[speaker001:] all right uh well that's an interesting topic
[speaker002:] yes it is do you have young people
[speaker001:] yeah I've got three small children
[speaker002:] yes three small ones okay would you feel like those youngsters could be raised with a balanced life understanding all of the aspects of their lives if they did not perform some kind of public service
[speaker001:] yeah well I basic feeling is that everybody performs some sort of public service no matter what career path they take unless they are just absolute dropouts
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and uh part of my reaction is that uh some people particularly those that are gifted and talented uh and highly motivated uh ought to get on with their lives and uh and do the thing that they do best
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] you know if somebody wants to become a doctor or a uh dedicated professional and they're serious about it uh I hate to see their their lives put on hold for a year or two while they uh uh they do something that's uh not down their alley
[speaker002:] well you're looking at it from a perspective of something equivalent to the draft where you take two years out of your life and and serve as as a a a military in the military however they didn't say that it would be required required to be two consecutive years what about the option
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] of requiring these young people to have two years of public service in association perhaps with their education and that they get you know how we have uh life credits in college
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] experience credits why could those not apply in exactly that way you actually are using that as a part of your college education and it's a quote public service course
[speaker001:] um-hum well I think uh I hate to see things mandated for people because I like to see people have their choice freedom of choice let's not get into that subject uh
[speaker002:] uh-hum well it would be like an elective
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] it would be the equivalent of an elective do you want to serve in the Peace Corps or do you want serve uh maybe you know on a on a some sort of a social agency where you do volunteer work or perhaps you'd like to do reading for the blind for a couple of years in your spare time
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] and it might be uh three hours a week that's what a class is
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] three or four hours a week then they have a balanced view I think of what is out there I know that a lot of young people are raised in a very protected environment mom and dad don't want them exposed to the kinds of things that they had to endure or they had to go through they want a better life for their kids and they do put them in this wonderful little cocoon and then when they get out in the real world and life does give them a good smack they go to their knees
[speaker001:] um um-hum
[speaker002:] because they haven't had the experience in helping people therefore they don't have experience in seeking help or in being helped gracefully uh I I myself have done a lot of volunteer work but I am very apprehensive about accepting help
[speaker001:] um-hum yeah
[speaker002:] I'm very independent and I don't care much for that and I raised my children to be very independent and yet they did their share of volunteer work we went to the nursing homes and carried Christmas gifts and we visited sick people those are all good community service behaviors and activities and they don't require a big bite of your life
[speaker001:] um-hum yeah I think one of the reactions I had was when I graduated from college I was all set to uh go into military service and and do my part
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and uh when it at the end of my four years and I got my degree and I started talking to uh some of the recruiters for different companies
[speaker002:] um-hum um-hum um-hum
[speaker001:] and uh one of them sat me down and he said hey you know what are you going to do in two years in the military uh where are you going to go and and what's going to happen to you
[speaker002:] um-hum um-hum um-hum
[speaker001:] and they persuaded me that uh I could serve my country better by going to work for one of the uh military industrial companies in direct support of uh military operations
[speaker002:] um-hum defense uh-huh
[speaker001:] and so that's where I've been ever since and so I don't regret uh not going into military service
[speaker002:] right right but you did serve
[speaker001:] yeah but
[speaker002:] in in a different respect and that's what I'm saying you don't have to go into the Peace Corps in order to be of of service to the community
[speaker001:] yeah yeah and uh everybody has there uh soapbox I have a lot of people come around to the house uh uh trying to solicit funds for some environmental action or preserve some form of wildlife
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and I turn them down uh because I I choose to contribute directly in terms of energy and I've been involved in research diving on several occasions to uh
[speaker002:] um-hum um-hum
[speaker001:] uh gain information about the environment and it contributes to the uh body of knowledge so I'd rather put my money in that form directly and I think a lot of people do things like that that uh
[speaker002:] um-hum um-hum um-hum
[speaker001:] they have their own applications that get them involved in the public
[speaker002:] oh yeah I do a great deal of you know I would rather expend the personal energy than just shell out a few bucks and let my conscience rest I feel like that you
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] you I don't know the the benefit to you is much of greater value if you are physically or emotionally involved in what you're doing it's it's no big deal to be emotionally involved in writing a check
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] I mean you know you don't really get involved and you don't really comprehend what you're accomplishing
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] and I think that's important and that's the reason that I think that there should be some provision even if it's not mandatory
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] at least provide the avenue through which young people can do volunteer work even if it is not a two year stint in the Peace Corps uh
[speaker001:] yeah well I think an awful lot is available at the present time I have a niece who's with me for the summer
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and uh she had done volunteer work for the Sierra Club
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] in uh years past
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and she currently has a summer job with them so she's
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] she's getting paid for what she used to do as a volunteer but she's getting more more actively involved with the uh Sierra Club
[speaker002:] um-hum yeah yeah
[speaker001:] but that's that's the thing that she wants to do
[speaker002:] you got to remember though the nature of the person we're when we're involved with here you you can expect someone like that perhaps to be willing to volunteer to get expend the energy to go out and find
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] the area where they match very well
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] but it might be of interest to put in some sort of a formal system like they do the screening system in the military service okay you know what are your interests and what are your aptitudes let's see if we can match you to a job that you prefer
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] particularly with you have the education to deal with it I don't know that may or may not be uh a useful choice but I do know that there are a great deal of young people out there who would say why do I want to go you know out and get mosquito bit and sleep sleep on a hard ground when I can sit here in this cushy bed and not go out and and uh I can have my music and drive my cars and have fun through the summer
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] and there are a lot of th em who just do not have that sense of consciousness and I think maybe something in place might build that sense