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"Move to Amend" Calls for Abolishing Corporate Personhood at Syracuse Meeting Tonight

Move to Amend is calling for a constitutional amendment to abolish the illegitimate courted-created concept that corporations and other artificial entities have inherited constitutional rights.
https://movetoamend.org/

Move to Amend is coming to Syracuse to promote ending the practice of allowing corporations to have constitutional rights.  The group feels those viewpoints are tied closely to the power and views of the wealthiest Americans. 

Move to Amend consists of a multi-racial coalition of individuals and organizations,  and is calling for a constitutional amendment to address Corporate Personhood.

Move to Amend @ Center for Peace and Social Justice 7:00 Tonight

  David Cobb, a co-founder and outreach director for the coalition, says they hope to educate, agitate and organize for a democracy free of corporate influence in the United States. He adds that they also carry on the work of past social justice movements.

“The American Revolution, The Abolitionist Movement, the Women's Suffrage Movement, and ask what lessons can we learn, what worked, what didn’t. As we apply those lessons to building a genuine democracy movement where we, the people, include all human beings and stay committed to the concept that majority cannot violate the rights of the minority.”

Cobb says most people don’t know the history of how corporations were granted constitutional rights through the Supreme Court. He says that if corporations can claim constitutional rights, they can potentially overturn any enacted law through the democratic process and turn elections into auctions.

“Literally the concept of corporations having constitutional rights steals our sacred rights to self-government. And as a lawyer and a constitutional scholar, that fills me with righteous anger, especially when they use the legal system to attempt to legalize and legitimize the theft of our sacred rights to self-government.”

Cobb says there is almost a universal agreement in America when it comes to the principle of self-government. He says polling data shows that over 80 percent of Americans think corporations have too much power in their lives and spend too much money to influence elections.

“Most people don’t know the finer details that they know in their hearts and in their lived experiences that the wealthy elites and the corporations are not just exercising power but they are ruling over us. And that's the reason why we are building a movement that includes principal liberals, principal conservatives, and moderates alike because it’s the principle of self-government. It’s not just a policy issue.”

The campaign will hold a community forum at 7 p.m. tonight at the Center for Peace and Social Justice at 2013 East Genesee St. The forum will focus on how Syracuse can join the national movement against Corporate Personhood.

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.