Senator Ted Cruz has written a bill that would restore citizens and groups 1st Amendment rights. Unsurprisingly the main stream media have not reported this challenge to their communication monopoly.
Call your Senators and demand they co-sponsor and vote for Ted Cruz’ “Free All Speech Act of 2014”:
S.2416 - Free All Speech Act of 2014
https://beta.congress.gov/113/bills/s2416/BILLS-113s2416is.xml
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2416
To apply laws that restrict the political speech of American citizens to media corporations.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 3, 2014
Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
A BILL
To apply laws that restrict the political speech of American citizens to media corporations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. Short title.
This Act may be cited as the “Free All Speech Act of 2014”.
SEC. 2. Application of laws that restrict the political speech of American citizens to media corporations.
(a) In general.—Any law that restricts the political speech of American citizens shall apply with equal force to media corporations, such as the New York Times, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and the CBS Television Network.
(b) No application to American citizens if application to media corporations found unconstitutional.—To the extent that the application of a law to a media corporation under subsection (a) is found unconstitutional, such law shall have no force or effect with respect to American citizens.
The IRS is not the major obstacle to the 1st Amendment in America. Stories of IRS oppression swat at a gnat and swallow the proverbial camel.
Hint: Lois Lerner previously worked at the Federal Election Commission an entity dedicated to abridging citizens and groups rights to participate in American politics.
After Watergate, campaign laws were passed:
• But media corporations were exempted creating a State approved press. Is it any wonder news media are among the biggest promoters of campaign law?
• Regulations limited citizen’s donations to politicians. This made it unlikely challengers, who would benefit more from large sums from a few, can defeat incumbents.
• Lawyers have gotten rich defending clients against infractions of myriad, incomprehensible and unconstitutional laws.
• Many non-profits are more concerned with raising donations to defend their tax exemption than restoring 1st Amendment rights to the electorate.
However, freedoms of speech, press and assembly are inalienable rights not privileges. The 1st Amendment does not say unless you assemble as for-profit, non-profit, church, political party, media Corporation or unincorporated group. The 1st Amendment does not limit how much you can spend as an individual or like minded group or require reporting donations and expenditures to the Federal government. The 1st Amendment does not say candidates give up the right to associate with or coordinate with like minded citizens or groups.
A free press is the right to use a printing press without a license from government.
Other than who pays for it, there is no difference between an editorial, slanted news story and a political ad? The poor can make their voices heard by assembling and combining their donations to buy space in newspapers and time on broadcast networks.
