Supreme Court Upholds First Amendment Rights

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."- The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

In the wake of the Haitian earthquakes, President Obama's failure to close Guantanamo, and the Massachusetts senate race, you may have missed the landmark Supreme Court decision which upheld first amendment rights. On January 21st, SCOTUS ruled in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that campaign finance spending limits on corporations and unions are unconstitutional.

So what does this mean for freedom-loving Americans? Some-like the President- would argue that it means that corportations and union lobbyists will now have free reign to do whatever they please and say whatever they like to influence elections. They believe that allowing corporations to have a voice somehow will corrupt the democratic process. I disagree. What it really means is that no policital voice can be stifled. That is what the Constitution promised us. The Founding Fathers wanted very much to protect the people from government control over political speech. That's why the amendment reads that Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech. McCain/Feingold therefore was unconstitutional. Kudos to the Supreme Court for upholding our freedom and shame on the President for not recognizing the same.