In this year's midterm election there is debate about whether electing politicians is still democratic (meaning that it is the
people who choose their governors, senators, etc. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that corporations are also people they can spend as much money on the candidate of their choice. And of course, money is a very big factor in whether the said candidate will win or not. Which might make it seem like it is really the big companies that are choosing our government officials.
As can be seen in the excerpt from a website below, some people are very angry with the Supreme Court and feel that their opinion and vote doesn't matter anymore.
On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government. Human beings are people; corporations are legal fictions.
The Supreme Court is misguided in principle, and wrong on the law. In a democracy, the people rule.
We Move to Amend.
(http://movetoamend.org/?gclid=CPX_nvyKy6QCFQRqKgodADF3Ew)
Is that true? By giving large corporations the right to spend as much money on an election is the politician that they are backing still representing the people or only the views of that company? Now that they (companies) are entitled to free speech how will they affect elections?
Does this decision tell us that the people's vote doesn't count, that a democracy based on the people is dissolving?
Now I may just be-being dramatic and it may seem like I'm telling about the apocalypse but think about it. The Founding Fathers built our country on the basis of free speech and now that corporations can do whatever they want with their money is that going to restrict the free speech of the people? It seems as though money is what gives us our government, now.
If you want to learn more about this issue click
HERE or
HERE for some articles.
I don't think that's right at all. Companies with more power and money can influence elections more. The companies don't represent the majority of the people, they only represent themselves. This could even sway more people to not vote in the upcoming election. There already is a mentality that my voice can't heard so why does it even matter? How is this going to help address that problem? I think it'll only make it worse.
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