The Limits of Free Speech - Citizens United vs Occupy Wall St.

[otohara]

Get involved to overturn Citizens United - sign a petition here:http://democracyisforpeople.org/


The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision to open the floodgates to unlimited corporate expenditures in elections has recently been thrust back into the spotlight by the international Occupy movement. And rightly so, given that the Americans creating a “church of dissent” in urban public spaces are echoing popular discontent with a broken political process– one where the voices of “We the People” seem to be drowned out by powerful special interests all too often.

Thus, it’s fitting that, as they’ve cast a spotlight on a ruling that is widely reviled by Americans across the political spectrum, Occupy participants have inadvertently highlighted another sad result of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. As Professor David Kairys observed the day the ruling was handed down (full disclosure: I conducted research on Citizens United under Professor Kairys’ supervision in 2010), corporations’ attempts to influence elections through unlimited spending are now granted a heightened level of constitutional protection compared to, say, everyday citizens:http://www.citizenvox.org/2011/11/04/the-limits-of-free-speech-citizens-united-vs-occupy-wall-street/

Here's a couple Facebook pages to keep up with the news.

http://www.facebook.com/CUACU?ref=ts&sk=wall

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Overturn-Citizens-United-v-Federal-Election-Commission/267359808422?sk=wall