Forum Post: Sign Bernie Sanders' petition in support of his first proposed constitutional amendment
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 8, 2011, 8:44 p.m. EST by Lockean
(671)
from New York, NY
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed a constitutional amendment that would overturn the Supreme Court decision in a case called Citizens United vs. FEC.
The Saving American Democracy Amendment states that:
- Corporations are not persons with constitutional rights equal to real people.
- Corporations are subject to regulation by the people.
- Corporations may not make campaign contributions.
- Congress and states have the power to regulate campaign finances.
Petition here:
http://sanders.senate.gov/petition/?uid=f1c2660f-54b9-4193-86a4-ec2c39342c6c
Full amendment PDF:
http://sanders.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Saving-American-Democracy.pdf
Press release:
http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=7AFC6D2C-7C24-4CB6-80C3-74CDF7E383A3
This is the Senate counterpart to Rep. Deutch's amendment discussed here:
http://occupywallst.org/forum/rep-deutch-introduces-constitutional-amendment-to-/
I'm not a big petition guy, but we need to show a groundswell of support (despite flaws, as discussed in Rico's thread).
Also, a great piece today on the history of Corporate Personhood:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1112/S00053/the-real-history-of-corporate-personhood.htm
Thank god for Bernie!!!! We all need to show support for this man and his effort to introduce his constitutional amendment and get it ratified across all states. (at least 3/4). What can the 99% movement do to help?
201,631 have signed, but it needs the Steven Cobert bump.
I signed. The movement is working.
Great. Pass it on!
Yes, it really is working. Obama's speech yesterday was a big shift, too.
Definitely. I also appreciated Sanders (and Jan Schakowsky) saying yesterday that they will stay in Congress until unemployment is extended and the payroll tax cut is passed.
Calling it a "movement" is wildly aspirational. Do you think any of us are surprised to learn that 10% of the country wants socialism? Does have some grubbing people hang out in a park show us anything that we didn't know already? Do you think Bernie's somehow come in the cold and that he could win and election about anywhere else in the country? He's been pimping the welfare state all his life. No one cared then and no one cares now.
You're posting on the OWS forum. Something must have brought you here. Seems like it has hit a nerve with you.
It's fun to crash the party of delusion with the 99% nonsense. Lots of us are on this board. You're not the 99%, you're the 10% that's wanted socialism all along and now you're polluting our parks.
That is your argument? If you give a damn about education, health care and the working people then you are a socialist?
You didn't give a damn about the 99%. You are not "on board".
Yeah, the only way to express caring about things is to support a kleptocracy of smothering and enormous government. Freedom solves more problems than does socialism.
You aren't the 99%, just the 10% that's wanted socialism all along. The self-importance and lack of perspective of the protesters is obvious. Now get out of the parks. The 90% would like to use them today.
You represent the 1%. STFU and sit down.
Censored has shown his/her true colors on this forum. This poster has nothing constructive to offer to this movement or these forums. This poster is at best distracting us from getting some real work done, and at worst trying to get people to quit OWS.
Since this forum is setup to marginalize instead of ban trolls, we need to "dislike" & ignore posts by this troll. Click "dislike" on any of these troll posts. At -4 the posts are collapsed...
You're a great example of the bloated self-importance of OWSers. It isn't a movement, you aren't the 99%, and you aren't really even much on the news anymore.
You still don't have a case. You come here with a bunch of BS, you cannot back it up. Your blah-blah-blah doesn't matter. So..........here is your package of fail. There are real issues to deal with and you are either a part of the problem or a part of the solution. Choose your path.
You are probably not even in the top 10% yet you defend the interests of the 1%. That is exactly what the 1% wants, miseducation to convince the masses to worship them and their money. The occupiers in the parks know better than that. They think for themselves.
They think for themselves? Like the guy in the tree in Sacramento? He's an independent thinker, but also a likely mental patient. Like the people that talk unison? Very funny.
Socialism. Yeah, we get it already. The country continues to reject it, yet the fringe continues to whine for it. Nothing new about it.
Sweet. Thanks for the bump.
Done. I love Bernie Sanders.
<3 :o)
The only admitted socialist in Congress. Sure, he's a champ. Bernie Sanders' world view is wildly out of the step with most American people. He's the freak fringe of government control and the welfare state.
No, not really. As a matter of fact, that man is the only one that goes in and fights for the people--all people. Every time. Vets, elderly, working class, small business owners, children, and homeless. Unless you think all of those people are the freak fringe of Americans.
