America’s veterans fought for democracy since before our country began.
The original veterans fought in the American Revolution for independence not only from British rule but also from the corporations of England (chartered by the Crown) that controlled trade and extracted wealth from the colonies. These veterans fought the unfair tax advantages given to England’s East India Company—the monopolistic mega-corporation of the 1700s.
For 100 years after the American Revolution, citizens & state legislators tightly controlled the corporate chartering process and prohibited any corporate involvement in elections or lobbying.
Our founders would never have given corporations the political power the US Supreme Court now grants them. The Court’s 2010 decision, Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, allows corporations (even transnational corporations) to spend unlimited money campaigning for or against candidates in our elections! Citizens United overturned sensible laws intended to protect our elections from corporate influence.
Five Supreme Court Justices based the ruling on these absurd notions:
1. A corporation is a person. 2. Money equals speech.
Can’t Congress enact laws to correct this problem?
The Supreme Court is “supreme” among the three branches of government. The court can overturn any law when at least five of the nine justices consider the law unconstitutional. Although the word “corporation” is not in the Constitution, a scant 5-4 majority of the (unelected) Supreme Court have interpreted the Constitution to mean that a corporation is a person with the constitutional protections which the drafters of the Constitution intended for human beings.
Congress has never enacted laws granting corporations personhood and no president has called for corporate personhood.
Legislation restricting corporate involvement in elections that was upheld in prior Supreme Court decisions was thrown out by the radical majority on the Roberts Court.
The split is not along liberal/conservative lines. The late conservative Chief Justice William Rehnquist did not believe the Constitution endowed corporations with personhood. In 2003, both he and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor upheld corporate spending restrictions in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. The Roberts court, with Citizens United, gutted that law.
Since, based on their interpretation of the Constitution, the Supreme Court can overrule laws enacted by our elected representatives, “We the People” must clearly define what the Constitution means.
In response to this outrageous Supreme Court ruling, cities across America are passing resolutions in support of a constitutional amendment to overrule Citizens United. The city councils of Los Angeles, CA; New York City, NY; and Santa Fe, NM, have passed resolutions like the one we call for in Kansas City. It is time for Kansas City to join the chorus seeking to amend the US Constitution!
If you are a resident of KCMO, please, sign the petition urging our city council to pass this resolution. Link to the Petition in English HERE
Link to the Petition in Spanish HERE
Simply print a petition--and mail it in after you've collected some signatures. Instructions are on the petition.
