The Strive for a Better
Society and Individual
An Argumentative Essay for an Expansion of the
G.I. Bill
To mandate
some form of government service has been overlooked and shied away from by most
Americans and policy makers because of the belief it is an infringement on
constitutional rights, more specifically the right to the pursuit of happiness.
Due to this point the massive benefits that America would reap are yet to come
to the American society. Although
mandatory service would never be accepted by the public, if an offer so
appealing were in place giving incentives for government service though not
mandatory, or an expansion of the already established GI Bill, then society
could begin to form into what has always be strived for: a stimulated economy,
a heavily promoted pursuit of higher education, and responsible, patriotic
citizens.
At the age
of 18 is the point in which life begins to open and individuals slowly begin to
fall into the chaos and responsibility that is adulthood. Due to years of
reinforcement, after graduating from high school it is automatically expected
that one begin university or college the following fall and continue on to earn
their degrees. While education is a crucial part of an individual, it could be
argued that many teenagers are not able to fully take on everything that
college entails yet. Being fresh out of
high school and thrown into the world, who is to know what they really would
like to do with their life? Despite what is told to the student, one does not
really have much time to decide their major once enrolled in school because
basics can only be taken for so long before a student has to decide and begin
specialized classes on the major of their choice. Being enrolled in basic
courses does prolong the need to decide, but these classes also give no support
or aid in determining what one wishes to pursue in life. These forced life
choices can truly cripple an individual. Arthur Hadley summed it up as “The man
whom nature intended for a doctor, but whom fate has driven into a lawyer’s
office, does not find out his mistake until years of preliminary work have made
it irrevocable” (157). So for the sake of deciding, some have spent much time
and effort in a practice that was not intended for them and they could be
thriving in another if given the opportunity and time to discover it. Europe
has followed this train of thought as well and some European teens take a gap
year after graduation of high school to discover themselves, or find their
place in the world. As nice as taking a
yearlong vacation would be, most individuals are not in the financial situation
that it is ever really a possibility. So where does that leave common, middle
class, young adults? Going to a university right away not only thrusts someone
into deciding their life, but it can throw them into a downward spiral of debt.
A good way to relieve teens of this potential debt, give them a brief break
from academics, and allow them time and experiences that could potentially aid
them in deciding their future is a time frame after the graduation of high
school in which they can enlist and be a part of government service.
The idea of
being involved in government service to help finance college is not a new one. The
GI Bill has been a huge incentive for numerous young men and women to enlist in
the military and begin their education at the collegiate level since the early
1940s. In 1947 49.2% of people enrolled in school were so through the GI Bill
(Olson 44). Author Keith W. Olson also has the idea that along with their
pursuit of education, people who have worked through the GI Bill have
statistically shown a greater index of maturity and formal academic achievement
(50 par 2). Olson continues on to report that Ronald B. Thompson and Marie A.
Flesher found that students through the GI Bill “showed about seven per cent
more records of B or better… and a ‘slightly superior’ overall academic
average” (50 par 3). Along with excellence in an academic setting, the
character development is significantly greater in individuals that have
partaken in military service. “[Military service] makes our people better
workers in their several occupations… it makes them better members of the body
politic… it makes them better men morally and spiritually” (Hadley 150). This
development, some may argue, cannot be found elsewhere. But sometimes these benefits
are not incentive enough for some to commit 4 years of life to the military.
The training and duty of those in the military can be so extensive that for
some the reward is not worth it. Luckily, the military is not the only form of
service for the government that is needed.
The expansion of the GI Bill could incorporate nonmilitary service into
the plan and reach a wider range of individuals if it were extended to other
services such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, NOAA (National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration) or other similar organizations.
