My dream...serving the common good.

I have a dream. And a solution, of sorts, for some of our country’s and the world’s many problems. Everything from the need for respite care for Alzheimer care-givers to helping the poor and impoverished people of the world. I’m for mandatory national service. Right here in America. Every able-bodied and able-minded young American would be required to join, to give two years of serving the common good. Maybe we’d call it the Common Good Corps. I’d also encourage retired senior citizens to join the corps, voluntarily. The idea is to have vast numbers of citizens available to help people in need and for serving the nation’s and the world’s common good. The draftees and volunteers would be allowed to choose from a variety of public service. Some may even choose the military. Others could choose strictly peaceful service, such as working at nursing homes and hospitals or in projects aimed at helping poor and destitute and needy people. Just think of what could be accomplished from all this. We’d set an example for the rest of the world. And gain great respect for America, too. And at the same time we Americans would gain respect for ourselves – for working for the common good. I also have a hunch that after our two-year stints of service, many of us would become hooked…and work for the common good for the rest of our lives. Yes, that’s my dream...serving the common good. --Jim Broede