It was with great sadness that I learned that the Peace Corps, under review by the Department of Government Efficiency, plans significant staff cuts. In President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech in 1961, he called on Americans to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” He generated respect for public service, which strengthens our nation and communities. How far we’ve fallen.
I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1977-1979, teaching high-school and junior-college level math and science at a rural boarding school in Ghana. The influence of Peace Corps service reaches far and deep. It is a sad day in our history when a nation as rich as ours doesn’t value this service.
From students who wouldn’t have had a math and science teacher without PC, to Ghanaians whose only in-person meeting with Americans is PC, to lifelong friendships with people from around the world, PC’s impact is incredible. This impact reaches far deeper than a news headline or social media influence. This is American soft power, American security.
The current administration doesn’t understand how important public service is to our society and our place in the world.
Carol Frodge, Seattle
