Activism

Effort Afoot in Vermont to Abolish Corporate Personhood

Submitted by Anne Landman on

Vermont mapOne year after the Supreme Court ruled in the Citizens United case that corporations have the same rights as people, movements are underway around the U.S. to reverse the new protections granted by the country's highest court. Vermont State Senator Virginia Lyons has introduced the country's first anti-corporate personhood resolution which proposes amending the U.S. Constitution to specify that "corporations are not persons under the laws of the United States." The resolution would make it clear that corporations are not the equivalent of human beings and do not have the same constitutional rights afforded people.

No
Main Source: 
AlterNet, January 22, 2011
Topics: 
Activism
Corporations
Democracy

RootsAction.org Taps Into the Discontented Left

Submitted by Anne Landman on

RootsActionlogoA new, independent, progressive public interest group called RootsAction has formed to fight "a far-right Republican Party that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of corporate America, and a Democratic Party whose leadership is enmeshed with corporate power." RootsAction is an online campaign to address issues like the squandering of billions of taxpayer dollars on foreign wars that are generating hatred of the U.S. overseas, Wall Street schemes that are costing Americans their homes and the continuation of Bush administration policies under President Obama. The group is endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Laura Flanders and Coleen Rowley. RootsAction's goal is to organize Americans who are already politically active to help defeat corporate-financed media that utilizes fear, myth and outright lies to influence public opinion. RootsAction says the 2010 election shows "you can't beat heartless Republicans with spineless Democrats." 

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Main Source: 
CommonDreams.org, January 18, 2011
Topics: 
Activism
Lobbying
Politics

Potter Tells Single-Payer Group to Do "PR"

Potter speaks to packed room in NYCWendell Potter, author of "Deadly Spin," told a capacity crowd of 200 in New York last night that backers of a single-payer health plan must adopt the techniques and strategies of the opponents of such a plan.

Potter, speaking to Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP) at the Murphy Institute for Education and Labor Studies, said the PNHP must seek allies, get "others" to tell their story, use appeals to basic emotions, and create memorable slogans.

"Special interests have kicked your butt with the skillful use of language," he said. They have been able to "demonize" single-payer, he added.

Politicians, he said, are not going to support such a health plan unless their constituents are in favor of it, he said. He faulted the single-payers for lacking a "long term strategic plan," something that he said the healthcare insurance industry excels at.

Locals Hire PR Firm in Chicken Plant Flap

Submitted by Anne Landman on

ChickenCitizens of Nash County, North Carolina have hired the Raleigh-based public relations firm Campaign Connections to help stop Sanderson Farms from building a chicken processing plant in their community. Citizens call the slaughtering plant an "industry of yesterday" and say locating the plant in Nash County will make it harder to lure higher-tech businesses to the area, like biotech, pharmaceutical and alternative energy companies. Campaign Connections says citizens sought their help to correct misinformation, like the notion that they oppose bringing jobs to the area. Citizens say they aren't opposed to jobs, or to Sanderson Farms, but feel the company is not a "good match" for their community. As part of a strategy to oppose the plant, some Nash County citizens have bought stock in Sanderson Farms so they can be included in the company's Board of Directors meetings.

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Main Source: 
Rocky Mount Telegram, January 4, 2011
Topics: 
Activism
Economy
Public Relations

Colorado Billboard Combines Racism, Homophobia and Xenophobia

Submitted by Anne Landman on

BPlogoPeople driving through Grand Junction, Colorado for the next month will have to look at a racist, xenophobic and homophobic billboard that depicts President Obama as a turban-and-bomb-wearing terrorist, an illegal immigrant wearing a Mexican sombrero, a member of the Mob and a homosexual.

No
Main Source: 
KJCTNews8.Com, Grand Junction, Colorado
Topics: 
Activism
Election 2010
Ethics
Human Rights

The Alliance Defense Fund's National Campaign to Bait the IRS

Submitted by Anne Landman on

One hundred church pastors across the U.S. participated in the Alliance Defense Fund's third annual "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," an overt campaign in which pastors deliberately break the law by endorsing candidates for public office from the pulpit. Federal tax law prohibits tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, including churches, from endorsing candidates for political office.

No
Main Source: 
USA Today, September 26, 2010
Topics: 
Activism
Religion
U.S. Government

"Welcome Home, War!": Pennsylvania and the Marcellus Shale

Under SurveillanceActivists, concerned citizens, and democrats (written purposely with a lower "d"), watch out. As George Orwell stated in his ominous book 1984, "Big Brother is watching you." One need to look no further than the creepy and covert Orwellian events that were recently unearthed in Pennsylvania as Exhibit A for a reflection of the current horrifying environment that exists for those who choose to speak out against governmental and corporate injustices and in this instance, against fracking in the Marcellus Shale.

March as "One Nation" on October 2, 2010!

Join as "One Nation" on October 2, 2010 for a giant march in Washington D.C. to demand good jobs now. One Nation describes itself as "a movement of individuals and organizations committed to putting America back to work and pulling America back together." Their key demands are job creation, equal justice, and quality public education for all. Only the Banksters would disagree with that agenda. Learn more about the civil rights, labor and consumer groups supporting this giant mobilization and where you can find your seat on a bus.

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