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In the novel "The Giver", author Lois Lowry creates a dystopian society where children at age eight are required to perform "volunteer services" throughout their community until age twelve. These services can be whatever they choose, but the hours must be documented for the child to move on socially to adulthood at age 12.

I was wondering if this sort of obligatory volunteering would be helpful to today's very socially/psychically/emotionally/spiritually/mentally sick society. Instead of sitting at a terminal all day and being brainwashed into thinking "golly I must be trans cuz I'm bored and unhappy" or "golly I have to shoot a bunch of people", kids could be volunteering at nursing homes or hospitals or museums or any place or anything that would help them grow fundamentally to be better people, hence a better society.

Slippery slope of socialism/marxism?

In the novel "The Giver", author Lois Lowry creates a dystopian society where children at age eight are required to perform "volunteer services" throughout their community until age twelve. These services can be whatever they choose, but the hours must be documented for the child to move on socially to adulthood at age 12. I was wondering if this sort of obligatory volunteering would be helpful to today's very socially/psychically/emotionally/spiritually/mentally sick society. Instead of sitting at a terminal all day and being brainwashed into thinking "golly I must be trans cuz I'm bored and unhappy" or "golly I have to shoot a bunch of people", kids could be volunteering at nursing homes or hospitals or museums or *any place or anything* that would help them grow fundamentally to be better people, hence a better society. Slippery slope of socialism/marxism?

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[–] • 1 pt

I don't like other people's kids most of the time, but wouldn't mind them picking up trash in public places. Having them in a convalescent home spreading their germs to old immune compromised people is not desirable in my opinion, and they'd also need one persons per kid to supervise and make sure they don't mess around with medications and belongings.

[–] [deleted] • 0 pt

In the novel "The Giver" the childrens volunteering hours are vital to their success in the adult world regarding the jobs, marriage, etc. It helps for their character and role in adult society. Children need to learn to be cooperative civil members of society- they aren't learning that anymore, they're learning to be sexually deviant mentally ill reprobates. Have to do something.

[–] • 1 pt

re "they aren't learning that anymore" - the book has a proposed solution, however doesn't address the responsible at -fault party (the parents)

[–] [deleted] • 0 pt

Well the book proposes this volunteerism as a long standing part of the community social hierarchy. You are absolutely correct, parents of today have indeed literally stopped parenting- many are too busy trying to pay the bills but also many are too busy not growing up. Communism and deviance has taken a firm foothold in U.S society and a parent today has a gargantuan battle to face.