Ah, Mitt. You know as well as anyone that the whole point of a corporation is to shield the people who run it from personal liability — while letting them reap the profits, of course. So, yes, there are people in corporations. And these people are entitled to their rights (free speech, political activity). They’re just not entitled, or they shouldn’t be, to exercise their rights from behind a corporate shield.
So glad to get that off my chest. Now for the news.
“Move to Amend” is meeting tonight, 6:30-8:30, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Ave. This is, as the title suggests, a movement to amend the Constitution to make it clear that corporations are not entitled to the same First Amendment rights as individual citizens. The effect would be to reverse the Supreme Court’s detestable Citizens United ruling that corporations do enjoy the same political rights as people.
From the local organizers:
Move to Amend executive committee member George Friday, an anti-oppression trainer and community organizer, will be touring North Carolina this July, in an effort to build connections, inspire activism, and reveal the origins of corporate power in America.
Move to Amend is a national coalition of over 212,900 people and organizations whose goal is amending the United States Constitution to end corporate rule by building a multiracial, cross-class democracy movement. George’s presentations are part history lesson and part heart-felt call-to-action! “Challenging Corporate Rule & Creating Democracy” aims to help local folks understand how they can work to abolish corporate personhood and establish a government of, by, and for the people.
This event is free and open to the public. We appreciate your donations to help us finance these tours, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
And, catching up on some news from last week that doesn’t seem to have been reported anywhere (which is strange), the Raleigh City Council voted 6-2 to take a position in favor of a constitutional amendment and against Citizens United. Councilor Thomas Crowder’s resolution is framed as supporting the original McCain-Feingold curbs on corporate political action that Citizens United overturned. Voting no, Republican John Odom and Bonner Gaylord, unaffiliated. The five Democrats and Mayor Nancy McFarlane, also unaffiliated, voted in favor.
Here’s the full resolution: