Synthesis Essay: Why Nonmilitary Needs

By examining the relationship between an individual’s level of volunteerism and his or her support of social welfare spending, this research

Some people suggest that everyone between the ages of 18 and 21 should be required to perform one year of community or government service. Such service might include the Peace Corps, Environmental Conservancy Corps, a hospital, the military, a rural or inner-city school, or other community outreach projects. I believe forcing the service of any group of people is a bad idea. In this case, three reasons come to mind as to what makes this idea bad. First, I see this as a form of indentured servitude, even though the folks may earn a paycheck. Second, I feel that this idea takes away from the idea of the United States being a free place to live. And third, much like the idea

However, a majority of Americans still don’t perceive volunteering as an issue and the reason for this is our thought process. Our thought process is controlled through perception, which motivates a deeper idea which we tend to act upon. Imagine if everyone perceived volunteering as necessary, people would come together as a whole and volunteer in different areas, changing the world through selfless acts.

Since the year 2011 there has a been an ongoing decrease in volunteers throughout the United States. The United States is also at the lowest volunteer rate that it has ever been.

Throughout my high school career I have enjoyed exploring numerous different ways to volunteer in the community. My first reason for even beginning to volunteer, was in order to get service hours needed for college applications and awards. Despite my original intentions, I have grown to realize it is about the people who are being affected by my actions and not about the amount of hours I put into giving back.

In American society, helping those that are less fortunate has always served as one of our core values. Benjamin Franklin is credited as the first volunteer when he founded a volunteer firefighting company in 1736. During the Civil War, Ladies’ Aid Societies came together providing linen for bandages, wrappings, and many other cloth items. Often times, the volunteer willingly makes concessions in their own schedule to help others or provide services for charitable organizations. What motivates the volunteer to sacrifice their own time in the service of others? In this paper, I will address a variety of factors that drive the individual to give back to their community.

Americans have lost their sense of service. According to the Pew Research Center, fewer than 1% of all Americans currently serve in the military. This is significantly lower than the 9 percent that served in the 1940s. In addition, volunteering is on the decline. Just 25% of citizens volunteered in 2013, compared with almost 30% in 2003, and more in earlier eras. This lack of civic service threatens the nation. However, it could be remedied by requiring all Americans to volunteer for at least one year.

As a child, I was taught that the Public Good is anything and almost everything that is beneficial not only to most of the members of our society, but especially to those who are among the weakest and the most vulnerable. Sometimes, in order to achieve a Public Good, sacrifices are necessary, but the line between Ethical and Good may sometimes become muddled. Nonetheless, my definition of the Public Good includes products or services provided by non-profit organizations, welfare programs, and information or technologies that lead to the increased well-being of others. The way I was brought up through both my parental socialization and elementary education has been fundamental to my personal understanding of the Public Good.

In today’s society, the idea of doing something for free might sound strange. Especially in the United States, society has based itself on profit. However, volunteering has become popular in recent decades. It can be said that everyone should at least once in their lifetime try volunteering due to a number of reasons.

The choices are so vast for volunteering in America. The religious based groups always teach to give of yourself to others. You have all the schools teaching the importance to give of yourself whenever you can to people that are less fortunate than you. The military is based on volunteering. You are expected to volunteer. The thought goes so deep not volunteering has a direct impact on a person’s performance report. The government in an obscure way is having a direct impact on teaching society when you volunteer you are having a positive effect on the less fortunate. People that are fortunate enough to have the time might have had a person they know go blind. They can see directly the negative impact this has on their friend or family member.

My honest opinion about this subject is the same as the second arguement. Why should we force people to volunteer? Volunteering should come from the heart, not forced.

In 2015, an estimated 62.6 million people volunteered in America (“Volunteering in the United States, 2015”). Although these volunteers all came from diverse ethnicities, they were united in one goal: to better the country they lived in. Volunteering involves ordinary people coming together to make their dreams their realities. The effects of volunteering not only affects the area or persons who were helped, but the people who volunteered as well. Volunteers may choose to give their time to a cause to improve their health, to meet like-minded people, and to contribute to an organization that is important to them.

Is the definition of a good citizen one that needs to be forced to do such actions? I believe that defeats the purpose of what it means to dedicate your time to others and be truly altruistic. What does it mean to genuinely give your time to others? It does not mean that one gives away something as precious as the time we are given because they have been incentivised to do so.

A study conducted by volunteering Australia found that volunteers were much more likely to be involved community members than those who didn’t volunteer.

Washington-Lee High School successfully operated a no requirement volunteer system and were able to help their community (Bahrampour, 78). This only proves that systems with no mandated service can work, but makes no claims on if they are more efficient or if mandated systems are not beneficial. This case study proves volunteer work can have positive effects, effects that can be multiplied under a mandated system. “Two studies suggest that community service requirements can have negative effects on students’ intentions to volunteer freely in the future but only when students feel they aren’t ready to volunteer or that the requirement is too controlling” (Stukas, Mark, Clary, 78-79). These studies do not present sufficient reason to not mandate civil service, as this lack of future was easily mitigated when the system was applied with student freedom, even in students who were not ready to volunteer. A system applied poorly will have poor results, but that is not a reason not to use the system. Arguments against mandating civil service fail to provide sufficient warrant to prove their