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This is a great idea. Imagine free or sliding scale day care in every zip code. And yes, this would also help us rebuild the military. And why not serve a year securing the border? 18 year old single parents could spend the year learning how to parent. Or would it be more progressive to enable a lifetime of entitlement and dependency? I am saddened but not shocked by the initial negative response.

I just love when an old politician makes young people do things they didn't have to.

And the emergency response volunteers: isn't that what the national guard is for? Oh right they're busy fighting wars they're not supposed to be involved in, silly me

Dear Senator Dodd,
Are you proposing the American Public be conscripted to build the wall on our southern border because politicians like you don't have the courage to do it with our tax money?
Don't bother, millions of us will volunteer. The Minutemen already have, spending their own money to do the work the American citizenry wants done. We reject spineless politicians who try to hold power over the citizens of the United States of America.

Well, there'e one less candidate to consider voting for. At what point did politicians decide that they had the right to force anyone, especially minors, into unpaid labor? If my children perform volunteer work, it will be because they choose to do so, and I allow it. This is not within the jo description of any politician to dictate.

I noticed that Dodd did not encourage military service. At a time when our military is trying to increase its size, what message is he trying to send by ignoring military service?

*Fought on

Mandatory service is the highest expression of democracy? Do you have any idea what the Revolutionary War was founded on? You know, liberty, freedom, dissenting from an oppressive government, etc.?

Taxes are mandatory in this country, just as the draft used to be. In ancient Greece all able CITIZENS had the PRIVILAGE of serving in the army; same in the Roman Republic. It was when they stopped such requirements that their civilizations started to fail. Mandatory service is not against the traditions of democracy, it may be the highest expression

Forced labor is slavery, whatever the intent. In America, people should be FREE to contribute or not, however they like.

Mandatory? This used to be America...

Dodd must have never read the Constitution, as involuntary servitude is obviously prohibited by the 13th ammendment.

Are these politicians in complete disconnect with reality? How enraging!

This is essentially "mandatory community service" for young people.

It's not enough that illegal immigrants have taken summer jobs from young americans, now you want them to do community service while the illegals are doing summer work?

And on the topic of disaster response -what is FEMA, etc doing besides costing us millions of tax dollars and failing miserably during a crisis like Katrina? You already tax us 50-60% of our income, now you want us to volunteer our little remaining free time to do what these organizations are there for?

Here's an idea. Stop outsourcing of our jobs so we have time and money to donate to time or money to organizations like this. Stop allowing illegal immigrants to enter this country and depress our wages so we can focus on fixing what is wrong with our country. Stop printing money to pay for your wars and raising inflation, which depresses our wages.

Or are you more interested in profits for your corporate allies then your constituents, senator?

Next on the agenda – a draft, aka "young people giving to America" More young people being sent to Iraq/Iran to be murdered for big business interests. And it will have some quaint name/idea like this to sell it.