Compulsory public service is a contentious issue. An overview of the Bill of Rights immediately shoots down the idea that the citizens of this country can be forced to serve. It is the right of every man, woman, and child to be free and to pursue happiness within the bounds of law.
The only reason why there is a debate regarding this issue is due to the fact that there are misguided patriots who believed that every citizen must prove their love and loyalty to this country by doing public service. The government should not be given the power to coerce its citizens to engage in one or even two years of public service; it is against the law of the land. It would be best for the government to promote the ideals of volunteerism in order to recruit and train people that are eager to serve.
The Bill of Rights is very clear when it comes to the limitations of the government when it comes to intruding into the personal life of a citizen. The government’s vast powers cannot be used to force a person to serve. Slavery has been outlawed a long time ago and therefore there is no justification for the use of coercion in any shape or form in order to fill up the needed vacancies in the public service sector. The government should serve the people but the people must not be forced to serve the government.
Aside from violating the constitutional rights of every citizen, the concept of compulsory public service is impractical. It can be argued that there are many people that are not interested to serve in the Armed Forces and other jobs that are under the authority of the Federal government. Imagine the kind of trouble the government would have to contend with if they are authorized to compel its citizens to serve for at least a year. It would be costly in terms of manpower and litigation purposes.
It is a terrible idea to suggest compulsive service. However, those who decide to become a public servant must be held in high esteem. The spirit of volunteerism must be stirred up and not the spirit of coercion. The government and its citizens must laud anyone who enters public service. It must be viewed as an honorable thing to do, lifting the spirits of the family members of those who chose to serve in spite of its many challenges.
The government must therefore encourage people to serve. It is the job of the government to persuade people to serve in a short term or long term basis. One way to do this is to communicate clearly the positive impact to the community and the nation if one person decides to spend a few years of his or her life to serve others.
A persuasive message can also be achieved by developing creative ways to reward those who are in public service. The government has limited resources and therefore cannot provide extensive monetary rewards but this must not stop the government form finding ways to honor and appreciate those who work as public servants.
Conclusion
There are those who contend that the citizens of this country must be compelled to engage in public service. This may seem like the most patriotic thing to do but the Bill of Rights clearly stipulates that no citizen can be forced by the government to do something.
This is also an unproductive exercise because coercion can lead to defiant behavior and costly litigation. It is the job of the government to persuade people to join. The spirit of volunteerism must be cultivated. The government must demonstrate that public servants are well-appreciated. As a result there would be more volunteers that are ready and able to serve.