Mandatory "civil service" from 16-20 years old - unify teens, form relationship, find problems

So I was thinking about the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) and I think the have to join at 16 years old and thought that something similar could be very beneficial in this society, especially in today's age with the disconnection of teens from the reality of the world with their absorption in the online world. The "service" would be a set of various programs that could have a broad range. They could be local, regional, in-state, out of state/national, etc. They would either take classes and or do activities where they learn things or help the community in some way. Maybe some go to a disaster area for the year(s) after it hits and help people recover. There is basically an ENDLESS list of possible ideas which could be implemented and some very interesting activities and or classes could be created where people could learn about others, the country, topics, etc. They could partner with college, univ & trade schools so kids can maybe get an idea of what they may want to study when they graduate.

Having a program like this would give the kids a commonality, which is sorely missing these days. The commonality they have is Facebook and, for most, school (which many seem to hate - often with good reason). While a program like this may not be the perfect solution, I think it would give a lot of opportunities and offer tremendous growth to those going through it. This would also be a place where they could learn skills to handle personal problems (as in - a class on how to handle personal crisis or someone else going through crisis). With the number of people suffering from addiction and the number of traumatized vets, the number of crimes the last few years, the natural disasters, suicide/teen suicide, bullying, the influx of illegal immigrants - all of these at record numbers, learning how to handle someone in crisis or at least what to do, how to act themselves, would be very beneficial. Even if only 1 in 10 people encounter a crisis or person in crisis in their life, that is a large amount and training could really help the station and help it not escalate.

Going through this program would allow for some kind of screening of the people as well. They would be able to find out if people had violence tenancies or acted aggressively. They would have a more objective viewpoint when seeing these kids as they change every few weeks/months and every year, so people could learn how to spot potential problems.

IDK, I'm just trying to think of ways that these shooting would stop and I think having the kids have a better bond or at least commonality would be helpful as well as a screening process of some kind. I'd like to hear what others think of this even if they don't think it would work or help with the screening or identifying possible shooters.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

So, toss out all freedom in any personal choice, and force kids into service for this or that? No, thanks. We came too close to that with the O youth, last administration. Serving in that sort of way is supposed to be voluntary, not forced. Ou youth are not slaves.

Not in a free country, but you could use community service as an extra credit type class for older kids, or as a tax write-off for adults.

originally posted by: DigginFoTroof
IDK, I'm just trying to think of ways that these shooting would stop and I think having the kids have a better bond or at least commonality would be helpful as well as a screening process of some kind. I'd like to hear what others think of this even if they don't think it would work or help with the screening or identifying possible shooters.

As a veteran, I don't believe any free country should have conscription or any mandatory government service. However, I do think that everyone benefits from serving in the military for some time.

The problems that cause people to engage in any mass murder are numerous and entirely societies fault, not the fault of any weapon or law or lack of in existence. Society has become increasingly narcissistic, greedy and immoral. The decline in religion and the importance of faith in society en mass and in individual lives is a major component as we have grown increasingly secular. There has also been a decline in marriages and families. Another major contributing factor is the ever increasing use of drugs, mainly prescriptions.

If we were to round up every gun in the US and drop them in the middle of the Vatican, would the murder rate in that city state suddenly sky rocket? Certainly not.

Why is it the flag-fornicating patriots seem to think anything not US or freedom deep-throating is bad, but going compulsory conscription like them foreign folks is ok? Good god, be consistent. You all got secret hard-ons for NoKo or something?

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Not in a free country, but you could use community service as an extra credit type class for older kids, or as a tax write-off for adults.

Mandatory military service is one thing you can delay but it's unavoidable.

I'm in my 50s but ready to defend this country if I have to.

Freedom is not free.

originally posted by: Trueman

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Not in a free country, but you could use community service as an extra credit type class for older kids, or as a tax write-off for adults.

Mandatory military service is one thing you can delay but it's unavoidable.

I'm in my 50s but ready to defend this country if I have to.

Freedom is not free.

No it's not unavoidable.

It's unfortunate that so many were forced to serve and die in that scam in Vietnam, but those days are over. We have no trouble meeting recruiting and retention goals in today's all volunteer service.

An as an active duty 17 year veteran, I already have to put up with enough dirtbags, I don't want to have to deal with more dirtbags who are forced to be here.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

What you are saying is war is good, it unites people under the threat of a common enemy, no time for suicides and #metoo when your friends are dying from enemy bullets.

True Liberation is forcing people to do things

yep, and how long would it take for the kids of the rich and famous to cry out....
oh, my bone spurs!!!!

there's plenty of volunteer opportunities out there for anyone of any age to take part in if they wish... and many kids do. look at how many just decided to hop into their cars and travel to the hurricane hit areas to help out..

Some people here are describing it like a Jr military program, but I'm seeing more of a job corps initiative that gives teens those few years experience and financial headstart that means the difference between flipping burgers or being single parents and maybe getting into a college or a similarly intelligent beginning to a productive and stable career. It's important to distinguish this from a national reserve occupation as its not about training our youth to be soldiers or pawns, but more about teaching them the basics of recognizing a problem, finding a solution, executing it without delay, and applying this attitude practically as adults in a challenging world that doesn't give you breaks. I dig the federal job corps flavor of this "compulsory conscription" thing. If public schools can do it, then so should the labor industry. Give our kids the experience they need so they are adequately prepared for the hard grind of being responsible taxpayers.

a reply to: watchitburn

Thank you for your service. You must think what if the next battlefield is in your own land and you get forced to take a side. The country is devided between those who treasure American values and those who believe we should be something like whatever Germany and other countries are now.

