Have you ever had to do something that you didn’t want to, but you had to? Well, that’s what many people are proposing when they try to push their view that “All eighteen-year-olds should perform one year of mandatory community service before they can get a job or go to college.” There are tons of reasons why this cannot be, but there are mainly three. Firstly, this is in direct violation of the constitution. Secondly, this discriminates against low-income households. Finally, there is no real gain from this.
Those who propose mandatory service make two common arguments. The first argument is that this year of service, or “gap year” teaches these now young adults practical skills. This may be true to some degree, however, by the time a student graduates high school, they have already had 18 years of building these skills; not to mention the fact that this year of mandatory commitment holds back students from achieving their career goals. The second claim is that students will be more responsible after this year of service. This is actually false, and this can be seen through the example of a high school. Kids enter high school ready to learn and with a good work ethic, yet most leave with slacking tendencies and a short attention span. Because of this, it is easy to tell that mandatory service is not practical or helpful.
The first reason that this cannot be implemented is due to the direct violation of the constitution that was created. The constitution promises “a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” yet enforcing this policy would not allow this to occur. Forcing all citizens to do something against their will is not constitutional. Essentially, people are proposing to violate the sacred constitution, all just to waste a year of people’s lives.
Next, this gap year of mandatory community service is a luxury much of the impoverished America cannot afford. Many young adults have to get jobs at the age of 16 just to put food on the table for their families. If the government shut down the ability for people to work under the age of 18, many families would be incapable of paying their taxes, or even basic necessities of running water. Instead of restricting the ability of young adults to provide for their families, these people should be promoting it. Not only does it instill the respect that many people claim this gap year will create, but it also allows for fewer people in poverty. Overall, implementing this gap year is just a bad idea.
Finally, this idea doesn’t actually benefit anyone. All this mandatory year of service will do is waste everyone’s time. The students who are college-bound or those who want to get a job straight out of high school will no longer be able to do this and will be forced to do something redundant and unnecessary. There will be no demand for those people who are already doing these services, and because of this, these people will lose their jobs. To stop these young adults from pursuing their goals just to have them do something that they don’t need is unnecessary, and should never be considered.
All in all, the idea that “All eighteen-year-olds should perform 1 year of mandatory community service before they can get a job or go to college” cannot be invoked for three reasons. Firstly, it is in direct violation of the constitution. Secondly, this idea hurts impoverished families. Finally, there is no actual benefit from this. While this argument may be good in theory, it falls short in practicality.
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Essay on Negative Effects of Community Service on Students.
(2024, January 04). Edubirdie. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/essay-on-negative-effects-of-community-service-on-students/
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Essay on Negative Effects of Community Service on Students [Internet]. Edubirdie.
2024 Jan 04 [cited 2024 Dec 22].
Available from: https://edubirdie.com/examples/essay-on-negative-effects-of-community-service-on-students/
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