Lubbock County Dorieta Rogers 806-794-6634
(Lubbock)
Published Letter to the Editor, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Sept 18 2013
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE?
"We the People..." are the first words of our constitution. Until 2010 the literal and undisputed meaning of these words meant living and breathing individual persons. This changed with the Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This ruling made the decision that corporations are also part of "the people". The problem is compounded with the decision that corporate money is the same as "words", thus giving it the First Amendment Right of freedom of speech. Oddly, a limitless spending on politics is only constitutional for corporations not individuals. The Supreme Court broke with all historical precedence with this ruling.
The majority of the people do not agree with this assessment. Over 80% of Congressmen also agree that the Citizens United ruling is wrong. The only way to correct this surprising conclusion of the court is to amend the constitution. It must be clearly and unequivocally stated that corporations are not people and money is not speech. Democracy cannot survive without this clarification. As it now stands self-government is in jeopardy. For a democracy to function the public must have faith that its governmental representatives owe their loyalty to the people and not to the corporations with the deepest pockets.
Indiscriminate and unregulated corporate spending are corrupting effects. "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Dorieta
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE?
"We the People..." are the first words of our constitution. Until 2010 the literal and undisputed meaning of these words meant living and breathing individual persons. This changed with the Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This ruling made the decision that corporations are also part of "the people". The problem is compounded with the decision that corporate money is the same as "words", thus giving it the First Amendment Right of freedom of speech. Oddly, a limitless spending on politics is only constitutional for corporations not individuals. The Supreme Court broke with all historical precedence with this ruling.
The majority of the people do not agree with this assessment. Over 80% of Congressmen also agree that the Citizens United ruling is wrong. The only way to correct this surprising conclusion of the court is to amend the constitution. It must be clearly and unequivocally stated that corporations are not people and money is not speech. Democracy cannot survive without this clarification. As it now stands self-government is in jeopardy. For a democracy to function the public must have faith that its governmental representatives owe their loyalty to the people and not to the corporations with the deepest pockets.
Indiscriminate and unregulated corporate spending are corrupting effects. "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Dorieta
