Saturday, February 18, 2012

America is about Giving Rights, Not taking Them Away

In America, we give people rights. We don't take them away.

That is one of the arguments I toss out when arguing against the proposed constitutional amendment that would take constitutional rights from corporations.

Those who favor the amendment, see themselves as doing no harm. Corporations are not people, they say. People have rights, not corporations.

I disagree. If speech is to be free, we should not limit those who can have it, not take it from anyone, not even the rich. We might make rules against their use their money in free speech, but the basic right of free speech, itself, should not be taken from anyone, nor from any group.

They argue the amendment would not at all curb a person's free speech, but only the speech of the corporation, itself. I say, Not so, for there is no speaking currently going on but what it is being uttered by people. There is a person (or persons) making every comment. There simply is no such thing as something being spoken without it being spoken by a person or a group of persons. If free speech is to be taken, it will only be taken from people. It can come from no other place.

So, I say, in America, we do not deprive people of their freedoms. We do not strip them of their rights. America is about giving people rights, not taking them away.

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