Prof. Reich lays out the case for a constitutional amendment to overrule Citizens United v. FEC and establish definitively that only people are people.

truedemocracy:

“We believe that corporations should not share the same rights as people, that unlimited and unreported corporate donations meant to sway the electoral process should not be considered freedom of speech, and that the government should regulate the raising and spending of money by corporations intended to influence elections. We cannot allow corporate money to manipulate our democracy.”

This is a welcome development in our reeling from this ridiculous ruling.

On Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) decided to take the next step toward realizing this goal by introducing a constitutional amendment to the U.S. Senate that would overturn the ruling which classified multi-national corporations as people and therefore entitled to the same rights as living, breathing, human individuals.

The Saving American Democracy Amendment states:

• Corporations are not persons with constitutional rights equal to real people.
• Corporations are subject to regulation by the people.
• Corporations may not make campaign contributions.
• Congress and states have the power to regulate campaign finances.

“There comes a time when an issue is so important that the only way to address it is by a constitutional amendment,” Sanders said. He had previously described the Citizen United ruling as “basically insane. Nobody that I know thinks that Exxon Mobil is a person,” Sanders said in November.

Sanders is accompanied in his endeavor to restore fiscal sanity to the political system by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), who has introduced a companion measure in the U.S. House.

Sens. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Michael Bennet of (D-CO) have also introduced a similar constitutional amendment that would essentially defeat Citizens United by granting Congress and the states the authority to regulate the campaign finance system. Udall and Bennet hope that by emphasizing states’ rights, they’ll gain the support of a few Republicans. [emphasis added]

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Not any more they won’t be.

(Source: corporationsarepeople)

…of corporate money, not voter anger, into this victory, outspending Democrats by seven times. Just as in Bush v. Gore in 2000, a 5-4 SCOTUS decision (and judicial activism), in this case Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, is the wind that fills their tattered sails. It’s all the more impetus to Move to Amend.

Share This: Commemorate Constitution Day • Friday, September 17

Celebrate We the People • Condemn We the Corporations • Connect to Move to Amend
The US Constitution says “We the People,” not “We the Corporations.” Nowhere in the Constitution are corporations even mentioned let alone protected and anointed with human rights to do virtually what they want, where they want, whenever they want politically, economically, socially or environmentally.

Constitution Day, September 17, is a terrific opportunity to take this message to your school, your neighborhood, city or town, or your elected officials. Start now to do something: educate, advocate or organize on that date to say and proclaim that constitutional rights belong to human beings, not corporations.

Did you know … publicly funded schools and colleges must set aside time on September 17 for lessons or programs on the Constitution and its history. This makes Constitution Day a prime opportunity for students or teachers to do some educating on behalf of ending corporate personhood.

But there’s no reason to stop at the schoolyard. Everyone should know how our rights have been handed over by the courts to the corporate elite, and that we all need to be part of the movement to get those rights back for people alone. The recent Citizens United v FEC Supreme Court decision granting corporations greater First Amendment free speech rights is just the latest example of the decline of real democracy and self-governance.  

How can you celebrate and agitate on Constitution Day?

The Move to Amend website has many different suggestions for individuals or groups who want to raise  the issue of corporate personhood—from model letters to the editor, to street theater, to fliers and other resources for tabling events or house parties. Take a look at the list at the end of this “Take Action” update,  and at the Organizing Resources pages on our website. And start planning!

As always, thanks for what you’re doing for democracy. Happy Constitution Day!

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