Move to Amend co-founder: elections have become auctions

Move to Amend, the national campaign to abolish Corporate Personhood, is hosting today at 6 p.m. a community forum on “Creating Democracy and Challenging Corporate Rule.” The event will be at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium at 4530 Spikes Way in Milton.

The forum is part of a series of rallies across the state of Florida led by David Cobb, co-founder of Move to Amend. On Tuesday, I interviewed Cobb on “Pensacola Speaks.”

Cobb talked about the landmark U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC that established constitutional rights for corporations. His organization is dedicated to “abolish ‘Corporate Personhood’ and reestablish a government of, by, and for the people.”

“Let’s be honest. The Supreme Court has turned our elections into auctions,” said Cobb. “What you’re seeing is the billionaire class literally controlling the electoral process.”

He believes American citizens need to fight back.

“It’s going to take a mass movement of ordinary people to come together to say ‘Enough already. This ain’t right,’” said Cobb. “This is not how the United States of America is supposed to be functioning. We, the people, are supposed to govern ourselves. It’s our right to determine how to best protect the integrity of elections.”

Cobb explained Move to Amend’s mission.

“Move to Amend is a campaign for a constitutional amendment to abolish the illegitimate court created ideas that a corporation is a person with constitutional rights and that money is speech,” he said. “These two doctrines taken together have literally stolen our sacred rights to self-government.”

Cobb said Move to Amend has a broad base of support.

“We are building a movement of people, liberals, conservatives, moderates, radicals, Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, anybody who believes in the concept of a democratic republic where we, the people, govern ourselves and our individual constitutional rights respected,” he said.

He told the listeners, “We invite you to come out. Talk to us. Be part of this movement. Again, amend the constitution to abolish the court created ideas that artificial entities have constitutional rights and money is speech.”

Over 400,000 people have signed an online petition supporting a constitutional amendment at www.MoveToAmend.org.

The local forum will take place on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. at Santa Rosa County Auditorium at 4530 Spikes Way in Milton.

For more information, call (707) 269-0984 or visit www.MoveToAmend.org.