A List
4/11/05

VOLUNTEER SERVICE IS TOPIC FOR TALK AT SLU BY FORMER PROF

CANTON – Former St. Lawrence University professor John Valentine, 
professor of philosophy at Shawnee State University, will present a lecture 
entitled, "Requiring American Youth to Perform Service in Defense of Their 
Country: A Philosophical, Historical and Strategic Argument," on Tuesday, 
April 26, at 4:30 pm in Room 10 of Carnegie Hall. The event is open to the 
public, free of charge. 
	According to Valentine, with both liberal and conservative traditions in 
American history, a firm foundation can be found for requiring national 
service in time of need. In this talk, he will present the case that an 
"all-volunteer" defense force cannot meet our combat, homeland security and 
first-responder needs either in terms of the quantity or the quality of 
personnel required. Requiring national service, Valentine argues, would better 
promote an ethic of civic engagement without which our national defense against 
terrorism is greatly compromised.  
	Valentine was on the faculty at St. Lawrence University in the 1970s and 
80s, and has also taught at Dickinson College and Michigan State University. 
Valentine was a Marine Corps Infantry platoon commander in Vietnam, and was 
subsequently training officer for the Marine Corps Counter-Guerilla Warfare 
Center. He has served with the Appalachian Volunteers in rural Kentucky and as 
a community organizer in racially integrated neighborhoods in Detroit. In 
addition, he has taught academic service-learning courses, and has supervised 
volunteers in VISTA and AmeriCorps.

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