Citizen Outrage into Citizen Reform

CITIZENS across the country have expressed their outrage over the Citizens United v. FEC decision, which allows unlimited corporate campaign spending and negates campaign finance reform laws. This decision was based on the misdirected – really, ludicrous – notion of Corporate Personhood, the idea that corporations are entitled to the same constitutional rights as human beings. Many have written us asking, “What can we do?”

Riki Ott, director of Ultimate Civics, recently teamed up with David Cobb from Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy (POCLAD) to deliver a powerful message on how citizens can fight to restore democracy in our nation.(See video below.)

“There are two ways to approach social movements,” says Ott. “We can work within the existing power structure for ‘compromises’ to make things a little less bad, or we can work to create the community and culture we want by building a social movement.” In their tour, Ott and Cobb stressed the need for a grass roots effort to create a cultural shift in our society. “The Abolitionists certainly didn't go to Congress and ask for a Slavery Protection Act.”

In keeping, Ultimate Civics and POCLAD have joined the Campaign to Legalize Democracy in a concerted effort to amend the US Constitution and restore democracy in the United States. This grassroots campaign identifies four objectives to achieve this goal:

  • To firmly establish that money is not speech
  • To affirm that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.
  • To guarantee the right to vote and to participate, and to have our votes and participation count.
  • To protect local communities, their economies, and democracies against illegitimate "preemption" actions by global, national, and state governments.

It’s a lofty goal, and it won’t happen overnight. But we can dig in and fight back against corporate control. Check out our Kitchen Table Democracy section to see how you can get started right now.




LAST FALL, Ultimate Civics put out a call to action and, working together with Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County, brought together key groups to address the need for reform. Out of this meeting, a coalition formed, creating the Campaign to Legalize Democracy. The coalition established a goal to AMEND THE US CONSTITUTION TO ABOLISH CORPORATE PERSONHOOD.

The need has never been more evident. Just a few months later, on January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court dealt a major blow to the American People, ruling in favor of the corporate elite. They overturned the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform laws and gave corporations their thumbs up for spending unlimited money and buying our elections.

THIS HAS TO STOP.

Learn more about the campaign AND SIGN THE PETITION TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION at the MoveToAmend.org web site.