I am troubled by the changes in the amount, and type, of political advertising in our modern election seasons, and with continually being subjected to political "issue" advertising every time corporate interests have an agenda or want to push one. From passing favorable tax cuts, to choosing Supreme Court justices who are receptive to supporting them. In my opinion, the ads are negative, divisive, and are designed to misinform, mislead, and manipulate voter support.
It began with the courts interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution to view corporations as "people" (mostly for practical reasons, like contracts). In later, separate decisions, (Buckley v Valeo) "money" was deemed the same as "speech" and in 2010, (Citizens United v FEC), courts decided that corporate/people have the same right to political "speech" as human people. If these decisions stand, our voices will continue to be drowned out by the loud "voice" of corporate dollars, and opinions of corporate "people."
Corporations do not die from breathing bad air or drinking polluted water. They don't get cancer, and they don't need health care. There is a place for corporations in our world, and in our economy; however, I would argue that their power has become much too strong. They have effectively taken over our political discourse and have gained power that our founding fathers never intended. (In fact, one of the reasons we fought for independence was to escape corporate tyranny).
Our current campaign system is set up to create a situation where politicians must collect money to be elected. Obviously contributing to political campaigns reap big rewards for corporations. Otherwise, they would not spend hundreds of millions on it. The unbridled power of corporations to affect public policy making for people has got to change, before our rights are completely lost.
Lori Paulsen
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Deerwood
