A Break for Public Service
Candidates halt campaign to honor 9/11 victims and support national service
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate John McCain appeared together at Ground Zero to commemorate the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo: ©Shannon Stapleton/AP Images)
The presidential campaign took a break on Thursday, when candidates Barack Obama and John McCain came together in New York City. They both visited Ground Zero for 9/11 commemoration ceremonies. And they both attended a presidential forum at Columbia University to talk about community service.
Founders of the ServiceNation organization hosted a two-day summit in New York to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The two major presidential candidates discussed how ordinary citizens could help fellow Americans as well as themselves through public service. Democratic candidate Obama and Republican candidate McCain shared their visions on what they hope to accomplish through encouraging citizen participation.
Commemoration
At Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center's Twin Towers once stood, Obama, McCain, his wife, Cindy, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg met with first responders, survivors, and 9/11 victims' family members. They laid flowers in reflecting pools on the site and held a moment of silence, side by side.
After a round of handshakes and hugs, the four walked back up a ramp. Before parting, the two presidential candidates shook hands. According to a news reporter from CBS, McCain then told Obama, "see you tonight," referring to the ServiceNation forum. They then each got into their separate motorcades.
Public Service
That evening, at Columbia University, the two Senators took the stage independently and fielded questions from journalists, Richard Stengel of Time magazine and Judy Woodruff of the Public Broadcasting Service. They did meet briefly for a handshake onstage as one left and the other entered.
ServiceNation, the forum's sponsor, is a coalition of groups dedicated to restoring a tradition of citizen service in America. The organization's founding was inspired by families of the 9/11 victims.
Although both candidates pledged to support ServiceNation's main thrust, their approaches to public service varied.
Senator McCain wants to expand American involvement in the military. McCain served as a naval officer in the Vietnam War and was a prisoner of war for more than five years.
"The best way to commemorate and to show our appreciation—and love and sympathy for the families of those who've sacrificed—is to serve our country," he said. "That way, we can assure their families it will never happen again."
Senator Obama said he wanted to make public service "cool" again. He proposed $3.5 billion to expand AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. The money would also be used to underwrite college tuition for some in exchange for public service. Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago, Illinois, after graduating from Columbia University and before attending Harvard Law School.
"I want to restore the mutual sense of responsibility," he said. "I think the citizens are hungry for it." He wants to recreate the spirit of volunteerism and patriotism many felt after the events of 9/11.
Other speakers at the summit included actor Toby McGuire, who is famous for his movie role as Spiderman. McGuire spoke about early America and its first volunteers.
"Ordinary people can do extraordinary things," McGuire said. He pointed out that the responsibilities of citizens today have dwindled to "paying taxes and voting." He called for citizens to be more active. "If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up," he said.
On September 27, the 114 organizations that form ServiceNation will kick off a "Day of Action," mobilizing volunteers in thousands of communities across the nation. The goal is to demonstrate the impact that service can have and the power of citizens to create large-scale change. ServiceNation hopes to inspire 100 million Americans by the year 2020 to volunteer their time in schools, workplaces and community institutions.
You can learn more about the Day of Action on the ServiceNation Web site.
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