Put Americans Before Corporations
In January 2011, the Supreme Court rewrote the First Amendment to say that Congress can't restrict corporate spending to influence elections. But corporations don't deserve the same rights as people, and the financial influence of companies in our elections must be limited.
The future of our democracy is at risk. Activist judges have rewritten the Constitution to mean that money = speech and that Congress can't limit corporate spending in elections. That's wrong. Money isn't speech, and corporations aren't people. It's as simple as A-B-C. That's why we need the Americans Before Corporations amendment.
It's wrong to give corporations the same rights as people, especially when it comes to our elections.
A corporation isn't really a person.
Corporations are created by statute to help maximize profit and limit legal liability.
Corporations can't go to jail when they hurt or kill someone; they're different from real people.
And they just aren't entitled to all the same rights that are constitutionally guaranteed to human beings.
Plus, corporations have so much more money than most ordinary citizens that their influence would drown out the voices of we the people in our democracy, if the court's decision were allowed to stand.
Of course we should be able to limit spending in elections. Campaign spending limits help create a more level playing field when we are electing our representatives. And one of the beauties of our democracy is one-person, one-vote--whether you are rich or poor--but allowing corporations to spend unlimited money to influence elections would dilute and distort that principle. Unless the Constitution is amended, corporations will have free reign.
The only way to restore the primacy of the people is to amend the Constitution. We should protect the sacred rights of human beings to freedom of speech. We need to make clear that money isn't the same as speech, in order to ensure fair elections. And, we have to put corporations back in their place. That's why I support the "Americans Before Corporations" amendment, sponsored by the Center for Media and Democracy. We must reclaim our democracy and our Constitution.