Giving Back
By Harris Sherline
June 8, 2009
One of Obama's recurring themes throughout his quest for the presidency of the United States was his admonition to young people to "give back" by pursuing careers in public service or charitable work. In May 2008, he urged Wesleyan graduates to "make us believe again" by dedicating themselves to public service, saying, "We may disagree as Americans on certain issues and positions, but I believe we can be unified in service to a greater good. I intend to make it a cause of my presidency, and I believe with all my heart that this generation is ready and eager and up to the challenge."
Since becoming President, both he and his wife have continued exhorting young people to "give back." Michelle Obama, speaking at the University of California, Merced, commencement said, "Remember that you are blessed. Remember that in exchange for those blessings, you must give something back. You must reach back and pull someone up. You must bend down and let someone else stand on your shoulders so that they can see a brighter future."
Sounds good, right? After all, we do want our young people to grow up with a sense of responsibility to others and the greater good of society, don't we?
However, economist Walter Williams commented, "In our society, there are people who should give back. These are the thieves and social parasites who live forcibly at the expense of others. They prey on their fellow man. Some do it privately through theft, fraud and robbery. Others use the political mechanism whereby Congress enriches them at the expense of others. If giving back means anything, it should apply to thieves and social parasites, not those who became wealthy by serving us."
Furthermore, I submit that Obama is not only wrong but that he and Michelle have hardly personally followed the model they so ardently espouse for others, taking advantage of every opportunity to enrich themselves on their way to the top.
For example, Michelle was employed in a public relations position for a large hospital in Chicago, for which she was paid a salary in excess of $300,000 a year. However, when she left after her husband won the presidential election the position was not filled by anyone else, which raises the question of whether the job was ever necessary or simply amounted to financial support for her husband and his political ambitions. That's hardly what I would consider "giving back."
I believe that America's youth should not go to work for the government or charities when they first enter the workforce. Here are some of my reasons:
Armed with a college degree and no experience in the real world, they lack the background and experience to make a significant contribution, other than some entry level position.
Working for the government is not "public service" -- it's a career.
We already have too many people working for government at every level, federal, state, county and municipal. It has gone beyond the point of diminishing return and is breaking the bank.
As with all preceding generations, young people should first gain experience and contribute to society by working and producing the goods and services that support the economy.
Drawing on my personal experience, I devoted about 15 years of my adult life to charitable work, beginning in my late 30s. Having served on about six non-profit boards at various times, including over four years as the president of a major health agency and chairman of a hospital board for another six, I can attest to the value of community service. However, I didn't become involved until I had completed my education and was working full time in the private sector.
My specialized education and training were assets that could be employed to help the organizations I served, and I "gave back" by "donating" time, effort, energy and expertise to help them.
Over the years, I have known many outstanding business and professional people who did the same. They all "gave back" while working productively at a job or profession or running a business and, I might add, paying taxes and also giving financial support to their particular causes.
I just don't think non-profit organizations are the right place for young people to launch their working lives. A college education is only the beginning of a young person's career, not the end. The process continues with on-the-job training and real world experience that never ends. The best time to "give back" is when you have the background, expertise and skills to make a difference.
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Read more of Harris Sherline's commentaries on his blog at "opinionfest.com"
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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.