[Beetle01]

Obama was quoted in a 1995 Chicago Reader article saying, "individual actions, individual dreams, are not sufficient. We must unite in collective action, build collective institutions and organizations."

Obama's plan is "voluntary" in a technical sense - nobody gets arrested for opting out. But non-participants also won't be allowed to graduate from high school, and without those diplomas, life could get a bit rough.

The plan says: "Schools that require service as part of the educational experience create improved learning environments and serve as resources for their communities. The Obama-Biden plan sets a goal for all students to engage in service, with middle and high school students performing 50 hours of service each year ..."

You see, most public schools depend on federal dollars. And, as Obama elaborated in a speech last December, "At the middle and high school level, we'll make federal assistance conditional on school districts developing service programs, and give schools resources to offer new service opportunities."