Letters to the Editor

Vol. 1, No. 2--October, 2004

Message from Matt Clarke:

Congrats on the first issue of the newsletter! Thanks for your work!

With respect to news about items 6A,B,AND C in the newsletter, (Corporate Power) I submit the following:

In Maine the State Democratic Party passed the following amendment to the Platform Sunday May 23,2004.

Message from Matt Clarke :

This is the wording of the message on the plank written by Randall Parr, the guy who started this effort. It was introduced by a former state legislator and delegate. I was there with him when it passed.

I wanted to tell you that the Maine Democratic Party unanimously adopted the corporate personhood amendment to its platform Sunday, May 23,2004. It also sailed through the platform hearing on Saturday with no opposition. Note that there were originally over 1200 delegates on the floor of this convention, Not one word against this amendment! The wording of this amendment was: "Since the founders of the U. S. government did not intend to allow corporations to be included in the definition of the word 'person' and 'people' in the U. S. Constitution, and other founding principles and documents, corporations may not claim they are 'persons' or 'people' under the U. S. Constitution and obtain constitutional rights thereby."

Other States have more elaborate and developed resolutions and are planning for 2006 & beyond. Now what shall we do to further pursue this? Can we form a state to state strategy group to plot the best way to get this basic issue that underlies so many problems to the surface, so we can get it as publicly addressed, as its importance demands.? Is not ending corporate rule an issue whose time has come? If not, let us make it so for 2006-2008 and beyond. Some of the information on States who have done resolutions like this are at the www.ReclaimDemocracy.org website, the group that created the NIKE v Kasky site that was recognized in the NY Times for its value as an objective and comprehensive source.

In Maine, the Rockland Forum, of which Parr is a member is pursuing this issue. Matt Clarke the founder of the group is convening some national dialogue on the subject from activists and scholars in the field. FMI contact him @ mattnmar@localnet.com or 207 594-6453.

For our citizen selves,
Matt C, in Rockland, ME USA

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