VivirLatino

In the on going immigration debate, it appears immigration has become a hot button issue between Republican candidate Rick O’Donnell and Democrat candidate Ed Perlmutter in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, who are running to fill a seat being vacated by Rep Bob Beauprez, a Republican seeking the governorship.

Two years ago, while serving as executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Rick O’Donnell wrote an article proposing that every male forgo their 2nd semester of their senior year to perform compulsory service by guarding the border with Mexico or securing the ports for Homeland Security.

The article in question appeared in the January 2004 issue of Denver Post, entitled “A new rite of passage.” In the article, O’Donnell proposed that after the first semester of 12th grade, “all new men in America do six months of service.” According to O’Donnell, by eliminating the last semester of senior year for men, the money saved would go towards forming a national service corp. that would help establish “a society-wide rite of passage into manhood”. (A copy of the article can be found on Ed Perlmutter web site.)

I propose that after the first semester of 12th grade, all young men in America do six months of service. For those who drop out of high school, they replace those lost years with additional service….

Young men could have a choice of where to serve, such as homeland security, armed forces or community service. After a basic-training type orientation, they would be given various duties in sore need of attention: securing our border with Mexico; thinning our national forests to reduce fire risk; providing homeland security at ports and other vulnerable locations.

…They would undergo a society-wide rite of passage into manhood, one that provides discipline, positive role models, fraternity, physical effort and a sense of adventure and risk.

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