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Updates on the Campaign To Legalize Democracy

The Momentum for Systemic Change is Building.

1. In These Times magazine ran an article by Move to Amend attorneys
Ben Manski and Lisa Graves. They write: "The only genuine
alternative to de facto acquiescence to the Court's dictate is a
democracy movement -- a new American renaissance organized from below,
based in communities across America, and prepared to overrule the
Court by reclaiming, amending, and renewing our Constitution."
If you haven't read their article yet, check it out here.

2. Riki Ott and David Cobb concluded a barnstorming tour of
Oregon and Washington. They visited 14 cities and towns in 14 days,
and every community has agreed to host follow-up meetings/events to
advance the call for constitutional amendments!

The Seattle event was picked up and praised in the Post-Intelligencer,
a major newspaper. Read all about it here.

If you are interested in hosting presentations by Move to Amend organizers in
your community, contact us at info@movetoamend.org or call us at 707-269-0984

3. Want to learn more? Gain skills? Meet kindred spirits? Trainings
are coming up, hosted by Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County, that
may interest you.

In Humboldt County, from April 2-April 4, they are holding a
training session specially designed for youth and campus activists
working to oppose corporate personhood and the corporatization of
higher education. The cost for the full weekend will be $100-$200
(sliding scale) and includes food and couch or camping.

They also will host a "Training for Trainers" on the weekend of June
4-6 for anyone who wants to effectively organize in support of the
Move to Amend and the Campaign to Legalize Democracy in their own
community.

The training will survey the social, legal and historical context for
the rise of corporate rule. We will focus on a participator experience
that encourages folks to practice talking about these concepts with
others, and will include plenty of time/space for strategy
discussions.

Space at both these events is limited, so if you are interested in
attending, call them immediately at 707-269-0984

Take Action

Up in arms about the huge gift the Supreme Court just presented to the powerful and wealthy? Anxious about the future of democracy in the U.S.A.? Worried about how your right to free speech getting drowned in billions of dollars of campaigns ads by the likes of Exxon and the Chamber of Commerce?

Don’t just sit there and fume. Go raise a ruckus! We present the following ideas for action, listed in order of commitment-level, from easy to harder. Make a checklist, and see if you can do them all!

 

TAKE ACTION ON YOUR OWN:

Sign the Motion To Amend. Already did that? Spread the word! Tell your friends about the petition using our online form.

Donate to the cause! Motion to Amend is the beginning of a multi-year movement to amend the Constitution. We're gearing up big and we need your financial support.

Join our Facebook Page to stay in touch and connect with others who are passionate about this issue.

Write a letter to the editor

Read a few examples to get your writing juices flowing. (Note: editors now frequently Google selected phrases and reject letters obviously replicated elsewhere, so please write your own.) We encourage you to make use of these tips for effective letter-writing and MoveToAmend talking points.

When submitting a letter to your local paper, consider highlighting how corporate influence and direct contributions to candidates and campaigns have influenced the outcome of elections for local and county offices, including judges, and of citizen ballot initiatives and referendums.

Spread word via radio talk shows

Let folks know about this website! Check out these tips for calling in to talk shows.

Meet with the local chair of your political party

Ask them to stand up to big corporate contributions and defend the integrity of our free elections. Urge them to have your local or state party pass a Resolution.

Call, email or visit your elected officials

Contact or meet with your state and federal representatives. Ask what they're planning to do to respond to the Supreme Court's ruling and to represent you and your fellow constituents against unchecked corporate power. (Share their response with your friends, co-workers and your local newspaper - hold them accountable!)

Click here for contact information for all state and federal elected representatives.

Make it a political issue

Go to candidate forums and ask "Do you support the opinion that corporations are persons and therefore have the rights of free speech under the First Amendment?

