This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Citizens United - Impact of Corporate Citizenship

Former Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Jeff Clements,  author of "Corporations are not People", will speak on the impact of Citizens United on our Democracy.  He will cover the evolution of the Corporation from a restricted entity, subject to state and federal laws to legal person status ('PERSONHOOD') under the US Constitution.  A corporations' status as a legal person was not granted by law, but by Supreme Court decisions and 'interpretations' spanning over 100 years.  These rulings culminated with the Citizens United decision.

Come and see why recently seven states,  many cities and over 100 Connecticut legislators have petitioned congressional leaders for a Constitutional amendment.

Thomas Jefferson said that he hoped to: "crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country". (The Works of Thomas Jefferson, Nov 1816)

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

President Andrew Jackson questioned:"whether the people of the United States are to govern through representatives chosen by their unbiased suffrages or whether the money and power of a great corporation are to be secretly exerted to influence their judgement and control decisions." (Fifth Annual Message to Congress, Dec 1833)

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?