Movement aims to abolish money speech
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Editor,
While talking with friends about our country’s political situation, one remarked that they felt almost powerless because of the onslaught and demolition of our shared democratic ideals and institutions.
The Supreme Court’s ruling that corporations have, in many cases, the same rights as people has been destructive. Also, since the court’s ruling on “Citizens United,” corporations’ influence upon the United States political system has been greatly and unfairly exaggerated, hurting people on both the left and the right.
Corporations have enormous political and economic clout. They constantly lobby Congress to do away with existing regulations and, in fact, sometimes write legislation which is passed, lock, stock and barrel, by the men and women in Congress who are supposed to be there representing their constituents' interests, all their constituents' interests.
If Democrats were simply up against Republicans, it would be a fair fight. It isn’t. Our democratic ideals are being sold down the river by the moneyed interests of people who can afford to hire the very best lobbyists and lawyers in the country. “Profit Over Country” may not be the motto they admit to, but it’s their motto, nevertheless. A weak-willed Congress that is mostly interested in staying in power has been easily manipulated by capitalists with little interest in democracy.
So what to do? There is hope: “Move to Amend” is a grass-roots movement aiming to amend the Constitution to abolish corporate constitutional rights and the doctrine of money as speech. It’s relatively simple and straightforward. There is an office in Missoula. They would love to have you contact and support them.
Eugene Beckes
St. Ignatius