Help send the message every time you email by linking MoveToAmend.org in your signature. For example: Join the campaign to save democracy from the Supreme Court: http://MoveToAmend.org

Note: We will be publishing a Candidate Survey soon with a series of questions you can ask all candidates in your local/state elections in 2010. You can print up the results and let fellow voters know where their candidates stand on Corporate Personhood and democracy issues.

GATHER TOGETHER AND UP THE ANTE!

Let your local media know before you do any of these actions so that your neighbors and community members know that their fellow citizens aren't going to take it anymore! The Spin Project offers excellent tutorials on contacting the media and organizing publicity for actions. And let us know what you're planning so we can publicize it through our site and inspire others across the country!

Hold a Funeral: Mourn American democracy

Organize a mock funeral outside your federal building, with mourners, music, speakers, and eulogies for democracy. Let everyone know that the U.S. judicial system has made democracy illegal by granting away our rights to corporations. Take video to post on YouTube, invite the media, and make sure your political officials are invited to speak in memory of democracy.

If possible, we recommend holding your action at the nearest federal district courthouse building. While the Citizens United v. FEC ruling was a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, that ruling now stands for the entirety of the our legal system.

For a list of Federal Courts see here and here.

Do you live in the hometown or attend the alma mater of one of the Corporate Five?

Organize a rally/circulate a petition and send a press release to the media declaring your town/college is disowning the Justice as an embarrassment and disgrace to democracy. Send the Justice a "Certificate of Disownment".

  • Samuel Alito
    • Trenton, New Jersey (born)

    • Hamilton Township, New Jersey (childhood)

    • Princeton University (undergrad)

    • Yale Law School

  • Anthony Kennedy
    • Sacramento, California

    • Stanford Univerity (undergrad)

    • Harvard Law School

  • John Roberts
    • Buffalo, New York (born)

    • Long Beach, Indiana (childhood)

    • Harvard College (undergrad)

    • Harvard Law School

  • Antonin Scalia
    • (Trenton, New Jersey (born)

    • New York, New York (childhood)

    • Georgetown University (undergrad)

    • Harvard Law School

  • Clarence Thomas
    • Pin Point, Georgia (born)

    • Savannah, Georgia (childhood)

    • College of the Holy Cross (undergrad)

    • Yale Law School

There's an interesting precedent for this - we can look to the Revolutionary generation and their response to Tory courts and justices in Massachusetts just before the Revolutionary War. Check out the story here.

Present a Corporate Megaphone Award "for Calling the Shots"

Go visit with the CEO of a big corporation in your community and congratulate him/her on receiving all the power they need to set the agenda for America, to drown out the voices of everyday Americans and to take the pesky responsibility for self-governance out of the hands of We the People. Present a big oversized golden megaphone to make your point, and take a nice photo or video!

Pass a Democracy Resolution at the local level

Take a small group and visit with each elected official of your municipal council, town board, or county board. Ask what they're planning to do to respond to the Supreme Court's ruling and to represent you and your fellow constituents against unchecked corporate power. (Share their response with your friends, co-workers and your local newspaper - hold them accountable!)

Urge your local elected officials to sponsor a Democracy Resolution for your local government for discussion and passage in response to the Citizens United v. FEC ruling. Depending on your local government type, follow the process for requesting an item be put on the meeting calendar for a vote of the governing body.

Remember, today most local government meetings are seen live and rebroadcast on community T.V., an excellent opportunity to present the issue to a wide viewing audience.

Organize a "Kitchen Table Democracy Session"

Most folks do not have a deep understanding of what corporate personhood means to democracy and elections. Bring your friends, family, co-workers, fellow students, or neighbors together for a discussion about why this happened, what it means, and what needs to be done.

Are you interested in grassroots organizing?
Would you like to be a point person for your community/region/state as we move towards taking larger action? Let us know and we'll be in touch.

Do you have other ideas for action? Let us know! If you make templates or example documents, costumes, flyers, props or other materials, we'll post them!

This page's content is used with permission from The Campaign to Legalize Democracy coalition at www.movetoamend.org/take-action.