Letter: Constitutional amendment needed to get money out of politics

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February 2, 2012

The Salem News Thu Feb 02, 2012, 04:30 AM EST

To the editor:

Are corporations people? Should they be given the same protections as people? Should campaign spending be protected just like the right of speech?

Since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the Citizens United case, corporations have gotten tight control over our government and our democracy.

Jan. 21, 2012, was the second anniversary of the Citizens United ruling. We must move to amend this decision.

This is a pivotal moment for all citizens, a time for all of us to step up to the plate and counteract the regressive agenda set by the corporations and their well-paid henchmen. We need to get corporate money out of our political system and ensure equality, economic justice and fairness for all.

Those who say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. We can make it happen!

There is a strong, deeply held bipartisan belief in democracy and the rights of people to be self-governing. The "Move to Amend" is here to create a movement — to organize, strategize, harmonize and then mobilize the American people. We need to gather to force the powers that be, whether corporate powers, or political powers, or media powers, to pay attention to what we the people really want. We need to tell our local, state and national politicians to take action and pass a constitutional amendment that stops corporations from having the same rights as people, that stops corporations from having unlimited access to spending in our elections. That's not democracy and that's not free speech.

As brother Bob Dylan writes, "Come senators and congressmen, please heed the call. Your old road is rapidly agin'. Please get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand. For the times they are a-changing."

We are the citizens, and we are united!

Sue Kirby

Gavin McAuliffe

Carlos Pacheco

George Economides

Thomas J. Costagliola

Rob Talbot

Clare Ritchie

Salem

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Letter: Constitutional amendment needed to get money out of politics

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