McCarthy writes: Obama ought to call for a new, expanded Peace Corps
Point of view: President ought to call for a new, expanded Peace Corps
January 22, 2009
I urge President Barack Obama, as soon as possible after inauguration, to challenge the American people to a new level of service -- a renewed expanded Peace Corps/AmeriCorps. Recruit us to a new, informed, competent, nonviolent national service that includes, but goes way beyond, the Peace Corps' 9,000 volunteers and AmeriCorps' 75,000.
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It would be a call to young and old -- for two years of service -- to help solve international conflicts and meet local needs. Learning a foreign language would be one of the main weapons of the resurgent Peace Corps, aided by cooperation between university language departments and State Department Foreign Service school resources.
The military would be invited to share in this development of language and cultural competency.
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" and the world. Investment in a national nonviolent service project should rival the amount spent for the armed services. Let's get serious about peacemaking.
Kwame Kilpatrick, Eliot Spitzer and other failed elected officials may have fallen by the wayside, hamstrung by the weight of power and their own transgressions, but watch out Wall Street, Washington politicos and swift boaters all. Move over Karl Rove and Charlie Black and Co. It's Martin Luther King Jr.'s spirit that got out the vote for Barack Obama! MLK's spirit is moving in our land.
It's time America casts off the shackles of its prejudices and listens to its multiracial heartbeat. Embrace the politics of hope and reject the politics of fear. It's time to stop cowering behind the wall of Homeland Security enforced by a military-industrial-petroleum complex.
Let's boldly go out into the world with diplomacy and understanding and faith in God as our shield, our inspiration.
We need to be on the deep and true offensive and go beyond the limits of the Marine Corps. We must bring real conflict resolution with a fully-equipped Peace Corps. We need to invest our billions to meet the Millennium Challenge -- to eliminate poverty in the world and stimulate its creative industry.
Where our treasure is, our hearts also will be. We need to stop producing the world's most advanced, expensive weaponry and repent of these evil means and beat these swords into plowshares.
It's our destiny as the most powerful and diverse nation to lead the world toward the promised land of disarmament, security provided. This will be achieved by social -- not military -- investment. Continuing on the treacherous path -- robbing the poor by rewarding the rich with massive defense contracts -- will kill us body and soul in the end.
The peaceable kingdom does exist here on Earth if we all begin to put away the sword. There is enough bread and fish to feed the multitudes. Martin Luther King Jr. and his Lord and Savior led the way.
We must become our birthright -- beloved communities standing tall for truth, justice and a spiritually expansive American way.
The spirit of King is with us. The forces of negativity cannot stop the idea. It is the hope-filled belief in the goodness of humanity whose time has finally come to the USA.
# Michael McCarthy of Port Huron is a leader of Blue Water Pax Christi, a Catholic peace organization.
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Headlines: January, 2009; Presidents - Obama; Speaking Out; Expansion; Congress; Budget
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Story Source: Times Herald
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Obama; Speaking Out; Expansion; Congress; Budget
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