service

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Let’s take the “volunteer” out of volunteerism. On comparing Sens. McCain and Obama after last week’s service forum.

Mr. McCain certainly uses his bully pulpit to proselytize Americans about public service. But he more or less stops there, even repeatedly cautioning during the Columbia forum against federalizing public service, although that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t throw taxpayer money at some of his pet service projects. However, his Web site offers nothing near what Mr. Obama is proposing.

. . . Mr. Obama would create several new corps of his own: a Classroom Corps to help teachers and students in underperforming schools; a Health Corps for underserved areas; a Clean Energy Corps to weatherize homes and promote energy independence. The last is separate from his Global Energy Corps, to promote low-carbon energy solutions in developing countries.

Mr. Obama calls all this his “Plan for Universal and Voluntary Citizen Service.” It might live up to its “universal” billing, given that it would prod Americans of all age groups — from preteens to retirees — to sign up. But as to its voluntariness, the plan will make generous use of Uncle Sam’s money — and muscle. . .

The real issue is why Mr. Obama thinks it is necessary to take such extraordinary steps to push all Americans into service. Americans every year contribute close to $300 billion out of their own pockets to charities at home and abroad. This is the highest of any nation — seven times more than Germans and 14 times more than Italians per capita. Americans are equally generous with their time. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service — a federal agency — last year Americans volunteered 8.1 billion hours of service valued at $150 billion to community organizations.

16 September 2008 @ 10:42 pm | 1 comment

Memorial Day

26 May 2008 @ 11:36 pm | 2 comments

My wife had the great idea that we visit Arlington National Cemetery to see what Memorial Day is all about. I thought she was crazy to go there on its busiest day of the year, but it was the best and most meaningful Memorial Day we’ve ever had.

Arlington National Cemetery

The Sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns

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Just across the street from Arlington is the The Marine Corps War Memorial.

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Raymond Takashi Swenson makes a great point contrasting Mormon Church leadership with that of other churches:

While watching last weekend’s General Conference, with the sustaining of President Monson and the calling of new people into Church leadership, one of the things I felt is how fortunate the Church is to have as its leaders men and women who have achieved significantly in many walks of life. This is in contrast to most other denominations, where people with these skills would be excluded from formal church leadership. For example, what other church has attorneys in its most senior leadership?

9 April 2008 @ 1:25 pm | No comments

Burning Bosom:The Zen Of Moving Chairs:

In the absence of direct revelation, I have had to turn elsewhere for an answer. President McKay, who also wrestled with this issue as a young missionary, taught that spiritual confirmation comes “as a natural sequence to the performance of duty.” Or, as I read it, quit waiting for God talk back and get to work. When I first came across this nugget a few years back, it made perfect sense. Every Sunday, I am presented with service opportunities in the form of the dreaded pass-around sign-up sheet: “Babysitters needed for Homemaking,” “5 Elders needed to move the Jones family on Saturday morning.” To be honest, I used to look upon such tasks with dread. I have since shifted my perspective.

12 February 2008 @ 2:49 pm | 2 comments

Mitt Romney as a Christian Leader

11 January 2008 @ 12:32 pm | 3 comments

Great article on Mitt Romney’s experiences as a Bishop and Stake President in the Boston area. First hand accounts of how he dealt with downtrodden immigrants, occasionally circumventing church bureaucracy, and an eyewitness account of his “Moonwalk” skills.

It sounds like Romney may not be as beholden to “process over people” as some claim. This article has something for everyone, from legitimate evidence that he indeed is pro-life to his willingness to listen to and work with feminist complaints within the Church.

Regardless, Mormon women in Boston still talk about an extraordinary 1993 meeting Romney called to address the women of the stake.

More than 250 members poured into the Belmont chapel. One by one they called out their issues while he stood at the front with three pads labeled: policies we can’t change, practices we can change, and things we can consider.

Nearly 100 proposals were made that day, including having female leaders give talks in various wards as the men on the high council do; letting women speak last in church; turning the chapels into day-care centers during the week; letting women stand in the circle while blessing newborn babies; recognizing the accomplishment of young women as the church does of Boy Scout advancements; and putting changing tables in the men’s rooms.

Many women left with a new appreciation of Romney’s openness.

He was “so brave,” says Robin Baker, who has worked on Exponent II.

Sievers, who worked with Romney to set up the meeting, was ecstatic.

“I was really surprised,” she says. “He implemented every single suggestion that I would have.”

A must read article that gives Romney that human touch his coverage has been lacking. Even more, it adds a needed dimension to what being a Mormon is all about. Not kooky doctrines or secret practices but compassionate service and care.

My only complaint, why has it taken so long for a story like this to be written and is it too late to help Romney?