(CNN) –On the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama each take the stage to discuss service and civic engagement in a forum at Columbia University.
What do you think of their ideas? How does the role of service determine what kind of nation we live in? What does national service mean to you?
Along with CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley, CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider, CNN Political Analyst Roland Martin, and Republican strategist Bay Buchanan, thousands of you weighed in.
Click "comments" below for a look at the entire conversation.
From CNN Politics
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Where are the tough questions? This seems like a kumba yah fest.
I feel we should all get together and have a group hug.
If he mentions the war story 1 more time ... I am gonna cry....
Bill...that is it in a nutshell..he tap dances around the how's. I also want to hear how they will pay for all this.
There are so many ways to serve this country he says but he has been bashing community organizers for two weeks now.
JoHN, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE TALKING ABOUT THE MILITARY. THIS MAN CAN'T WAIT TO GET US INTO ANOTHER WAR!!!
Compulsory service question– His base (rich folks) wouldn't stand for it. They would just come up with ways to get around it, just like our current president
If you want to build the military bigger, You need to get rid of blackwater. They take many people who would otherwise reinlist.
it's kinda ironic that mccain is trying to preach community service...of ALL people
War! War!! War!!! Remove war from McCain acceptance speech and what do we have? NOTHING
Whoa. McCain criticizes Columbia University (where the forum is being held) for not allowing ROTC on campus.
Ronald Martin, is all for obama...
There's been just too much focus on the military aspect of service. McCain's comfortable with this. He needs to be asked hard questions on funding to community organisations, volunteering on the street, etc.
Roland he was talking about the same Columbia U that the Iranian president gave a talk than then YES they have no ROTC
You don't remember the 'they have Iranian president but not allow the ROTC)
There should more questions have to be answered by Palin, she must not get away this easy. Her records are twisted, and she is hiding from the press tells me something. It is very scary to think about her being in the White House, she is not qualified person. Reps can't use the sexism issue her, it is about the country, it is about the people, time to sit down and talk.
Roland is right! I don't get this forum!
I can't wait to hear sen obama on his service
McCain can't answer a question. How about his appearance on Leno around the time of the houses issue. Leno, as a joke, asked him, "For one million dollars, how many houses do you own?" McCain proceeded to talk about his time without a home while he was a POW. He finally answered the question about 7 minutes later.
Why did Palin disparage community organizing if McCain is now talking about it as honorable to find new ways of serving?
why in gods name are people voting for mccain just because they feel bad he was a p.o.w
Bill, here's just the one thing I don't understand and I value your impartial analysis quite highly. How is it possible to be successful campaigning against Congress when you've been a member of that Congress for the last 30 years and for 12 of the last 14, your party's been in the majority? Is John McCain saying HE'S part of the problem?
Reform washington, Come on, he's going to continue Bush's plans, hows that going to reform anything?
dusty – no, not everyone. anyone who actually researched the news and did not let the MSM propaganda fool them knew the Iraq war was a lie. Only then, you called us unpatriotic and told us to leave the country. I will never vote for a Republican again – you can only call me a traitor so many times – even tho I am a 100% disabled vet.
The facts were there – oh yea, Obama also said no to the Iraq war.
Only monday morning qb's are the ones who were too lazy or too bellicose to look at the facts.
The company I work for (a large financial services corporation) allows and encourages us to volunteer up to 40 hours per year with pay.
From Charles Gibson intreview with Governor Palin:
When asked by Gibson if under the NATO treaty, the U.S. would have to go to war if Russia again invaded Georgia, Palin responded: "Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help.
BUT....Georgia is not a member of NATO.
Will the election winner open a new 9/11 investigation?