A 27 month
term in the Peace Corps could be a great alternative to military service
because it removes the risk of combat and replaces that with work in foreign
communities and making a difference in developing countries. The difference
between the Peace Corps and any other position in government service is that
this is signing up for a new way of life. Corps volunteers live in the
community they’re assigned to and learn to adapt to a new culture. These
massive life changes may mean the Peace Corps could be the most beneficial to
some individuals once they are able to accept the culture shock of moving out
of the states. A huge plus that most
participants have found from being involved in the Peace Corps is that they
have discovered what they wish to pursue in life because of the experiences and
exposure to a world outside of their childhood safety net. For example “the
teaching field attracts 20 per cent of all returned volunteers and about 31 per
cent of those take jobs immediately after their tour” (Carey 219). Carey
continues on to discuss in his book The Peace Corps how most of those volunteers
were never initially interested in teaching until their service overseas. The
Peace Corps could open many people to careers similar to teaching, like Carey’s
example, that they may never have considered. As previously noted, numerous
teenagers are not prepared to embark on to the collegiate level and the Peace
Corps is a good stepping stone to help unveil an individual’s goal in life and
transition from teen-hood to adulthood. Charles E. Ramsey and David Gottlieb
agree in their book The American Adolescent and say “there is evidence
to support the proposition that when adolescents are given an opportunity to
work in meaningful activities they will respond in a positive manner” (260 par
1). Ramsey and Gottlieb touch on the internal benefit of work with an
organization like the Peace Corps because “they have given themselves in
purposeful activities and they have gained insights that are rarely touched
upon in the formal classroom setting” (261 par 2). There are some things that
cannot be learned in school. Be creating this time for people to experience
things outside of the normal American culture, they are exposed to new
surroundings and are given the chance to learn things about themselves they
could never have otherwise if jumped into formal secondary education.
The
expansion of the GI Bill will not only influence the individual but the
American society as a whole. With college potentially being paid for more
people are likely to pursue higher education. For example, a country such as
Finland has an egalitarian system meaning that there are no tuition fees for
college students. In just the recent year 2000, Finland had 14 degrees per 100 24
year-olds compared to the United States less than 6 degrees per 100 24
year-olds (Chart 49 Bowen, Kurzwell, Tobin). This is a big red flag indicating
that money is a huge reason for some to not attend college. Martin J. Meade
brings attention to “instances in which adolescents from the lower
socioeconomic groups are forced into a position in which they must drop out of
secondary school in order to provide essential financial assistance to their
families” (197 par 5). Money is a major contributor to the lack of graduates,
and the downfall of fewer college graduates is obvious: more college diplomas
handed out makes for a more educated population, so on the contrary fewer make
for a less educated population. The increase of pay for college graduates is
outstanding, being at least 15k more than an individual with only a high school
diploma, and can mean a raised standard of living and more stimulated economy. A
raised standard of living could mean less college students will be in the work
force while going to school, instead school will be their work and with a
multitude of people constantly filtering in and out of service overseas or in
the states, new jobs will continuously be opening, allowing the unemployment
rate to stay at a healthy level. Most importantly, the idea of service will
grow into a norm with time. As with most new policies the public will resist
change, but as time passes the idea of service will no longer be an ominous
threat to independence rather a standard way of life that evokes patriotism and
a thirst for knowledge.
The
discussion of this makes the bill almost sounds mandatory, so to clear up any
misconceptions, it is not. Under no circumstances will anybody be required to
take part in service, just like a person is not required to take part in
college. But, like college, the benefits that one will gain from participation
are so great that to choose not to would cripple an individual from
experiencing all that is to be offered. If the opportunity to better ones self is
placed in front of them and the only price they have to pay to do it is to
participate in service that is also self-bettering, then how could any sane
person say no? The need and desire for betterment is crucial to not only the
American society but to the individual as well. The implementation of an
expansion of the GI Bill would assist those in the pursuit of happiness rather
than hinder them.
Instead of instituting new policy,
the government could expand the already existent GI Bill and envelope
nonmilitary government service in order to reach a broader range of individuals
that are no longer held back from personal disability, religion, or personal
belief. This expansion will give people of all social classes a chance to the
pursuit of higher education without the restriction of socioeconomic class. A
more educated and trained society would allow the American culture to reverse
out of the rut we have found ourselves in that is complacency in mediocrity and
acceptance of social class.
Works Cited
Bier, William Christian.
"Educational Choices in Adolescence." The Adolescent: His Search
for Understanding. New York: Fordham UP, 1963. 196-97. Print.
Bowen, William G., Martin A.
Kurzweil, Eugene M. Tobin, and Susanne C. Pichler. "In Pursuit of
Excellence." Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education.
Charlottesville: University of Virginia, 2005. 48-49. Print.
Carey, Robert G. "The Returned
Volunteer." The Peace Corps. Comp. Joseph H. Blatchford. New York:
Praeger, 1970. 218-19. Print.
Gottlieb, David, and Charles E.
Ramsey. "The Student Education Corps: A Case Study of a Partial
Solution." The American Adolescent,. Homewood, IL: Dorsey, 1964.
260-61. Print.
Hadley, Arthur Twining. "Higher
Education and the Public Welfare." The Education of the American
Citizen. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1901. 150-57. Print.
Olson, Keith W. "The Pleasant
Surprise." The G.I. Bill, the Veterans, and the Colleges.
[Lexington]: University of Kentucky, 1974. 50-51. Print.
