Alliance for Democracy; Challenging Corporate Rule
The movement to challenge corporate personhood under the U.S. Constitution is growing rapidly. In just a few years, this strategy has been successfully used in dozens of areas around the United States. In one example, Wayne Township in Pennsylvania passed a local ordinance prohibiting corporations from doing business if they have a consistent history of violating regulatory law - municipal, county, state, or federal. What would that mean locally, where Maxxam Corporation/Pacific Lumber has violated regulatory law hundreds of times, yet it continues to do business in Humboldt County? Recently, here in Mendocino County, Point Arena City Council passed a resolution saying the city agrees with Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in his 1938 opinion, in which he stated "I do not believe the word 'person' in the 14th Amendment includes corporations".
The authors of our constitution were aware of the threat of unbridled corporate power, and specifically provided for protection against corporate harm. They never intended for corporations to have constitutional rights they enjoy (and destroy with) today; corporations were defined as subordinate legal fictions with no inherent rights. Up until just over one hundred years ago corporate charters were regularly revoked. They could not own land, make contributions to politicians, or do any harm. Our challenge now is to re-program our thinking, undo a hundred years of corporate propaganda supported by politicians who they buy and sell. We must reclaim our power as legitimate citizens and challenge corporate rule on a comprehensive basis rather than fighting on a multiplicity of single fronts. This is a movement worth some time and energy, so check them out!
We have three established Alliance for Democracy chapters in Mendocino County:
* North Coast:Tom Wodetzki 937-1113tw@mcn.org
Monthly Town Hall Meeting programs; 1st Friday at Ft. Bragg Town Hall
* Redwood Coast (So.):Jan Edwards882-1818 janedwards@mcn.org
* Russian River (Ukiah): Laura de Lovato485-0512 windpines@pacific.net
Meets monthly on 1st Monday, 6pm, at the MEC
There are chapters forming in Anderson Valley and Willits. Call the MEC for contact information.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2000
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