Comments on: First Amendment Primer

By: suela decker

suela decker — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:36:54 +0000

thank you, Seen.
You have put forth a good argument regarding the liability of a corporation vs. that of the individual. If nothing else, it has put my son into a reevaluation of his position and I await his response.
Decker’s Mother

By: Kristin

Kristin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:37:52 +0000

Hey Ed – don’t know how I missed this when you first wrote it, but I was perusing your site today and came across it – LOVE IT!!!! LOVEITLOVEITLOVEITLOVEIT!!! I am constantly amazed at the reactions people have about supposed freedom of speech violations… so glad you laid it all out there for the ignorant. You rock, buddy. I owe you a shot for this one….

By: edwin

edwin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:26:17 +0000

You’re right Seen–I didn’t consider that. I’m not sure exactly how that affects my opinion, but only know that it does. I’ll have to give it all some more serious thought. My gut reaction is to say, well, that needs to change, but again, gut reactions are usually idiotic. Let me ponder and I’ll get back to you.

By: seen

seen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:18:06 +0000

Hey Ed,
My wife Amy turned me on to your site/blog. You two met San Diego Writer’s Conf. She told me I’d like your stuff, and dammit if she isn’t right. I like the smartass tone (I’m also a fan of Maddox for almost 10 years), and can’t believe some of the bullshit that people get away with on TV (and in the papers/web). Which brings me to your response to BAJ. You’re forgetting 1 major issue when it comes to rights of a corporation that equates them to individuals. Corporations don’t have liable parties to take the fall for them. Consider what would happen if you drove recklessly into someone in your car and killed them. You’d be personally liable for involuntary manslaughter and probably go to jail. Now, consider Toyota’s recall. There have been 34 deaths by their reckless/negligent behaviour and nobody from their company is even close to going to jail. At most, they’ll get slapped with a pittance of a fine.
This happens everyday with corporations, coal companies spill toxic sludge into creeks in Kentucky and West Virginia, anyone go to jail? Nope.
JPL and Rocketdyne are responsible for hundreds of deaths from perchlorate, anyone go to jail. Nope. The list is too large (if you want to really get my point hammered home, watch The Corporation, this will seal the deal).
There are even more reasons than that, but that’ll do for now.

I’m looking forward to reading more of your blogs, you’re a great writer and I wish you the best.

By: ed decker

ed decker — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:41:21 +0000

It is, of course, a totally appropriate and relevant question, BAJ, which I considered addressing in my column, but just didn’t have room for it.

My thoughts are, and have long been, that corporations are / and should be considered as individuals retaining all the rights of individuals because, after all, it is individuals who own and run corporations. The stockholders vote for their board and their board votes on who they will support in political races, and, in that sense, it is an election within an election, and totally fair.

Of course, the notion scares the hell out of me what with all that money and corruption whipping around and, if I were King, would limit all campaign contributions, whether from individuals, or corporations, down to almost nothing. This way, everyone gets a voice, equally, but nobody get’s too much of a voice.

By: BAJ

BAJ — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:09:29 +0000

And so we get to the corporate free speech…money is free speech with those people since a corporation has been designated a person. Would love to hear what you say about that! ))