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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Highway 42 to reopen Sunday after landslide ... Freezing rain in Rogue Valley possible early Sunday morning ... Quick response subdues west Medford garage fire ... Highway 42 to reopen Sunday after landslide ... Freezing rain in Rogue Valley possible early Sunday morning ... Quick response subdues west Medford garage fire ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Comment By Andy Seles MailTribune.com By Andy Seles Posted Apr. 26, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Andy Seles Posted Apr. 26, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News There are many organizations attempting to take back our elections from the grip of artificial entities (corporations, unions, trade associations, “nonprofits”) and individual wealthy donors. The former injustice is from the Supreme Court’s bench-legislated, 2010 Citizens United decision and the latter from their 2014 McCutcheon ruling. Groups such as Common Cause, Move to Amend, Free Speech for the People and others are seeking a constitutional amendment to overturn these ill-advised decisions. Sadly, most groups addressing this critical issue have been liberal ones. Most are politicized, some with offensive messaging to conservatives or championing other "left" issues, thereby alienating conservatives — as if the threat to our sovereignty (national, state, local, individual) is a one-party (liberal) cause. Last year, for example, the Democratic Party unabashedly co-opted the amendment effort, using it to raise money for many of their political campaigns, hypocritically fingering Republican contributors such as the Koch brothers with one hand, while grasping the donations of Goldman Sachs, for example, with the other. Then, too, the Republican Party's silence on the amendment effort has been deafening. Two alternatives have recently been presented to our Oregon Legislature to remedy the Citizens United fiasco. The first is vague at best: House Joint Memorial 2 petitions the U.S. Congress to call a convention “for the purpose of proposing amendments to the United States Constitution relating to free and fair elections as soon as two-thirds of the several states have applied for a convention.” The second, House Joint Memorial 4, also petitions Congress for a convention, but attempts to limit the debate by stating the following principles: “(a) Corporations are not people. Artificial legal entities such as corporations, unions and for-profit and nonprofit organizations established under the laws of any state, the United States or any foreign state shall have no constitutional rights and shall be subject to regulation by the people through federal, state or local law. The principle described in this paragraph may not be construed to limit the rights of natural persons already delineated in the United States Constitution. (b) Money is property and may not be construed as speech. To ensure a level playing field for all people regardless of their economic status, the people empower and direct federal, state and local governments to regulate, limit or prohibit the contribution and spending of moneys for political purposes and to require full and prompt public disclosure of all such transactions”. Under Article V of the Constitution, the path to overturning Citizens United will have to come either from two-thirds of the states' demanding a convention or a proposed amendment from two-thirds of both houses. While it may be wishful thinking to expect that representatives of either major political party are going to undermine the current “pay to play” system that put them in power, advocating for a constitutional convention is flirting with disaster. An Article V Constitutional Convention cannot be limited to a proposed amendment and could lead to the proposal and ratification of other, potentially dangerous changes to the Constitution. While three-fourths of the states must ratify any new amendment, this would not protect us from harmful amendments because a constitutional convention can also mandate a completely new ratification procedure, for example, requiring a national referendum. So, what’s the alternative? The solution lies in working together at the community level upwards, as our politically diverse steering group and members are doing within Americans for Amendment (AFA). We are a non-ideological, single-issue, true grassroots organization, situated in Jackson County, whose sole focus is educating on the need for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, addressing constitutional personhood and money as speech. We do not endorse or seek endorsement, and we avoid “left-right,” divisive issues, making sure we are accurate and laser focused on this single issue. While Americans for Amendment likes the thinking behind HJM 4 because of its clarity regarding corporate personhood and money as speech, we see both calls for convention as inherently dangerous. We urge Oregonians to put aside ideological differences and, working together, join in common cause to restore the sovereignty of our Constitutional Republic. Sixteen states have already passed resolutions supporting an amendment. Together we can educate and garner the support of the people in the 38 states required to ratify an amendment (several have already been proposed in Congress) while enlisting the support of our elected representatives. We invite you to view the amendment that AFA supports on our website, www.americansforamendment.org , as well as the highly informative, well-documented slideshow: “Why is an Amendment to the Constitution Needed?” Please sign up online for more information. Email us with comments or questions at [email protected] . Andy Seles of Ashland is a retired teacher and steering member of Americans for Amendment. By Andy Seles MailTribune.com By Andy Seles Posted Apr. 26, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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