Quote Originally Posted by esaabye View Post

So that means we can and should restrict all legal entities? Would that not extend well beyond the evil corporation that I work for but also SAIU, ACORN, NRA, the AG lobby and all others?

Maybe that is the answer, it is even handed but it might just violate my right to free association and free speech. Seems that if I would choose to associate I would have to sacrifice some of my free speech rights.

I know it is a muddy issue but we must look at it from a different perspective. If we sanction taking rights away from one group then they will come for the next group. We know as gun owners that we are on that list. We must hold the line at the constitution, no more and no less. We can change the constitution if we want too, that is the correct method.

On a side note, if we want to make health care a right, we also need to add it to the constitution.

When we start to ignore our own laws for populist reason (many examples available if you want them) we enable our government to further oppress us by dividing us.

Let me make this very clear, I am that Corporation, and so are many of you. Many others on the forum are the Union. We all shoot together and talk together. We all value our freedoms. Now they start to divide us and suddenly we are ready to take each other’s rights away based on positions we think the other holds. The only thing that can prevent the populist rage pushed by politicians on both sides is the constitution.

OK, rant over.


Maybe I'm not being clear - I am in no way against the association of like minded citizens who chose a 'legal entity' to be their common voice. I have no problem with these common voices taking out ads, flooding TV, and petitioning govt about their beliefs and causes. Those are activities protected by The Constitution.

I am against the bribing of public officials. That is what lobbying (in its current form) is, bribery. Preventing corporations, unions, stamp clubs, or whatever 'legal entity' you can think of from buying and selling our govt in no way prevents real, voting citizens from participating in their govt. If anything it ensures their wishes and heard and obeyed.

Wonder why illegal immigration is such a problem? Look at the special interests. Very powerful business groups have a vested interest in keeping a steady flow of cheap, exploitable labor. They 'vote' with campaign contributions. The American people cry out for reform, but we are drowned out by an ocean of bribes.

Wonder why your job is getting off shored? Or why we sign illogical free-trade agreements that flood our country with cheap foreign goods that destroy our domestic industries? Look to the lobbies. Look at the flow of 'contributions' from a few very powerful interests that stand to make vast sums of money by destroying your livelihoods. Do you think your votes stand a chance against all that money?

And for those techies out there, how do think the ridiculous Digital Millennium Copyright Act ever got passed? Yup, special interest and corporate lobbies. In the name of bribes, our govt threw out basically all of our fair use rights to appease their corporate masters.