Besides the psychiatric meds, which I think are helping to cause the mass shooter problem, the other problem is kids who don't fit in anywhere. I've always felt it would be a good idea to have a club at high school,, a "Friendship Club" as you will, whose focus is to find the outcasts in the lunchroom cafeteria and include them, befriend them, encourage them, make them feel they are not alone. It wouldn't just be a lunchtime thing, the outcasts would also need to be included in some after school activities and encouraged to join school clubs. This is a lot to ask of teenagers, but all you would really need is a small group of them, the ones that want to do something to help. It may sound artificial but I think it would be worth a try.

Sal

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Despite all my various Avatars, this is what I was doing at 19 years of age.

We were mocked then, as we are mocked now. The difference..... then it was by people who had some idea of what sex they were, what country they identified with, and those confident in their patriotism or lack of it.

You had to work in that world, contribute and make your way by your own initiative .......... There were no generational welfare communities nor sanctuary cities hiding fugitives, illegal aliens, drug runners, rapists and murderers.

We could agree to disagree, not riot, loot and burn at every turn. People had respect for other peoples property. God had not become a dividing factor, and reprobate was reprobate, not the trendiest fashion.

Should there be a mandatory civil service ? No...... but there should be no reward for choosing to not participate. In the same breath there should be rewards for doing so. Credits that reduce college costs, also tax incentives, and first time home buyer programs. Perhaps even incentives in the medical cost arena.

NOT FAIR you say....... One would expect this sort of response from parasites afraid of losing their host and Free ride. Those who contribute NOTHING, but expect others to support them.

The world is not energy drinks, video games, smoking dope, producing offspring for no apparent reason other than the monthly allotment in $'s one might get, and then abandoning those same children to grow up as dysfunctional adults.

But most don't want to hear it.... the truth when it comes too close to home....hurts.

No participation trophies, no hiding places, and defined decency policies when out in public.

Think people..... solutions exist....
We seem to be in the time of Caligula.... prior to the fall of the Roman Empire.

Hedonism is celebrated, perversions are left unchecked, and decay by drugs have become a persons right... so, how's that working for you ?
Solutions abound, it's just that some take enormous amounts of effort, while most do not, but instead a simple moral compass.

originally posted by: Nyiah
You all got secret hard-ons for NoKo or something?

I do, but only because the haircuts are so cool.

a reply to: Trueman

I'll side with the American people and the Constitution. That's an easy choice.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Yeah, uh, no.

Please.

No.

I like the idea of the youth mandatorily joining a government run group. It's worked out so well in the past, what could possible go wrong this time?

originally posted by: DBCowboy
I do, but only because the haircuts are so cool.

Everyone has a Moe.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

I could understand paid summer internships like this, but only if it's voluntary for the kids.

Now that that's out of the way, I have a number of problems with your proposal. Most of them have already been mentioned by others, but one of your paragraphs sticks out the most to me. I'll break it down and my responses to each part in it.

Having a program like this would give the kids a commonality, which is sorely missing these days. The commonality they have is Facebook and, for most, school (which many seem to hate - often with good reason).

This seems like a contradiction of itself. Webster's definition of commonality is "possession of common features or attributes" (HERE). Social media, online gaming, and other online activities actually increase commonality, not decrease it. It's easier now for people from all over the world get to communicate, learn from each other, and form bonds over common ideals than at any other time in recorded history. And students in the past also had school (with an equal level of disdain for it), but their school life was often the limits to their social lives.

While a program like this may not be the perfect solution, I think it would give a lot of opportunities and offer tremendous growth to those going through it.

So would a part time job, a summer internship, a job shadowing assignment, etc (all of which I had at one point during my high school years). And other cultures do a voluntary yearlong break after high school (a "Gap Year") where they travel the world or their country to try to get a better feel for what they want to do with their lives. Neither of these programs has to involve govt jobs or govt programs.

This would also be a place where they could learn skills to handle personal problems (as in - a class on how to handle personal crisis or someone else going through crisis). With the number of people suffering from addiction and the number of traumatized vets, the number of crimes the last few years, the natural disasters, suicide/teen suicide, bullying, the influx of illegal immigrants - all of these at record numbers, learning how to handle someone in crisis or at least what to do, how to act themselves, would be very beneficial.

No offense, but this is the part where you really lost me. Did it really never occur to you that 16-20 years are already encountering these things in their homes, neighborhoods, extended families? Broken homes, addiction issues, criminal relatives, traumatized vets, etc can all be found to some degree in every single extended family in the country. And do you seriously think that natural disasters have somehow spared the families of 16-20 year olds?

I really think you should go look at some stats on this issue because it seems like you've bought into some crazy stereotype of the youth that simply doesn't fit reality. Did you know that for the 2013-2014 school year, roughly 1.4 million American students were homeless (HERE)? And perhaps you should go look at the percent of students facing food insecurity, child abuse at home, or extreme poverty?

Just think this through. When a company lays off a lot of people, do you consider that some of those former employees have children? Well now they're learning from first hand experience about job loss and economic uncertainty. In a country that holds the highest imprisoned population in the world, who thinks about the children of those incarcerated people? Because once the parent is gone, the kids/youths are officially living in broken homes. And every time a drug addiction, drunk driving, suicide, or murder/suicide ends a life here, some of those youths lose a parent, a sibling, an uncle/aunt, a neighbor, etc.

Every social crisis in this country already affects children & youths. If anything, it's the govt officials who should be learning about the problems the youth are actually facing right now.