Forum Post: Declaration of Common Sense (with returns)

Here it is with some carriage returns and numbers (sorry for double post). Please comment! Much love to you all!

Declaration of Common Sense

We the people, the 99%, have peaceably assembled to non-violently address certain serious flaws in the fabric of our Republic. These flaws threaten our prosperity, happiness, and lives; and the prosperity, happiness, and lives of children and future generations.

A government of the people, by the people, and for the people is impossible when the process of government is determined by economic power. Corporations now hold too much power over our government. We demand that:

1 Corporate monies shall not finance political campaigns;

2 Individual contributions to campaigns shall be capped at a low level, affordable to most people;

3 Contributions from candidates shall be capped at this same level;

4 The media donate some portion of their services to campaigns, which will be divided equally between candidates;

5 Holders of political office shall not be allowed to accept gifts in exchange for political considerations;

6 Regulatory groups shall not be comprised of or funded by groups they are meant to regulate;

7 The above demands be written into the constitution with an explicit prohibition against loopholes which are intended to subvert the spirit of the demands.

We hold that the rights of people are more important than the rights of corporations. We demand that:

8 Because corporations are not people, they shall not necessarily be afforded the same rights as people;

9 All people be afforded the same rights, independent of race, sex, sexual orientation, creed, economic status, or any other differences;

10 Education be regarded as an inalienable right, and a prerequisite for a healthy democracy;

11 Access to and dissemination of information be regarded as an inalienable right, and a prerequisite for a healthy democracy;

12 The news media, the internet, and future emergent technologies of communication exist to serve the people, and not to consolidate power and money in the hands of the few;

13 The above demands be written into the constitution with an explicit prohibition against loopholes which are intended to subvert the spirit of the demands.

We hold that a principal responsibility of government is to protect our planet for current and future generations. We demand that:

14 Our government protect public resources, especially now that we have reached or nearly reached the limits of our planet to sustain exponential population growth;

15 Our government protect us and the Earth from the greed of corporations, as corporations have demonstrated their willingness to short-sightedly extract wealth from people and the Earth even to the fatal detriment of people, future generations, and the Earth;

16 Our government protect the interests of children and future generations, who otherwise do not have a voice, from the greed of corporations and other entities attempting to benefit at the expense of children and future generations;

17 As all people are created equal, including children and future peoples, our government be legally obligated to protect the interests of children and future peoples;

18 The above demands be written into the constitution with an explicit prohibition against loopholes which are intended to subvert the spirit of the demands.

19 Finally we demand that wrongdoing from the financial community, either on or off Wall Street, be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.