European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 31, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Focus America continued from Page 15 children s future. Community Louv says resignedly. The blood has been sucked Touton the word. If i talk about Community people s eyes Glaze Over. The word has been  to be a Good citizen. The Way it Rolls around in your Mouth it sounds almost corny. But the longing for connections is articulated everywhere in an Ever More fragmented society. In gangs on talk radio at the doors of Day care centers Over the computer superhighway and barbells at the gym in the crowds that gather for sports events and stroll malls on sunny Days in search of that perfect something. People Are More ready for change than they know says Louv who has spoken with thousands of americans already engaged in changing their Corners of the nation get accused a lot of times of being Overly idealistic in the face of reality. My answer to that is How can you not be idealistic in the face of reality what s the option Louv is no Pollyanna. There is in this nation a secret Underbelly the most powerful Force around Short of nuclear arms. It s All the stuff we forget to talk about. The quiet stuff that when added up Means a lot. And when overlooked begins to mean nothing at All. But there it is easy to find in an extended Zigzag tour of the nation s Small towns and City streets a vast network of people with heart and commitment. They Are Small people making Small inroads in their Small communities whether on a Block in Harlem or on a Street in Suburbia. Their efforts Don t make the front Page As extraordinary efforts do. When the persian Gulf War Hurricane Andrew or last summer s midwestern floods stir people to do great and generous things the nation applauds itself. But such dramas Are the exception and do not Tell the whole Story. Well Over a million Volunteer and Community service organizations exist in America today. Some 16 million citizens belong to 20,000 neighbourhood crime watch programs. Hundreds of thousands of support groups for every kind of problem from joblessness to fear of flying gather regularly. Some $124 billion most of it donated by individuals goes to Charity each year. Travel any distance on the nation s highways and you la find Long stretches adopted by citizens who keep them primed and free of trash. On the sign welcoming you to just about any town you la find the logos of kiwanis Lions Moose clubs the vow the 4h, churches of every denomination. And from Block to Block whether in the smallest Hamlet or the largest Urban Hub countless soup kitchens Are run for the poor Little leagues for kids hospices for the elderly Wal Athons for the sick bakes Les for a local Jungle gym parades for Hometown Pride / there is no news in this. But it is significant even exciting. We be met so Many citizens who Are Understandin that it s not an option just to vote every few years an Pray you be elected somebody clean. Iwan ongoing for Public service says author Frances my Ore Tappe. What we re talking about is a redefinition of democracy the Active engagement of us All in every aspect of our lives outside our living rooms and round table regulars at the Little Castle in Paducah by. Clockwise from right Bob Martin Jim Throgmorton Mickey Metcalf and Dick Mcneil discuss the country s woes. Iviam. Bedrooms adds Paul Dubois her husband and co founder of the Center for living democracy nonpartisan Clearinghouse for commune the couple whose base is Brattleboro vt., has spent much of the last year talking with thousands of people about grass roots efforts. Beneath All the dire headlines and Al the indices of decline there is in fact a great Deal of exciting learning and coming together Lapp says. But when people Are invisible says Dubois they can t serve As sources of Hope or teach lessons about what  just imagine if the nation waged a War against social decay at Home As determinedly As we once stood against nazism abroad. Just imagine if Public service were As Cool As rap or As Macho As wrestle mania and everyday heros were covered like Hollywood stars. For anyone to stand out in the Community Well doing Good things is looked Down upon. I think about getting involved but i m afraid there would be no one standing behind me says Allison takers 22, who had hoped to be styling hair by now. Instead she has settled for a night clerk s Job at a Motel in Torrington conn., which in this Economy will do but is still disappointing. The More i hear and see How the world is turning out the More i think i Don t want to bring a child into this world she says glumly. You never hear anything Good  does she Volunteer is she involved in this Community she says is More and More terrorized by drugs and gangs after a Brief silence she offers eventually the people who really do care about what s going on will Stop it and get America Back to where it should  then As if detached from the equation she adds i Don t know who those people will  a nucleus of hard Core volunteers social activists who would not necessarily Label themselves As such has always thrived in America. But More and More people Are wondering now whether they can afford any longer to be exempt from this Circle. President Clinton and his administration have brought a new old language to Washington sounding themes of Community and responsibility again and again. A new sense of obligation has imposed itself on even the most disaffected of citizens whose level of volunteerism has surged in recent years. Longtime activists Are enlivened. They say the readiness is palpable the network in place the ethic As old As the Golden Rule. Military family members fill a shopping cart with trash from an american base in Europe. 26 the stars and stripes monday january 31,1994