Activist Cites Progress on “We the People” Amendment
(APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, December 09, 2013, activist David Cobb of the Move to Amend campaign, visited Atlanta to speak about corporate personhood again at Manuel’s Tavern.
Last year, Atlanta Progressive News also interviewed Cobb when he visited Atlanta around the same time to promote a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the U.S., which would ban corporate personhood and clarify that money is not speech.
“Our goal is to abolish Corporate Personhood, which was created in the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC; and reestablish a government of, by, and for the people.”
“Corporate Personhood is the precedent created by the Supreme Court that gives corporations the rights that were intended for human beings, which is unconstitutional in many respects. A corporation should not be allowed to have both limited liability plus the same rights as a human being,” Cobb said.
Cobb is National Projects Director of Democracy Unlimited, a lawyer, and a political activist. Cobb has sued corporate polluters, lobbied elected officials, and has been arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. In 2004, he ran for President of the United States on the Green Party ticket and successfully campaigned for the Ohio recount.
When asked what the Move to Amend campaign has accomplished since last year, Cobb said, “Last year we had ten states on the ballot and this year we have increased that to 16 states. Last year we had gotten on the ballot in 26 jurisdictions and this year there are 35. There were 130 local affiliates and in 2013 we have grown to 150. This year we have five hundred cities and counties to pass resolutions and last year we had four hundred.”
Of the cities and counties that have passed resolutions, only one of them is in Georgia.
The City Council of Savannah, which includes the Mayor, approved a resolution endorsing the Move to Amend proposed constitutional amendment, according to its meeting minutes dated March 21, 2013, in a vote of seven to two.
http://www.savannahga.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/03212013-139
Late last year, the City of Decatur had a presentation on the agenda from a group of local Move to Amend advocates, including activist Stacey Hopkins. Atlanta Progressive News was set to attend the Council meeting; however, the group cancelled its presentation.
“The proposed amendment will clearly establish that money is not speech, corporations are not people, and allows for no loopholes. Our amendment will put people in charge of our government, and corporations in their proper place,” Cobb said.
“The Supreme Court stole our sacred right to self-government by granting corporations constitutional rights and we as people need to take back these rights,” Cobb said.
When asked about the progress in Georgia, Cobb says Georgia needs more organizers and that nothing yet has gone on the ballot.
“We are a grassroots organization and when we are on the ballot, we have won each time, we need more organizers to help motivate,” Cobb said.
The Move to Amend Proposed 28th Amendment is detailed in their brochure which states:
“Section 1 [Corporations are not people and can be regulated]. The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, and other entities, established by the laws of any State, the United States, or any foreign state shall have no rights under this Constitution and are subject to regulation by the People, through Federal, State, or local law. The privileges of artificial entities shall be determined by the People, through Federal, State, or local law, and shall not be construed to be inherent or inalienable.
“Section 2 [Money is not speech and can be regulated]. Federal, State and local government shall regulate, limit, or prohibit contributions and expenditures, including a candidate’s own contributions and expenditures, for the purpose of influencing in any way the election of any candidate for public office or any ballot measure. Federal, State and local government shall require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary shall not construe the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.
“Section 3. Nothing contained in this amendment shall be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.”
(END/2013)