Bush call for volunteerism: Will citizens take heed?

The military is already mobilized. Now it is US civilians who are being called to arms.

President Bush's announcement of new government volunteer initiatives represents an unprecedented attempt to channel national emotions generated by Sept. 11 into productive community action.

That might be harder to do than it sounds. History shows that spikes of interest in volunteerism, such as occured following the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing, can be transitory.

But if there is a time when such a call can work, this might be it, say some experts. The attack on Pearl Harbor shocked a generation into a lifetime of civic involvement. Terrorist strikes on America could be this generaton's Pearl Harbor.

"In the aftermath of September's tragedy, a window of opportunity has opened for a sort of civic renewal that occurs only once or twice a century," says Robert Putnam, a political scientist at Harvard University.

In his State of the Union speech, Mr. Bush issued a call for civic involvement that was both general and specific.

As to the general, he asked all Americans to serve the nation for the equivalent of two years, or 4,000 hours, over their lifetime.

"In the sacrifice of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters, and the bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a new culture of responsibility could look like," said Bush.

As to the specific, the president announced the creation of a new umbrella organization called the USA Freedom Corps.

Three sub-organizations under the Freedom Corps will address three different needs, according to Bush: homeland security, community rebuilding, and international aid.

Homeland security will be the responsibility of a new Citizen Corps. Citizen Corps programs will include a Medical Reserve Corps of retired and volunteer professionals to respond to disasters, as well as a Volunteers in Police Service Program, in which civilians will free up officers by performing administrative functions. There will also be a Terrorist Information and Prevention System, which will enable transportation workers, postal employees, and public-utility workers to report suspicious activities.

Community rebuilding will be covered by an expansion of two of President Clinton's most cherished initiatives: AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. Under the Bush plan, some 25,000 new AmeriCorps workers will help generate 75,000 more local volunteers. Senior Corps will be expanded by 100,000.

International aid will be the purpose of the venerable Peace Corps. Peace Corps today is less than half its historic high of 15,000 volunteers in 1966. The administration is now proposing to regain the 15,000 level within five years, with a specific focus on efforts in Afghanistan.

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