To the Editor:

On behalf of the Western Carolina Affiliate of the National Move To Amend and We the People of Jackson County, I’d like to profoundly thank the Jackson County Commissioners for passing the resolution to call on our state’s General Assembly to join with other states to petition the U.S. Congress to create the People’s Amendment that will reverse the Supreme Court’s decision on Citizen’s United vs. the U. S. Board of Elections. 

In summary, the amendment declares that human beings only are afforded the constitutional protection of inalienable rights and that corporations and other artificial entities are not persons and have no such protection. The amendment further declares that the unbridled spending of money to influence elections is not First Amendment-protected free speech and can be regulated by national, state, and local governments.  

In passing this resolution, our commissioners are leading the way for other North Carolina legislative bodies to join with over 500 other community and state legislative bodies around the nation who have already passed such resolutions to create a movement to bring forth the People’s Amendment.  Beyond legislative bodies taking these actions, hundreds of ballot initiatives on this issue have been brought before voters throughout the country, in both liberal and conservative states and districts. In every single initiative, without exception, the people have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a constitutional amendment to end corporate personhood and money as free speech.

Move To Amend is endorsed by hundreds of organizations from progressives such as the American Institute for Progressive Democracy to the more traditional like Veterans for Peace. Endorsers come from grassroots organizations such as the Family Farm Defenders and historically established organizations such as the National Lawyer Guild. Included among the many endorsers are the NC AFL-CIO, Kentucky Education Association, and numerous churches and interfaith alliances.

It is clear, Americans know that corporations and other artificial entities are not persons. They also know that the massive influx of corporate money into politics distorts and corrupts our electoral process. Americans know that these two judicial, not legislated, doctrines negate the basic fabric of our democratic republic by undermining the hallowed principle of one-person, one-vote. I wholeheartedly thank our county commissioners for standing as proud patriots in the ongoing battle to preserve a democratic republic governed by, of, and for We the People.

Allen Lomax

Sylva