With a resolution before Athens City Council, local residents have decided to take the fight against a Supreme Court ruling from the local to the state level.
Democracy Over Corporations, an organization formed by Athens resident John Howell, will be protesting at one of the nation’s 120 occupied federal courts today — a nationwide effort to constitutionally amend the Supreme Court ruling Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission on its second-year anniversary.
The initiative, “Occupy the Courts,” is a collaboration between Democracy for Corporations and Occupy Columbus to protest the controversial ruling, decided 5-4 in 2010, prohibiting limits on corporate and union political spending, including Political Action Committees to sponsor candidates during elections.
Residents from Morgan, Vinton and Athens counties plan to meet at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St., at 12:30 p.m. Friday to travel to Columbus for the 3 p.m. protest.
“The people of Athens are aware that these big corporations bring us everything we have — what we eat, wear and drive,” said Howell, OU Emeritus Associate Professor of Physiology.“They should be doing just that and not controlling the political process.”
Democracy for Corporations is also campaigning for the amendment on the local level. Campaigners attended the Athens Farmers Market to distribute information.
“Things have gotten so bad in the government,” Sally Wiley, a Democracy for Corporations volunteer. “You have to start doing something. A lot of that starts at the local level.”
The protest has gained sponsors throughout the state, including Move to Amend — Central Ohio, which has sponsored similar protests throughout the state.
“The occupy movement has been a big deal and they’ve been very important to giving publicity to corporate power,” said Michael Greenman, co-founder of Move to Amend — Central Ohio. “So many concerns (the protestors) express all come back to corporate power and now they are becoming aware of this. With the occupy movement around the country, this topic is really gaining momentum.”
The organization presented to a resolution to the Athens City Council that states a goal to “abolish corporate personhood and return our democracy, our elections and our communities to America’s human persons.”
According a previous Post article, Councilman John Risner (D-2nd Ward) authored and introduced the resolution during Jan. 18’s meeting. No one in attendance disagreed with the resolution.
Wiley expects Council to discuss the resolution during the next two meetings — with a vote Feb. 7. If the resolution passes, Athens City Council will be the first in the state to do so, Wiley said.
sj950610@ohiou.edu