All the people that want socialism, which is hardly anyone in the United States. We're a center-right country and Bernie is a burnt out extreme left winger without much of an audience. I know who he claims to "fight" for, but they're better off without him and they know it too.
Not true. You are better off without him. Safer without him. You may be center right but that sure as hell doesn't represent the rest of the population.
Yeah, it pretty clearly does represent most of the people. We're a center-right country and have been for quite some time. Sure, the fringes have people like ole Bernie and I suppose Kucinich too, but they're just that, the fringe. Sounds like you're in the same fringe. It's OK, you can pine away for socialism, but it's just not where this country lives.
You don't have a case.
Sure, we all just want socialism and Bernie would be president if he ran. Yeah, that and other fantasies. Bernie would be buried even worse than Mondale and McGovern.
That doesn't have anything to do with the topic, does it?
Get back to me when you have formulated a solid argument.
Mind-control.
Bullshit. We're not center-right. We're far beyond that in economic terms. Almost all of the Republicans in Congress are extreme right-wingers, i.e. people who want to cut all welfare programs and spend more on the military instead. Bernie Sanders is center-left, and only far left by American standards. In Europe, he would only be slightly left of the mainstream, and the Republicans would be full-fledged neoliberal extremists.
We will help Bernie -
WILL YOU JOIN US ?
We need to pick an issue that is simple –
and that is proven popular -
that 83% of Americans already agree on -
That even 56% of TP already agree on -
that will bring together the people in OWS
with the people outside of OWS.
Everybody wins!
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Our only immediate goal should be to pass a constitutional amendment to counter Supreme Court decision Citizens United (2010) , that enable unlimited amounts of anonymous money to flood into our political system.
“Corporations and organizations are not a persons &
have no personhood rights”
We don’t have to explain or persuade people to accept our position – we only have to persuade them to ACT based on their own position. Pursuing this goal will prove to the world that we, at OWS, are a serious realistic Movement, with serious realistic goals. Achieving this goal will make virtually every other goal – jobs, taxes, infrastructure, Medicare – much easier to achieve –
by disarming our greatest enemy – GREED.
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
THE SUCCESS STORY OF THE AMENDING PROCESS The Prohibition movement started as a disjointed effort by conservative teetotalers who thought the consumption of alcohol was immoral. They ransacked saloons and garnered press coverage here and there for a few years. Then they began to gain support from the liberals because many considered alcohol partially responsible for spousal and child abuse, among other social ills. This odd alliance, after many years of failing to influence change consistently across jurisdictions, decided to concentrate on one issue nationally—a constitutional amendment. They pressured all politicians on every level to sign a pledge to support the amendment. Any who did not, they defeated easily at the ballot box since they controlled a huge number of liberal, and conservative and independent swing votes in every election. By being a single-issue constituency attacking from all sides of the political spectrum, they very quickly amassed enough votes (2/3) to pass the amendment in Congress. And, within just 17 months, they were successful in getting ¾ of the state legislatures to ratify the constitutional amendment into law. (Others were ratified even faster: Eight —took less than a year. The 26th, granting 18-year-olds the right to vote, took just three months and eight days.)
If they could tie the left and right into a success -
WHY CAN'T WE ??????????
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
I feel that we should stay with this simple text to overturn CU:
”corporations are not people”
for four simple reasons and one – not so simple:
1
83% of Americans have already opposed CU in the ABC/Washington post poll and the above
IS THEIR POSITION ALREADY.
2
We don’t have to work to convince people on the validity of our position.
3
Simple is almost always better.
4
This simple Amendment is REQUIRED to overturn CU.
And all other electoral reform can be passed through the normal legislative process.
5
OWS and these pages are chock full of ( mostly ) excellent ideas to improve our country.
All of them have strong advocates – and some have strong opposition.
None of them has been “pre-approved” by 83% of Americans !
Pursuing this goal – without additional specifics is exactly what Americans want.
What do we want? Look at that almost endless list of demands – goals - aims.
Tax the rich. End the Fed. Jobs for all, Medicare for all. So easy to state! Can you imagine how hard it would be to formulate a “sales pitch” for any of these to convince your Republican friends to vote for any of them?
83% of Americans have ALREADY “voted” against CU. And 76% of the Rs did too.
All we have to do ask Americans is to pressure their representatives – by letters - emails – petitions.
Wanna take your family on vacation?
Convince the 7 year old and the 10 year old to go to Mt Rushmore.
Then try to convince them to go to Disneyland.
