If you have the nagging feeling that maybe the game is “rigged” or that something is possibly “not right” about the balance of economic power in the United States, well you’re at least half wrong; there’s no “maybe” about it.  Something is absolutely not right—not right at all, and while there are countless reasons for this sad state of national affairs, I believe the lead villain in our story is:  Corporate Personhood.

This villain raised his mustache-twirling head over a century ago in a little-known California tax case, and he is the reason that every shopping mall hosts the same retail stores—and that in every bedroom community’s restaurant row you will find the same national chains, no matter where you are in the U.S..  If you could be instantly transported, “Star Trek” style, to the food court of a random shopping mall anywhere in the United States—do you think you would have any idea what part of the country you were in?  I doubt it  (unless, of course, you were to guess “Hooverville,” in which case you wouldn’t be far off), but if you stepped outside you would very likely trip over the crumbling headstones of countless locally owned and supported businesses—and if you listened carefully, you would no doubt hear the precious few survivors rattling out their last breaths.

To keep us from becoming too depressed over this, big business has sought to amuse us by giving the villain a stereotypically goofy (but no less evil) sidekick whom I will name after the over-simplistic catchphrase, “Money equals Speech.”  The decision in the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has been boiled down to this three-word summation, and I like it because it inspired yesterday’s Tweet (If money = speech, then a quick chat with my landlord should cover me for the month, right?).   A cute joke, perhaps, but in truth I really don’t think the situation is terribly funny.  Multinational corporations have the same rights as we human beings do, and they now also have the right to donate as much money as necessary, however necessary, in order to secure the election of their favored candidates, and there’s really nothing we can do about it.

However, thanks to one of my nine-hundred and fifteen closest Facebook “friends” I learned about a fun party favor that can be acquired by making a nominal donation to my favorite political organization, MoveToAmend.org.  I was so enthralled with the idea that I made my donation to them right away (not my first), and I received my party favor a day or so ago (inset is a photo of my new arrival and the result of my using it for its intended purpose).  I love that the message will be read by countless people as it circulates.  MoveToAmend.org proposes a Constitutional Amendment that will put corporations back into the category in which they belong: economic entities that exist only by the will and approval of the people, and by putting money back into the category of, well, money—as opposed to the sacred and unfettered vessel of free speech, which is essentially the position to which the Citizens United decision elevates it.

I believe in the work that MoveToAmend.org is doing.  It gives me hope that there may be, after all, something we can do to stop at least some of the madness.  If you‘d like one of these fun party favors of your very own, a donation of $20.00 to MoveToAmend.org will put one in your hot little hand.  Just click here: Stampede to Amend.

It will be money well-spoken.