The honeymoon might be over. The president-elect has indicated where his priorities lie.

With problems besetting the United States on any number of fronts, we think it is disturbing that one of the first items posted at Change.gov, the incoming president’s website, announces that students will be required to perform community service.

Not asked, not presented with a choice so parents can make a decision, but required.

DBKP had planned on reserving comment on the incoming Obama administration until it had actually taken power. We figured that regardless of differences, Barack Obama deserved the benefit of the doubt and a chance to propose policies before we criticized them.

The Obama president-elect’s website changed all that with the announcement–just three days after the 2008 election–that students will be "required" to "serve" and perform "community service".

From Change.gov (emphasis ours):

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in under served schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps.

Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year.

Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

We are against any compulsory government programs.

In times of existential national emergency–such as all-out war–we would be in favor of a military draft and other policies necessary for the survival of the USA. But, nothing is different today than three days ago.

It’s telling that serving notice that compulsory government service–for middle and high school students, no less–less than three days after the election results were known indicates this is a high priority for the incoming Obama administration.

We had hoped that the various things said on the campaign trail were just that: things all politicians say on the campaign trail. It appears that in the case of Obama Youth, Mr. Obama was serious.

We will oppose this will all our meager means available.

We also wonder if all of the Internet sites which posted "Bushitler" memorabilia the last eight years will go along with a government-mandated program which incorporates young students against their will-and the will of their parents, possibly.

A honeymoon was much preferred.

Regardless of who was proposing this, we would oppose it.

It’s a dangerous precedent, if it becomes reality.

According to Change.gov:

"When you choose to serve — whether it’s your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood — you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That’s why it’s called the American dream."

Which goes to the heart of the matter here: when you choose to serve, you are not required to serve. Where there is requirements by the government, there is no choice.

Again, that this announcement appears on Change.gov less than three days after the election results have been known is an important point.

"Choosing" to serve should be approved by parents–not required by the government. No amount of good intentions can sugar-coat words like "mandatory", "compulsory" or "required".

There is no "office of the president-elect". Five other things that are "creepy: about change.gov at Five things that are creepy about the change.gov website:

1. There is a website. Called Change.gov. I could stop right there. That’s creepy because a transition team’s website called, oh, for example "44thPresident.gov" is not sufficiently impressive. Here’s what’s really creepy about it, though. Don’t think of the word "change" there as a noun, or a verb, but as a command. Think of it as a command with the suffix .gov behind it. That gives me the willies right there.
…

4. There is no such thing as the Office of the President-Elect, yet change.gov says it’s the website of that non-existant office. On November 7th, 2008, the office that Barack Obama holds is US Senator. Barack Obama’s public office will be US Senator until January 20, 2009. So, the title of the website being "Office of the President-Elect" is just a little weird.

LGF calls it "the Return of the Draft".

It was something that was threatened in 2004 if Bush were re-elected. It’s something that is promised in 2008 once Barack Obama is elected.

Gateway Pundit observes that "Change… Obama Announces Creation Of His Marxist YouthCorps".

At one time in our history church groups would volunteer to assist their community.
Now, we have the Church of Obama.

Maybe this helps explain the sudden surge in firearm sales.

Maybe.

From Obama website: Hey, let’s make community service compulsory for students:

Presumably, the penalty for being a 20-year-old who doesn’t want to spend two hours a week picking up trash would be not graduating. The penalty for dodging Emanuel’s program, only Rahm knows.

The Heritage Foundation is succinct on the matter of America Serves:

President-elect Barack Obama has quietly changed the meaning of the American Dream and introduced a proposal for American Serfdom. In America, what it means to serve one’s country is very clear. It is voluntary and for the purpose of defending the country during a time of war, or for the purpose of upholding the constitution by serving, for example, as a judge or on a jury.

Obama has reinterpreted the American Dream of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," as a collectivist ideology. He believes it is a dream about the collective happiness. He connects the notion of "service" to the American Dream, as he interprets it:

When you choose to serve — whether it’s your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood — you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That’s why it’s called the American dream.

Serfdom will be welcomed by some, if the government is willing to pay for the huts.