Corporations cannot have the rights of an individual

A corporation is not, nor has it ever been, a person with voting rights. Corporations are not our neighbors, they cannot get married, they cannot die, and a corporation has never been a constituent member of “We the People.”

However, a decision in favor of the plaintiff in Citizen’s United vs. the Federal Election Commission – the controversial case that was reheard in Washington on Sept. 9 – would allow corporations to use their immense wealth to loudly promote or attack candidates through unlimited expenditures on ads.

Our political leaders are not elected by our citizens, but selected by the endless dollars from heads of insurance, oil and Wall Street corporations.

It will be a real tragedy and embarrassment if, while the United States of America is out in the world “Helping other Nations form Democracies,” it simultaneously slips further and further from being a democratic nation.

Josh McIntyre
Senior, Macon
Spanish education

Is fixing health care worth losing a choice?

I think people are missing the underlying issue of the health care debate. Yes, the health care system could improve.

After all, if you are not improving, you are worsening. Nature doesn’t stay still and neither do human-created activities.

The real issue is statism versus libertarianism, or simple collectivism versus individualism. The United States has gradually moved toward collectivism ever since her birth.

It’s just human nature to seek more control. The ironic thing is that those who seek control through government-run health care – which is what the public option is under a different label – are giving up their power to choose!

So, the next time you think about health care or anymore government control, ask yourself, “Do I want someone else to make my decisions for me, or do I want to be in control and make my own decisions?”

Eric Mattes
Senior, Cumming
Political science