Ron Kovic, Cindy Sheehan, sons, daughters and the World Service Corps

Born gung-ho on the 4th of July, Ron Kovic went to serve. Returning as a wheelchair bound Marine, he became the chained-to-the fence symbol of resistance to the Vietnam War.

Over there, Kovic lost his legs and his idealized image of America. Often he thought, “What more could I give, or the nation take?”

Casey Sheehan volunteered to serve in Afghanistan and died in Iraq. He returned to mom under our triangulated flag. Cindy Sheehan uses her son’s belief in the flag to pitch tents and questions, becoming the symbol of resistance to the Iraq War.

In setting up Camp Casey amidst supporters and protesters, Cindy often said, “What more can they do to me, they took my son.”

America runs on laws. If the nation wants fewer Camp Casey’s, grieving moms, and wheel-chaired Vets, then create law that reduces misunderstandings, ignorance, suffering, terrorists, poorly formed policies, and the likelihood of wars. Citizens can do that by leading Congress into introducing and enacting People’s Lobby’s citizen-initiated World Service Corps proposals into law.

If you disdain the policies that sent loved ones into harm’s way, more Kovics, Sheehans, and demonstrations won’t significantly lower the likelihood of future administrations sending sons and daughters into costly wars.

Only when millions of Americans from all income and power levels better understand the global village, through practical experiences in it, will we dramatically reduce the number of policies that take loved ones’ lives and limbs.

How do we get enough first-hand American experiences to reduce dramatically the future number of bloody, costly policies?

Enacting the citizen-initiated World Service Corps (WSC) proposed congressional legislation will significantly lower the likelihood of future wars.

If enacted in this Congress, then each year for the next seven years approximately 140,000 Americans would voluntarily choose to serve in their choice of the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, etc. By the seventh year one million American World Service Corps members, or .6th of 1% of those aged 20-60, would annually serve at home or abroad for at least the ensuing 20 years, whereupon Congress could consider sun-setting the WSC legislation.

A nationwide grassroots movement pushing Congress to introduce and pass the WSC proposals would:
• Save tens of thousands of future lives.
• Reduce the hatred and ugliness increasingly fired at our soldiers and other world citizens.
• Trim the skyrocketing and unsustainable cost of maintaining our military, which if unchecked will turn America into a second-class economy.
• Help build a safer, fairer world, as idealized Americas are idolized as able to do.
• Allow a significant chunk of Americans to form their worldviews through serving in its pockets of need, and thereby
• Have their experienced opinions then prepare them to debate slanted or limited news sources.

What would cause Americans to volunteer for the WSC?

Americans have an innate desire to serve, build, do good, and play on good teams, especially in troubling times. In addition, the legislation offers cost effective financial incentives that are less than 1/6th those offered our military volunteers and would have a particularly beneficial educational and economic effect on America’s low and middle classes. Upon completion of service, volunteers would receive their choice of:
• Two years of community plus two years of state college tuition, approximately $15,000.
• Equivalent educational loan pay off or contribution to community educational scholarship fund.
• Equivalent investment in Medical or IRA Accounts.
All of the above would be transferable to family relatives.

With the influx of the young, baby boomers, and career breakers, the participating non-governmental and governmental organizations would competently handle the increase of can-do Americans into their organizations and more quickly improve the world.

If you believe:
• The WSC’s organizations perform the magic of true nation building.
• A million can-do Americans a year can increase that magic.

Then read the proposals and help create law that reduces wars, ignorance, and poverty. Visit http://www.worldservicecorps.us. Sign the on-line Petition and consider helping in other ways.