What is the People's right Amendment?
You will not hear much about this amendment in the news but you should. This amendment is about restoring the rights of each and every citizen of this country. Some parts may be considered controversial but in reality they are not. We elect individuals at the local, state and federal government levels to make decisions for us but those decisions should be in agreement with the Constitution at the federal and state level of governments.
There are two distinct legislative proposals currently in the Senate and House of Representatives the aim of which are to overturn the fabricated doctrine of corporate constitutional rights and restore the promise of American self-government of, by, and for the people. Our judicial system has made decisions about corporate responsibilities and rights in that they should be treated as individuals when in fact the Constitution does not reference anything related to the corporate structure. The amendment basically leaves the rights of these entities to state governments to determine their rights and responsibilities. This is as it should be. The purpose of the Constitution is to define the authority and responsibilities of the federal government and leave all other responsibilities for the states to decide.
There are three sections to these legislative efforts which are presented below:
“Section 1. We the people who ordain and establish this Constitution intend the rights protected by this Constitution to be the rights of natural persons.”
This section refers to the rights protected by the Constitution. The Bill of Rights which consist of the 1st ten amendments to the Constitution are constantly under attack by individuals, organizations and even government entities. Our rights under the Constitution should be protected not attacked by those who feel they should be restricted so government can control our actions such as freedom of religion, freedom of the press and freedom of speech to name a few.
“Section 2. People, person, or persons as used in this Constitution does not include corporations, limited liability companies or other corporate entities established by the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state, and such corporate entities are subject to such regulation as the people, through their elected state and federal representatives, deem reasonable and are otherwise consistent with the powers of Congress and the States under this Constitution.”
Section 2 of this legislative effort again talks about how the Constitution does not refer to corporations but the federal government does have some responsibilities to protect citizens when corporations are not being responsible with regards to their products and/or services. It is true that states have the primary responsibilities as the Constitution dictates in regulating corporations and defining their responsibilities including organizational structure.
“Section 3. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to limit the people's rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, free exercise of religion, and such other rights of the people, which rights are inalienable.”
The last section reinforces our rights under the Constitution contained in the Bill of Rights. Those individuals who we elect must protect these rights through honoring the Constitution and what it stands for. Actions of Congress through legislative proposals need to refrain from initiating restrictions on any rights contained in the Constitution. Government has grown so big that it feels or gives the appearance it feels they know best rather than letting individuals make their own decisions regarding their lives and the lives of their families.