Corporations have been legal people for nearly 127 years, slowly but surely gaining more and more rights under our Constitution and through our legal system. A system that was designed to limit the power and influence of money was used against We, the People to create a system easily corrupted into We, the Corporations or We, the Rich People.
On May 10th, 1886, a court clerk wrote into the Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Supreme Court case that, “corporations are people”, and we have been haunted by that legal fiction ever since. It is a “legal fiction” because corporations are not actual living human beings, but courts have held up the assertion that corporations have similar legal rights under the U.S. Constitution as human beings.
Corporations have secured inherent rights under the Bill of Rights, including the 1st, 4th and 14th amendments. The 14th Amendment was intended to abolish slavery. How ironic that corporations use it to justify their “personhood!” Rights are secured by our Consititution to real people. Legal artificial entities, such as nonprofits, unions and corporations, are established by law with explicit duties to the sovereign people, not rights under the Constitution.
Move to Amend was formed when about twenty non-profit organizations that had been working against corporate power for some time came together as they saw the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court case looming in late 2009. These organizations collectively realized the need for a true democracy movement in the United States.
During the founding of our beautiful nation, only 10% of the population were even considered citizens. Only white males with property could vote. That injustice continues today in the form of racism, sexism and classism, and all forms of oppression. Citizens United asserts that money is the same as speech. But money is property. Today property is re-established as the basis of citizenship.
Move to Amend seeks a non-partisan solution to corporate power and money rule in the United States and we recognize that this movement needs to involve all people, not just the upper middle-class white people who tend to get involved in such movements.
In order to commemorate the anniversary of such a terrible day for democracy in our history, Move to Amend will be hosting Freeway Bannering events across the country on Friday, May 10th to spread awareness of corporate personhood. You can find one near you by going to www.movetoamend.org/may10.You can also plug in with local Move to Amend affiliate chapters by going to www.movetoamend.org/affiliates-list.
We also have exciting campaigns coming up in California for the 2014 election! Please join us to help pass a hoard of county ballot initiatives in support of the We, the People Amendment. Start by signing up to volunteer through our petition at www.movetoamend.org.
