Oh geez, Kerry's an idiot

[Berzerker]

Odin -

It ammuses me when people ignore the Elastic Clause.

Where did you find "the elastic clause" in the Constitution?

Imran -

People saying this is unconstitutional are, I'm sorry, ****ing morons. This isn't unconstitutional in the slightest. And the way he is doing it is by controlling federal funds (ie, do this or we take 5% of federal funding on education away... perfectly Constitutional, see South Carolina v. Dole).

You can't even find the word education in the Constitution and you think the feds can collect taxes for it, hand the money out, and then with hold it if we all don't do as told? Pray tell, where in the Constitution did you find all this power? And you cite what sounds like a very recent SCOTUS case, whoopie! The courts have been damn near ignoring the Constitution for decades when it comes to expanding federal power. How about a case from long ago when this country was new? Was it Marbury v Madison in which Marshall and the court said Congress cannot exercise an enumerated power to create unenumerated powers? Hell, Kerry wants Congress to exercise an unenumerated power to create another unenumerated power.

I don't see it as a dumb idea, as long is isn't too much. It's just another school requirement (and really schools should take some class time out for this, IMO, but that is the state's decision).

Oh, now it's the state's decision?

[Drake Tungsten]

This has the potential to be a really good program, if instituted correctly. That's a big "if", but props to Kerry for having the balls and vision to even suggest an idea like this.

And a big to all the high school kids whining about having to possibly help out their communities in the future...

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by gamenaught
What about the kid that has to work to help support the family or watch over younger siblings while the parents are at work? Or the kids that will lose earnings that would have helped put themselves through post-high school vocational technical training?

For an upper class kid, it could simply mean less time sunning by the pool. For those students, the real-world experience could be beneficial. But for poorer kids, it will put them further behind.

Hey, maybe you didn't read the part about how a poor kid can volunteer for two years of service and then get a free higher education...

[Tripledoc]

Why can't people make threadtitles that are a)relavant to the case being discussed, b) not insulting, and c)shows a level of maturity.

[oedo]

Kerry is a commie!

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Tripledoc
Why can't people make threadtitles that are a)relavant to the case being discussed, b) not insulting, and c)shows a level of maturity.

Well, keep in mind the thread starter is 16, I believe.

[Tripledoc]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


Well, keep in mind the thread starter is 16, I believe.

Ok but a and b still apply do they not?

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
This has the potential to be a really good program, if instituted correctly. That's a big "if", but props to Kerry for having the balls and vision to even suggest an idea like this.

And a big to all the high school kids whining about having to possibly help out their communities in the future...

I agree to everything Drake just said.

[Boris Godunov]

Erm, me too.

[Guynemer]

Repent.

The end is nigh.

[Boris Godunov]

Although, I'm waiting for the obvious offshoot of the constitutional arguments that homework violates the 13th Ammendment.

[civman2000]

Originally posted by Berzerker
Btw, what Kerry is asking does violate the Constitution. Not only is there no power for the feds to be involved with education which was a state issue, there is no power for the feds to compel "national service" except for raising armies - and they didn't mean an army of social workers.

Where in the constitution is conscription legalized? Even if Kerry's proposal isn't unconstitutional, that certainly is. In other words, it's the opposite of what you said.

Do you have quotes or evidence that those who wrote the ammendment in the firstplace interpreted it that way? Otherwise you seem to really be advocating an absurd level of judicial activism.

What does it matter what they thought? Unless I was grossly misinformed in my US Govt class, all laws are constantly interpreted and reinterpreted by the courts. The right to privacy wasn't considered a part of the amendment until the 1960s. Why can't the right to education be added now? I'm not necessarily advocating that it should be, but just saying that there is certainly precedent for doing such things. In any case, I don't think there's anything wrong at all with judicial activism.

[Drake Tungsten]

Repent.

The end is nigh.

For heaven's sake, I'm not that bad, am I?

[GePap]

All this is is an extension of already existing programs in some localities (as shi states) by making federal money available to fund them.

As for the prorams themselves-thankfully I never had to do this- my service was fully voluntary.

The things if for community services to figure out how to use so many damned kids. Proably the time requirements might be something like 50 hours or so: i know they are like that in variou schools that already have these requirements here in NYC. Actualy, I know of one school that ofr it students in politics they also have to work on a political campaing of their choosing.

[Lefty Scaevola]

All young persons must join the KERRY JUGEND! You must train as the supreme government tells you. You must work as the supreme government tells you. You must help whom the supreme government tells you. You must think as the supreme government tells you. Forget your families, forget all other politics, there is no future but that Great Leader Kerry will give youe! All hail Kerry and the KERRY JUGEND!