“Are Corporations Really People?” — Transcript

So, without further ado, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to introduce to you your United States Senator Bernie Sanders. All of you, and I think many thousands of Vermonters who are not here today, are worried about the future of our democracy and are determined to do everything that we can to take on big money and preserve our... A serious case can be made for the need for a Constitutional Amendment which says simply and straightforwardly, a corporation is not a person. We're here as real-life examples. I'm Ben, I'm a person. Jerry, I'm a person. Then Jerry's Ice Cream, not a person. You know, free speech is a massive issue. It's an absolutely massive issue. The corporate personhood is much bigger than that. And that's why when Bernie said, "I want my Constitutional Amendment to say corporations are not people," I was so pleased to hear that because I know there are some people running around saying, "Well, we just need to put some limits on the Constitutional free speech of corporations." No, I'm sorry, we need to strip corporations of the power that they have in this country. And I'm proud to say that Monday night at our town meeting, we voted to end corporations' constitutional rights and corporate personhood in our community. Based on the polling that I have seen, there is overwhelming bipartisan or tri-partisan opposition to the absurd idea that a corporation is a person. So, the vast majority of the American people think that what the Supreme Court did is totally wrong. Someone asked if we could order therapy for some of these persons that may be in need, and I started to think, where could we take that? You know, we've built all these prisons now. Then going and talking to our Senators, what can regular people do, especially those of us who have taken a pay cut this year and can't contribute financially? What can we do to move this along? What we've got to be doing is, in whatever ways we can, is talking to our friends and neighbors all over this country. The reality is that those of us who believe in health care for all, in protecting our environment, in protecting our children, in standing up to corporate interests, we are not the minority. Whether you're a Tea Party or you're Progressive, that is what the vast majority of people believe. Very few people believe that you give tax breaks to billionaires and you cut Head Start, or you cut education, or you cut health care. So, that requires reaching out and organizing. It also requires talking to people who may disagree with you on this or that issue.

democracy and are determined to do everything that we can to take on big money and preserve our a serious case can be made for the need for a Constitutional Amendment which says simply and straightforwardly a corporation is not a person we're here

as real life examples I'm Ben I'm a person Jer I'm a person then and Jerry's ice cream not a person you know free speech is a massive issue it's an absolute massive issue the corporate personhood is much bigger than

that and that's why when Bernie said I want my Constitutional Amendments say corporations are not people I was so pleased to hear that cuz I know there are some people running around saying well we just need to put some limits on

the Constitutional free speech of Corporations no I'm sorry we need to strip corporations of the power that they have in this country and I'm proud to say that Monday night at ourtown meeting we voted to end corporations constitutional rights and

corporate personhood in our community based on the polling that I have seen there is overwhelming bipartisan or triartisan opposition to the obs idea that a cooporation is a person so the vast majority of the American people think that what the Supreme Court did is

totally wrong was someone asked if we could order therapy for some of these persons that may be in need and I started to think where could we take that uh you know we we've built all these prisons now then going and talking

to our Senators what can regular people do especially those of us who have taken a pay cut this year and can't contribute financially what can we do to move this along what we've got to be doing is in

whatever ways we can is talking to our friends and neighbors all over this country the reality is that those of us who believe in health care for all in protecting our environment in protecting our children in standing up the

corporate interest we are not the minority whether you're a tea party or you're Progressive that is what the vast majority of people believe very few people believe that you give tax breaks to billionaires and you cut heads spot

or you cut education or you cut healthare so that requires reaching out and organizing it also requires talking to people who may disagree with you on this or that issue