"Mandatory Volunteers"

This newest product of the Hope and Change newspeakers reminds me of the beginning of one of my favorite films, 12 Monkeys. The scene is an underground prison on a post-apocalyptic Earth where experiments are being performed by a fascist dictatorship comprised of scientists upon unwilling "volunteers". Bruce Willis plays James Cole, the next in the unfortunate line.

Guard: Volunteer duty!
James Cole: I didn't volunteer.
Guard: You causing trouble again?
James Cole: No, no trouble.

Click it for the sound. Funny. Well, the idea of "volunteer duty" was funny to us until the fascist regime controlling "higher" education is engaging in a similar misuse of the word volunteer in the real world. It's depressing to read through, especially this part:

The potential for interfering with particular colleges' religious and moral visions is vast. Should a Catholic college be obliged to give community-service credit to a student who volunteers for Planned Parenthood? Conversely, how would the politically liberal professors and deans at secular colleges feel about their students' working for an organization opposed to same-sex marriage? Allowing college administrators or federal regulators to draw up lists of which volunteer activities are acceptable and which are not would create serious constitutional and other legal problems.

Great. More "wars" to fight on campus. Here's the conclusion:

The most cogent argument, however, against removing the volunariness from volunteer work is that it undercuts the very idea of volunteering: the free gift of one's time and service to benefit the community as a whole. Volunteering is a good thing--and increasing numbers of college students agree. As Molly Corbett pointed out in her letter, 6.7 million college students volunteered in 2008, up from 4.2 million in 2000. But volunteering isn't for everyone, certainly not for low-income students with family responsibilities and perhaps not for many middle-income students as well. Nonetheless, making community service mandatory as a condition for graduation is currently a trend at high schools, and it's clear that many members of Congress think mandatory community service might be good for college students as well. The Treasury and Education departments have the power to say no to this bad idea, however, and they should listen to the college administrators and others who oppose it.

Nothing like taking the virtue out of human activity. Who enjoys that the most? "At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds."