We can’t count on the Supreme Court to Protect the People, so it’s time for a Constitutional amendment that says corporations are not “persons.” The reason we need it is because the Supreme Court, not the Constitution, has said that corporations are persons and have First Amendment rights. Following that line of reasoning, the Supreme Court now says that corporations can make unlimited donations to political campaigns. This was never intended by the framers of the Constitution. It is judge-made law that has haunted our democracy since the 1800s. Let’s end it.
Here is my proposed amendment. Paragraph 2 is taken from Justice Stevens’ book.
- Only persons eligible to vote in the United States by birth or citizenship may contribute money, goods, or services to candidates for public office or their supporters. For the purpose of this amendment, a person is eligible to vote without being registered to vote.
- “Neither the First Amendment nor any other provision of this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit the Congress or any state from imposing reasonable limits on the amount of money that candidates for public office, or their supporters, may spend in election campaigns.”*
- Corporations, groups, organizations, associations, and other entities are not persons under this amendment or this Constitution, and they shall not have First Amendment rights.
Jack
*Excerpt From: Stevens, John. “Six Amendments.” Little, Brown and Company, 2014-04-22. iBooks