This is "a government of the people, by the people, for the people," not a government of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations. Not only will unlimited big business spending threaten the integrity of our nations' elections and pose an immediate threat to democracy itself, it will put individuals' involvement, say, and activism in political elections at risk of extinction, and forever alter candidates and the ways in which they run their campaigns.

 

Tyranny of the minority (opposite of Tocqueville's "tyranny of the majority") must also be avoided to maintain democratic government. These special interest groups have neither the individual nor the nation in mind. Rather, profit is at the heart of every decision. Government elections cannot be determined by big businesses that are solely out to make a profit.

 

Furthermore, dictating power to factions paves a path for corruption. Essentially, they (big businesses) have been given the power to buy elections. We cannot have a government bought and ran by multinational corporations, nor can we have political favors handed out right and left, as loyalty will have shifted from the people to the corporations.

 

"Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." The governed will essentially have their voices drowned out by the corporations. The governed will see the value of their vote decrease tenfold, as politicians will seek the big businesses as their primary contributor. The governed will watch as their government begins to derive its powers from the special interest group, as Presidential elections and decisions will be largely decided on the basis of the factions' interests, and congressional votes will often be influenced by the very PAC's that put each representative in his/her seat.  That is, Congresspersons will vote in accordance with the PAC's of which their elections are funded by.

 

Essentially, government as we know it today- privatized and democratic, with the individual being the primary contributor and the primary constituent- will be all but destroyed. The constituent will be the corporation, the campaign will be run with special interests in mind, and a corrupt government consisting of bought elections, blackmailed politicians, political favors, and a campaign system flooded with money will be all but inevitable.

 

The threat to the integrity of our elections is real, too. Candidates will, almost invariably, seek the support of big business.  The brave candidate who either denounces corporate involvement, or seeks not their (now) multi-million dollar contributions will be punished.  That is, he/she will be at a publicity disadvantage, a financial disadvantage, and an exposure disadvantage.  Elections, then, will be corrupt and unfair, as politicians will essentailly sell out to big business to increase the likelihood of their political success.  Funding and exposure increase a politicians’ chance of victory exponentially- a fundamental aspects of political campaigns.  It is reasonable to assume, then, that elections will be (to a certain degree) fixed, as the self-centered politician who feeds the interests and demands of the richest PAC's adventageous to he/she who does not. 

 

Furthermore, campaigns themselves will change, as the concept of raising money will be all but erased.  Campaigns will no longer be on an individual level, as politicians will ignore the voices of the less important person, and put far more stock in the voice of corporations.  The democratic, individualistic candidate who opts to run against the powerful corporate PAC's will be more-so an ideological fantasy than a pragmatic reality.

 

Candidates, too, will change. Our country will see a shift from individual liberties and rights candidates to more conservative Republican candidates who favor subsidies, tax cuts and breaks, and increased power for big businesses. In general, the electorate will see (and possibly undergo) a significant move to the right, and candidates in favor of a democratic government and egalitarian electoral system will be all but run over by the train that is factions.

 

Politicians, in essence, will be handed money in return for their loyalty. That is, corporations will give a candidate their support, with the knowledge that he/she who has their support is the likely winner, in order to gain tax cuts and tax breaks once their candidate has been elected to office. The corruption will be inevitable; a small minority (that has only themselves, their profit, and their success in mind) will have control over the policymakers. This, in turn, gives the minority that is big business control over the much larger majority that is the individual.

 

Corporations will also run anti-opponent ads and produce billion dollar marketing schemes that will effectively eliminate the voice of individual. The individuals' say in government will be practically silenced, as it will have been dwindled down to irrelevancy and nonexistence by the corporations.  SCOTUS has, in essence, eliminated the peoples' right to choose.

 

The government of the people will not longer be of the people, rather, of the corporations. Yet the people will still be controlled by the (most likely) corrupt government under which they are a citizen. If we, as a people, have the right to choose essentially taken away from us, we are entitled and obligated, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence, to remove from power the government under which we are unjustly governed.

 

A decision of this nature will all but destroy our government’s legitimacy. How can an individual who feels helpless, irrelevant, and silenced have any confidence in his/her government to operate in a democratic and egalitarian manner? The fact is, he/she who feels all but disenfranchised will see little to no legitimacy in his/her government. It is nothing short of a necessity to uphold the manor in which our government functions now: privatized campaigns, democratically run institutions, and elections of the utmost integrity.

 

It is of the utmost importance, then, that you sign/acknowledge my petition to save our democracy. It is a reminder of whom, exactly, our government is for. A reminder that we, the people, are those who have always and will always put the Congressperson is his/her seat. Let them know that they run FOR you, they do not run you. Remind them of our founding fathers' words: "a government of the people, by the people, for the people," and not of, by, and for big business factions. Remember, your voice can still be heard, you simply must take a stand.

 

Do not feel silenced. This is not, cannot, and will not be the case. The power is in our, the peoples' hands. We must let our government know that a ruling of this nature is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

 

Unite together- one voice may be silent, a thousand voices quiet, but a million voices is a roar our government cannot ignore.

 

Finally, "we are endowed with certain unalienable rights," among these are life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness AND the right to fair and democratic government.  Yes, a democratic and honorably run government is one of those rights. Preserve our democracy, uphold the integrity of our elections, and maintain the value of your vote as an American citizen- sign my petition (and for you Congresspersons, acknowledge it).

 

This is a warning sign of the beginning of the end of democracy; we hold the unique opportunity to invalidate it, with YOUR help.

 

Government and special interest groups can, albeit stressfully, coexist peacefully; governments bought and run by special interest groups cannot exist at all.

 

I, like President Obama, believe that your voice should be the only voice, the loudest voice, in Washington DC.

 

I have written this letter on behalf of democracy, and in support of our democratic institutions, the integrity of our elections, and the voice of the individual.

 

I want to thank your for taking the time to read it, and I hope you'll join me in signing/acknowledging my petition.

 

Jake Rush