My main concern is the hopelessness felt by our inner city brothers and sisters. We have children growing up in situations that foster gang violence, drug trafficking, and a shortage of national pride. Dilapidated school systems augment these conditions even further. Using Senator Obama’s message of hope we can change this.
First, I believe we should start a Peace Core-like governmental program aimed specifically at the inner city. I believe part of the reason for the lack of economic development in these communities is the sense that they are not apart of the larger community. Community members that reach out to help build a business, a playground, or a basketball court will grow in order to help quell the demoralization felt by our inner city brothers and sisters.
Second, we need to reform our welfare program to help people get out of poverty. The current and perpetuating system keeps people on welfare. I believe most welfare participants, if given a realistic means of opportunity, will forgo the actual need of welfare. The shortcomings of the government coupled with their lack of initiative spawns from a sense of distrust rooted in either guilt or anger. The guilt and anger are consequences of how we, as a society, view and treat them as a people. The sooner we see them as fellow human beings in need, the sooner a solution will manifest itself. We need to recognize, as Senator Obama does, that not all Americans have the same opportunities.
Third, to battle the scarcity of national pride felt in these communites, I propose we implement a National Voting Holiday. The number one reason for not voting in this country is the inability to take time off during work hours. This would not only ensure the people with the opportunity to vote, but also cultivate a sense of community on a local level.
Finally, how to pay for all this? A flat tax. A flat tax would enable the government to fund many social programs that are either nonexistent or in need. A Public health service and inner city reconstruction program would have plenty of funding if everyone contributed the same.
In the words of Senator Obama,
“…our communal values, our sense of mutual responsibility and social solidarity, should express themselves not just in church or the mosque or the synagogue; not just on the blocks where we live, in the places where we work, or within our own families; but also through our government.”
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