February 2, 2002
Column #1066
BUSH AN INSPIRATIONAL LEADER
President George Bush moved America to a new
level of commitment to serve others in his State of the Union.
First, he chillingly defined America's crisis:
"Most of the 19 men who hijacked planes on September the 11th were
trained in Afghanistan's camps. And so were tens of thousands of others"
who "are now spread throughout the world like ticking time bombs, set to
go off without warning." Where? Captured documents in Afghanistan
included diagrams of America's nuclear plants, public water facilities
and city landmarks.
Second, he outlined government's response,
such as a big increase in military spending and homeland defense.
Third, he praised a new "bravery and
generosity of ordinary citizens" which gave America a glimpse of "a new
culture of responsibility." He thanked flight attendants for saving
hundreds of lives by spotting a terrorist lighting a match to a shoe
with explosives.
And he declared that after September 11th "It
was as if our entire country looked into a mirror and saw our better
selves. We were reminded that we are citizens with obligations to each
other, to our country, and to history. We began to think less of the
goods we can accumulate, and more about the good we can do.
"For too long our culture has said, `If it
feels good, do it.' Now America is embracing a new ethic, and a new
creed, `Let's roll'" -- Todd Beamer's call to overpower terrorists on
Flight 93, preventing the plane from crashing into Washington.
The President movingly asserted, "We want to
be a nation that serves goals larger than self. We have been offered a
unique opportunity, and we must not let this moment pass."
Then President Bush blew a clear trumpet call
to arms, "My call tonight is for every American to commit at least two
years 4,000 hours over the rest of your lifetime to the service of your
neighbors and your nation."
Bush's call is far more specific and demanding
than Kennedy's, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you
can do for your country." Kennedy did create the Peace Corps, which at
one point had 15,000 volunteers, but is now less than half as big. Bush
plans to double its size, with many volunteers going to Afghanistan.
More important, the President invited people
to consider joining "the new USA Freedom Corps," a goal of which is
homeland security. He counseled, "America needs retired doctors and
nurses who can be mobilized in major emergencies, volunteers to help
police and fire departments, transportation and utility workers well
trained in spotting danger."
"Our country also needs citizens working
to rebuild our communities. We need mentors to love children, especially
(the 2 million) children whose parents are in prison. And we need more
talented teachers in troubled schools."
The USA Freedom Corps will expand some
existing programs. The Senior Corps, now 500,000 people who help the
frail elderly, will grow to 600,000. The AmeriCorps, a domestic Peace
Corps started by President Clinton to serve the poor (over stout
Republican opposition), will grow from 50,000 to 75,000. These
volunteers are paid a $9,300 a year (the minimum wage) plus $4,725 of
tuition for college after a year of service.
A totally new initiative is a Citizen Corps of
Americans to volunteer in homeland security efforts in their own
communities. This new volunteer arm of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency will be directed by local Citizen Corps Councils who
will assess possible threats, identifying where volunteers might help
law enforcement, fire and emergency services, businesses, schools,
hospitals, reservoirs, etc.
Some volunteers will be paid a stipend. The
President is seeking $560 million of new funding for the USA Freedom
Corps.
When President Bush mentioned the need to
recruit retired doctors and nurses, I thought of Eileen Cranmer, the
mother of my daughter-in-law. She's a retired nurse who lives alone and
has some health problems. Asked for her reactions, she told me, "The
minute I heard it, I thought of myself, `I could do that!' When my leg
is better I am going to volunteer as a nurse. I thought the speech was
wonderful."
John Gardner, a member of Lyndon Johnson's
Cabinet, in a book "On Leadership" wrote, : "Leaders must not only have
their own commitments, they must move the rest of us toward commitment.
They call us to the sacrifices necessary to achieve our goals."
President Bush did that magnificently.
A day later he declared "At home, you fight
evil with acts of goodness...If somebody out there is interested in
figuring out how to serve, its 1-877-USA-CORPS."
Copyright 2002 Michael J. McManus. |