Werner-Scalf 1 Primrose Werner-Scalf Professor David Lowry Political Science 1100 24 October 2013 Universal National Service I disagree

with Larry Sabato's proposal to revitalize the constitution by requiring that all able-bodied Americans devote at least two years of their lives to the service of their nation, called the Universal National Service or UNS. The U.S. Constitution was a document inspired by God and it should not be changed, but followed. Freedom and liberty is the very reason America was founded, and this proposal takes away our liberties and is a form of slavery. The Declaration of Independence, written by some of the same men who framed the constitution, captured a very important principle in the words they wrote. They signed: We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Schmidt, 345). The constitution was set up by great men who reverenced God, our creator, and knew the importance of freedom. They escaped a dictatorship in hopes of creating and maintaining a society based on God-Given rights. The Founders said the basic reason for creating a government is to protect the inalienable rights of the people. The government is to provide liberty under law, which means that no law should be passed unless it is specifically designed to protect the freedom, liberty, and well-being of the people. (Skousen)

Werner-Scalf 2 In October of 1987, at a general conference meeting, Ezra Taft Benson, former United States Secretary of Agriculture, gave a speech quoting profound statements from the LDS scriptural book called the Doctrine and Covenant. Benson spoke of "Our Divine Constitution... which the Lord said "belongs to all mankind" (D&C 98:5)... and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and hold principles (D&C 101:77)(Benson). He mentioned that the Constitution of the United States has served as a model for many nations and is the oldest constitution in use today. President Benson states, We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life (D&C 134:2)". Before concluding his talk, Ezra Taft Benson read a section from D&C 101:80 which I will quote in its entirety. The scripture reads; "And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood"(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). Under the UNS proposal, these 18-26 year olds are being required to labor for their country, I see no God-given freedom in that. Sabato describes how the UNS proposal will help create better citizens (155), yet when someone is not given a choice, the effort that is given to a cause is minimal, half-hearted, without purpose, and ineffective. Sabato goes on to describe how Americans are so fond of Volunteer work. The reason for this is because these Americans were given the freedom to chose to do the work, which in turn made them feel better themselves for making a choice they didn't have to make. I believe in contributing to our country and in being a patriot, but I also believe we contribute a major part by paying taxes which should be more than enough to keep the country running effectively.

Werner-Scalf 3 UNS is an illusion of something beneficial for an individual but in actuality it is a form of slave labor. Especially for those who are required to serve against their will or beliefs. The thirteenth Amendment in the Constitution reads: "Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."(Schmidt, 359) This amendment which abolished slavery was ratified for a great cause and bought to pass equality, liberty and freedom which were in the best interest of a mans well-being. Slave labor as defined in the dictionary means "any coerced or poorly remunerated work: typing at that slavery is slave labor"(dictionary). Sabatos minimum wage payment which he feels would be an appropriate incentive for UN service is a form of slave labor. Minimum wage is not sufficient for an individual to fulfill their needs nor will it help a person become self reliant. Instead, that individual would have to rely on others or the government to make ends meet financially. Sabato introduces the possibility of paying higher incentive or rewards to skilled recruits but the majority of those that will be enlisting to serve will either be persons fresh out of high school or college students taking a break between a study program, which Sabato lists in his flexibility of timing(167), who would not be qualified for it due to lack of skills, which is a problem generally faced by youth. There is a very small offer on tax reduction, but there is no mention of tax breaks or incentives for the American people who would be the sole funders of this program. The UNS proposal to revitalize our constitution will not make America a fairer country. It will not alleviate a seemingly dysfunctional government where leaders could easily become corrupt and use the UNS to carry out evil orders, or personal agendas for power and gain. Instead it will create hardship and the removal of our personal American rights, posed in the form of two years of slave labor which will only benefit the government and not the people.

Werner-Scalf 4 Work Cited Benson, Ezra Taft. "Our Divine Constitution". LDS.Org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Article. October 1987. Accessed 19 October 2013. <http://www.lds.org/general- conference/1987/10/our-divine-constitution> Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Pearl of Great Price. Salt Lake City, UT: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1989. Sabato, Larry. A More Perfect Constitution. New York; Walker Publishing Company, Inc., 2007. Print. Schmidt, Steffen W., Shelley, Mack C II, and Bardes, Barbara A. American Government and Politics Today. Boston, MA; Wadsworth Political Science, 2013. Print. Skousen, Cleon W. "100 Constitutional Questions To Ask Candidates". Latter Day Conservative. Article. 1980. Accessed 19 October 2013. <http://www.latterdayconservative.com/articles/101-constitutional-questions-to-askcandidates/> "Slave labor." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 23 October 2013. Dictionary.com. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/slave labor>.

Werner-Scalf 5 Reflective Essay I am a new student and this paper was my second research paper I have ever written, my first being last month in my Human Lifespan and Development class. The sourcing was something I found to be a bit tedious and complicated but I understand why it is necessary. I very much enjoyed writing this paper but something else I found hard about writing it was keeping the topic focused and under 3 pages. I had so many different opinions and viewpoints on the issue discussed that I could have written more than 20 pages on the topic. Instead, I narrowed it down and chose a few of the biggest reasons I felt for objecting the issue, then I expounded on that. Another challenge I faced with this assignment was writing about my religious beliefs. I did not intend on offending anyone which is usually easily done when politics and religion clash. Religion is something I hold so dear to my heart, and I feel that it can and should be interjected into every topic discussed in life. I feel that with everything we do, religion is at the core of our existence. Yet I did felt skeptical about adding some things to my paper that I know to be true. I feel that writing this paper along with taking this course has helped me to have a deeper understanding of current issues both in the world and in the United States. Writing this paper really "racked my brain" and helped me broaden my perspective. I realize now where I stand in political issues. This class really encouraged me to be more politically involved. Did I vote last election? No. Will I vote next election? Yes, probably more so now than ever before. One of my favorite things about class was learning about the court cases and how and why the constitution was amended. It helped me realize that, although there are a lot of evil people out there, there are also a lot of good people out there willing to make sacrifices to do what is right. This course was not a requirement for me but I had a very strong desire to take this class because I knew very little about politics before. I feel that politics is something everyone should have a basic knowledge about so that we can all keep up on protecting our personal freedoms we enjoy. Other than politics, I'm also taking a Math, Genealogy, and Human Development class this semester. I feel that a lot of things I've learned so far in my Human Development class correlated with things I learned in this class. Other than learning the terms, facts, and theories in both classes, I also gained a deeper understanding about how and why people make the choices they do, and why others differ from me in terms of my opinions and perspectives about life as well as political issues.