Special News Release: Constitutional Amendment Introduced in Congress Ensuring Rights for People, Not Corporations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 11, 2013

CONTACT:  

• Glenn Turner, 917-817-3396, glenn@ripplestrategies.com ,
• Shayna Samuels, 718-541-4785, shayna@ripplestrategies.com
• On the ground in DC: Ben Manski, 707-269-0984, press@movetoamend.org

Constitutional Amendment Introduced in Congress Ensuring Rights for People, Not Corporations

Reps. Nolan & Pocan Respond to Hundreds of Local Resolutions Calling for “We the People” Amendment

(Washington D.C.) - The movement for constitutional reforms that would end what organizers call “corporate rule” has arrived in the chambers of Congress. This morning, two members of the U.S. House of Representatives joined Move to Amend by announcing their sponsorship of the “We the People Amendment,” which clearly and unequivocally states that:

1. Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only, and not to government-created artificial legal entities such as corporations and limited liability companies; and  
2. Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.

In making the announcement, lead sponsor Rep. Rick Nolan (DFL-Minnesota), said: “It’s time to take the shaping and molding of public policy out of corporate boardrooms, away from the corporate lobbyists, and put it back in city halls – back with county boards and state legislatures – and back in the Congress where it belongs.”

Ben Manski, a spokesperson for Move to Amend, agreed, saying: “Today, members of Congress join a movement that insists on the fundamental equality of all Americans, and that rejects the idea that the corporate class should have special protections against We the People.”

The Move to Amend coalition was formed in 2009 in preparation for the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision. Today, the coalition of nearly 260,000 people and hundreds of organizations has helped to pass nearly 500 resolutions in municipalities and local governments across the country calling on the state and federal governments to adopt this amendment.

The Move to Amend coalition makes a point of differentiating themselves from the other proposals that have come forward in response to Citizens United. "In every single community where Americans have had the opportunity to call for a Constitutional amendment to outlaw corporate personhood, they have seized it and voted yes overwhelmingly, stated George Friday, Move to Amend spokesperson. “The Citizens Uniteddecision is not the cause, it is a symptom. We must remove big money and special interests from the legal and political process entirely."

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What Bill Cosby Thinks of the World and Why He's Glad He's Almost Done

(I found this posted to my Facebook page and thought it would be fun to share it here. Give it a read, see what you think--agree or disagree--and share your comments. Thanks.)

Bill Cosby says,  "I'm 83 and Tired."

Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly 40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques and Madrasa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia, New Zealand, [the] UK, America, and Canada while no one from these countries [is] allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20's bedeck themselves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves unemployable and claiming money from the government.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 83. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter and their children.

Thank God I'm on the way out and not on the way in.

(Ed. Note: I agree with Mr. Cosby in principle on just about every issue he mentions here, except the one about being glad he's on his way out. I think there's still hope. I'd like to be around long enough to see what may happen. You?)

The Gathering: Live Webcast Series with Awakened Teachers

The organizers of The Gathering are hosting a
LIVE webcast series with awakened teachers, starting on Sunday, April 15th, 2012 at 2:00pm EST.

Each 1½-hour video webcast will share a taste of enlightened consciousness with you, and offer you conscious guidance to help you along your path toward awakening.

You will be able to comment, ask questions and share your feelings via live web chat.  And if you are available to appear on webcam, you may also be invited to appear on video for a live discussion.

The first webcast will be hosted by the founder of The Gathering, Arvana Robinson, and the first guest teacher will be Canela Michelle Meyers, whose spiritual lineage is Ramana Maharshi, Papaji, and Isaac Shapiro, with support also from Paul Lowe.  She currently resides in Vancouver, Canada.

Each of the awakened masters in this series will be sharing Truth in their own unique way, flavoured by each of their unique backgrounds, lineage and experience, and yet all pointing to the same universal understanding.

Each webcast will also give you a little taste of what will be happening at The Gathering. It will help you live in increased freedom, joy and love...

...and hopefully give you an experience of the deep inner calm and bliss of enlightened consciousness.

There is a nominal $5 fee, which is intended to ensure that the participants have genuine intent.  Click here for more information and to register online.