I mentioned in my previous post that one of my “qualities” is that I can truly give people the benefit of the doubt. I presume the best of intentions from everyone (perhaps because I know my heart, and I only have the best of intentions for everyone I know – and don’t know – around me) and that extends even to people whom I disagree with.

Like our current president, Barack Obama.

I really don’t agree with anything he is doing or wants to do with our government, but if you have time to listen to what he says (and, if you actually do listen to what he says) in the full version of the speech I mentioned previously, perhaps you’ll agree with me that perhaps Obama shouldn’t be in the office of President, but would be more suited as an “activist” or whatever you want to call such a person? Someone like Martin Luther King, Jr… who did not hold any political office, but was superb at championing the rights of people who were not being treated equally, as our Declaration of Independence declares that we do.

If you listen to his words… he’s right. America can be changed (for the good) from the ground up. There’s the key. And perhaps even he has missed it. (Which is one reason why I still have some reluctance to believe what he says…) The key is from the ground up. As president, he is trying to affect change from the top down. Making government policies to mobilize the citizenry to “community service” is more coercive than culture changing. Sure, good things may happen, but people aren’t responding to the “call to service” … they are responding the the authority of the government.

I really don’t think that funding such endeavors with people’s tax money (money that is required to be given) will ultimately affect the change he wants. (Also, I know that we do not HAVE the money he is wanting to invest in these programs. National debt is off-the-charts ridiculous, and the deficit (expenses vs income) is equally ridiculous, even though we the people are also ridiculously overtaxed in every way.)

I believe Barack Obama could be (maybe is?) a great leader of people from the ground up. But perhaps he would be more effective in doing that in a non-governmental role? He may get that chance in 2012 … I don’t think he’ll disappear from the public scene any time soon. Maybe if someone else were to take his place as president, he could affect the change in thinking that he seems to want to bring to America – a more involved, others-oriented way of doing life.

That would not be a bad thing. Let’s just not have the government mandate it.

Related Links:
United We Serve annoucement (whitehouse.gov)
Serve.gov (locate or post opportunities to serve near you)
Local Volunteer opportunities @ CraigsList (CraigsList.org)

(There are tons more… just Google “opportunities to serve” or “Volunteer opportunities” or check with your local Salvation Army. It is good to serve.)

I’ve heard this audio clip a few times, so I looked it up and found this YouTube clip. What is he talking about? Seriously? Isn’t our military the most well-funded in the world? First, where will he get the money to equal or best that funding for a “civilian national security force” (there are some sources given in the volokh.com link below), and, second… what in the world is that most-well-funded-security-force-in-the-world for? Why not just bolster military funding?

To me… this is a very troubling sound clip. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, so perhaps the wording he chose was just, well, poorly chosen. From what I’ve found, he does just want to get people more involved in community service. But why call it a “national security force”? Again, it’s still troubling… but here are some more links for you to research for yourself.

UPDATE: After listening to the full-length speech below, it definitely does give more context. One thing is for sure about Barack Obama… he can definitely deliver a prepared speech. In context, in summary, his desire is to motivate each citizen of our country to give their time to helping other people, doing things that serve the community. Those two lines from the video above are a very poor choice of words (at least). I still do not agree with most of what the president has done (ridiculous “stimulus” package using money that doesn’t exist, managing/interfering with private industry (auto industry), and a tax-funded health care system – which is now apparently “on hold“) but I would say in the context of this one political speech, Obama’s remarks are less cause for concern.

Related links:
H.R. 675: Building Obama’s National Security Force (infowars.com)
Funding Barack Obama’s “civilian national security force.” (volokh.com)

(Unfortunately, I could not find the full transcript from any official site, including whitehouse.gov, but I did find the full version of the video.)