Announcing "We the People Massachusetts"
NorthShore MoveToAmend
We are writing you as a member of North Shore Move to Amend to announce the formation of an exciting new statewide organization: We the People Massachusetts! The mission of this new organization is to help pass an amendment to the U.S. constitution to address the undermining of our democracy through various federal court rulings, including Citizens United v. FEC. As you have been on our mailing list, you will continue to receive notices of our work in Massachusetts and in your area. You will receive emails from North Shore We the People Massachusetts once that account is established. We invite you to increase your participation in this groundbreaking and vital work.
Until recently, we have worked with Move to Amend, a national group working for a constitutional amendment. Although we have decided not to continue our affiliation with Move to Amend, we will continue our alliance with it and other organizations as we build our own independent statewide organization.
We the People Massachusetts (WTPM) is a federation of nine regional groups in the state that hold regular grassroots meetings. There are groups in Greater Boston, Cape Cod, the North Shore, Metro Northwest, Metro Southwest, the Boston South suburbs, the South Coast, and the Berkshires. We work together collaboratively and democratically through a statewide coordinating team and other statewide working groups.
We have two important and immediate goals:
(1) Increasing the number of regional groups throughout Massachusetts so that there is a group in every corner of the state. In particular, we need groups to form in the Pioneer Valley, Central Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley and the South Shore. We need active members all across the state to achieve our next goal…
(2) Achieving passage of state legislation pending in the Massachusetts legislature: The We the People Act. This bill calls on Congress to propose an amendment to the states affirming that:
• the rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of individual human beings only
• money spent to influence elections is not protected free speech, and may be regulated to ensure equal access to the political process for all Americans
If Congress does not propose an amendment within six months of the passage of the act, the bill calls for an Article V Amendment Convention, which can propose an amendment for ratification by the states.
The urgency of our work is summarized by our mission statement:
“Our nation was founded on the principle that “We, the People” are to govern ourselves through our elected representatives. But the Supreme Court has extended to corporations constitutional rights meant only for individuals. The court has also ruled that money spent to influence elections is protected free speech. Because of these rulings our government today is controlled by, and hence serves, powerful special interests, such as global corporations and the very wealthy, instead of all the people.”
If you would like information about local meetings or are willing to help in any way, please reply to this email. Or, you may sign up on our website
With great enthusiasm,
The Statewide Coordinating Team of We the People Massachusetts