Becoming an Engaged Citizen: Occupy the Courts Today!

Today is the second anniversary of the infamous “Citizen’s United” decision by the
Supreme Court, a decision which has certainly united our citizens, but not in the
way you might expect. 

In the case of the Citizen’s United vs. the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), the Supreme Court ruled that corporations have the same constitutional rights as natural persons.  Oh really? 

We have consensus across the political board that Americans are not on board with this decision. A recent poll shows that whether you a Republican, a Democrat, a Green, a Libertarian, or unaffiliated...Americans agree overwhelmingly that corporations are not people! 

So where will many engaged citizens (including myself) be today? We will be joining our fellow citizens, united in protest, calling for the overturn of the Citizen’s United decision.  We will be at the Federal Court downtown because we want to return to the scene of the crime…our courts!

OCCUPY THE COURTS is a nationwide protest taking place today, January 20, in front of U.S. federal courts across the country to mark the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision that opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate money in elections.

Obviously, our readers already know, or should know, that I am not an objective reporter on this issue. I have been working with Move To Amend and speaking publicly to educate our citizens about this decision and how much it negatively influences our American Life and particularly our American elections. 

“We are coming together with one clear message: Corporations are not people and money is not speech,” said David Cobb, national spokesperson for Occupy the Courts and 2004 Green Party Presidential Candidate.  “The Citizens United decision allows corporate money to drown out the voice of the people.  With Occupy
the Courts we are demanding that our voices be heard.”

The Move to Amend coalition that we Valley Voters are working with, is growing strong grassroots support for a constitutional amendment that clearly and unequivocally states that: 1) Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only; not to artificial legal entities such as corporations or labor unions; and 2) Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.    

Today, Move to Amend is also kicking off petition drives in communities across the U.S. to put resolutions on the ballot calling for a constitutional amendment to
abolish corporate personhood. Grassroots volunteers have already successfully passed such resolutions in several cities including: Los Angeles, CA; Albany, NY;
Madison, WI; Boulder, CO; Missoula, MT; Duluth MN; Chapel Hill NC; and
Portland OR.

 “Corporations dominate the political process through political action committees, high-paid lobbyists, and multi-million dollar contributions by the wealthy 1%,” said
Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, national field organizing director for Move to Amend. “On the most critical issues that impact our everyday lives, corporate interests are
defeating critical policies to protect We the People and the planet.”

Under the United For the People banner, more than 60 organizations representing millions of activists around the country are working to harness the grassroots power of the vast majority of Americans who believe there is too much money in politics. On this second anniversary of Citizens United, this expanding network is coordinating a series of actions from grassroots gatherings to rallies at courthouses and corporate headquarters across the nation to let the peoples’ voice be heard.

Move to Amend is a broad-based grassroots coalition of diverse groups dedicated to ending the illegitimate legal doctrine that prevents the American people from ruling ourselves. Move to Amend is endorsed by hundreds of organizations, including several Occupy groups, and over 150,000 people who have signed the Move to Amend “Petition to Amend.”  

Corporations are not people. Money does not equal free speech. The Citizens United decision allows corporate money to drown out the voice of the people. Today is the day to turn that around.

Get in the game. Bring your own protest signs and banners, dress as a CEO, or a Supreme Court Justice, be creative, and join me and many of our neighbors at the Federal Building and Courthouse at 255 East Temple Street downtown
and we’ll rally at 11 a.m.

Celebrate this special “Citizen’s United” anniversary by becoming an engaged citizen and united with your fellow citizens to Occupy the Courts!