Prioritizing this goal will introduce us to the world – not as a bunch of hippie radical anarchist socialist commie rabblerousers – but as a responsible, mature movement that is fighting for what America wants.
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
I feel that using the tactics of the NRA, the AARP an the TP – who all represent a minority – who have successfully used their voting power to achieve their minority goals - plus the Prohibition Amendment tactics – bringing all sides together - is a straight path for us to success that cannot fail to enable us to create and complete one task the MAJORITY.
YOUR ACTION ----> JOIN US TO PASS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
TO END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD
Whereas --
The OWS Declaration of the Occupation of New York City states that
"a democratic government derives its just power from the people,
not from corporations."
and --
the ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 83% of the entire US population
opposes the Supreme Court Citizens United decision,
which affirmed that corporations are people.
and --
by supporting the overturning of corporate personhood,
OWS clearly aligns itself with the vast majority of the American people
who support ending the fundamentally flawed and anti-democratic concept
that corporations are people.
therefore --
We support a constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood.
[Removed]
I would love to do exactly that - and imprison shrub and shooter. BUT at my age, I have to do what I can do -
what those 83% say they want to do
Join us - The OWS Restore Democracy Working Group at ............. <http://www.nycga.net/groups/restore-democracy_>
Can we co-opt Bernie Sanders now to be our leader?? Or Russ Feingold, I'm flexible!
Anything other than the anarchists currently running this movement.
Or Elizabeth Warren?? :o)
Elizabeth would be my first choice - she is going to shake up the Senate
Bernie is fabulous - but I doubt he would leave the Senate ( and we need him )
Russ is a professor - MIGHT BE AVAILABLE
dont just suggest him -
write to him at Marquette Law School Milwaukee WI [ I did ]
also #4 - retiring Barney Frank
Barney Frank would be the perfect OWS leader! Maybe Dodd will be his VP?
Like I said, I'm flexible. I could be ecstatically happy with Elizabeth Warren. She'll have to get past the anarchists and direct democracy nonsense first though. I also like Buddy Roemer.
I am totally against third parties - THEY DONT WORK - and elect lemmons
Nader gave us shrub & Iraq
Warren, Frank, Feingold can provide the leadership we need without a
third party to siphon off sanity from the "left" party
look at how the tp has taken over the EXISTING r party
Roemer is refreshing, for a Republican, but he is still very much that.
Roemer used to be a Democrat. Was on Thom Harmann, the Big Picture, the other night. Thom had issues with him, and so did I.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBigPictureRT#p/u/0/mIqvhnO0mRE
I prefer a Dem too. But I'll take a Republican over the anarchists anyday. I love that you know Roemer. Sadly, many people do not.
Thanks for posting this!
Pleasure. Spread the word. Let's get him over 100k ASAP.
Feingold? If so, where do I sign?
Hell yeah. Signed.
I should have checked my email.
IF they can bridge the issues raised here;
http://occupywallst.org/forum/rep-deutch-introduces-constitutional-amendment-to-/
and whatever others we may have missed, then it will be a great thing.
Great post
Thank you.
97,794 and growing.
Signed and shared! And on a slightly less gargantuan point, can anyone tell me if corporate personhood is what legally allows a corporate employer to attempt to sway the political actions of it's employees? I worked in the corporate world for a while (before realizing how much everything the company stood for sickened me) and was appalled by the amount of political propaganda that was regularly circulated to employees.
I'm not sure that's actually legal.
It seemed very strange to me. Any lawyers here with a perspective on this situation?
115,093 total signatures as of 8:30 pm e, 12/11
Can't we go get more people signing on?
Don't you people have friends?
Almost 40k signatures in <24 hours. Let's get it to 400,000. Spread the word.
Signed!
The Saving American Democracy Amendment states that: •Corporations are not persons with constitutional rights equal to real people. •Corporations are subject to regulation by the people. •Corporations may not make campaign contributions. •Congress and states have the power to regulate campaign finances.
Updated with a link to an excellent and detailed article on the history of Corporate Personhood: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1112/S00053/the-real-history-of-corporate-personhood.htm
Where does this now stand? 2/10/12 Anyone know?
Sign NOW and become the 100,000 signer.
I signed it. Please spread the word and ask others to save our democracy.
It should ban political parties from making donations.
Just in case someone missed it.
Glad to see this.. I'm on it
Hi Lockean, Signed. Thank you for post & links. Best Regards, Nevada
Hi Nevada - great, thanks.
Signed.
YES!!
I actually could get behind this idea if the judicial system and congress actually followed the constitution.