Citizens United

I’m pleased by the fact that some people know that corporations are not allowed to contribute to a candidate’s campaign fund.   I am equally intrigued by their suggestion that a candidate actively engaged in collecting campaign funds would not know that. Many people mistakenly believe that Citizen’s united allows corporations to make huge donations to candidates.  That is not correct.  That is against campaign finance law and the U.S Supreme court did not overturn that law in the Citizens United case.  The impact of the Citizens United decision is far more insidious than that.  If corporations contributed directly to candidates it would be easy to see which corporate interests our representatives are supporting.  For many of our representatives, that might not look too good to the American public.

     What Citizen’s United does is assign “person” status to a corporation.  It’s a very dangerous precedent that allows a corporation to assume the rights of an ordinary citizen, especially with respect to freedom of speech.  I don’t want to debate the constitutionality of the court’s decision; they are the experts after all but I do know what a person is and I see some very obvious differences between the “persons”  I know and any corporation I can think of.  The Free speech right allows corporations to invest unlimited amounts of money influencing our electoral process through excessive media coverage. The electorate will see “their facts”.

     A person is someone you can have a conversation with.  I don’t know how many of you have ever tried to carry on a conversation with a corporation but I can assure you, the “person” you are talking to is probably a receptionist or perhaps someone from customer service or Human resources or maybe if it’s a really serious conversation some administrative assistant. Unless there are some serious dollars involved you will not be talking to the CEO or the board.

I wonder how our culture is going to except these new “persons”.  Will they be allowed to hold public office?  Will they collect Social Security?  Will they make out wills to distribute their assets when they die?  Are we going to allow them to marry or adopt Children?  I can imagine the headlines when the Gulf Marlins take on the Exxon Excaliburs in the Babe Ruth little league championships.   OK, maybe I am being ridiculous or maybe some elite power structure is making a mockery of our constitution.   If you don't agree with me.  Read the dissenting opinions.