Can you sign on to this letter?/Can you help deliver it on July 16 at 4:30 PM?

Rep. John Sarbanes
600 Baltimore Ave.
Suite 303
Baltimore, MD 21204

July 16, 2014

Dear Representative Sarbanes:

In July 1776, the Continental Congress voted for the Declaration of Independence asserting: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men [sic] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." Each July, we honor and celebrate these founding and fundamental principles. At no time have corporations--economic entities of our creation--exercised "rights" reserved for natural persons--until very recently. Without constitutional basis, and by the slimmest margins, the US Supreme Court has unilaterally imposed a radical doctrine of corporate personhood.

Members of the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore are voters and supporters of Progressive Democrats of America. We call upon you to join us in declaring independence from unprecedented and abusive corporate power. If you haven't already, please direct your staff to contact the sponsors listed below to sign on as a cosponsor of the following legislation:

HJ Res 20: A Constitutional Amendment declaring that Congress and the states shall have the power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents with respect to federal and state elections, respectively. Also, HJ Res 21: A Constitutional Amendment declaring that the rights protected by the Constitution are intended to be the rights of natural persons; and the words "people," "person," or "citizen" as used in the Constitution do not include corporations, limited liability companies, etc. Rep. James McGovern, phone: (202)-225-6101.

HJ Res 29: A Constitutional Amendment declaring that Constitution rights shall apply to natural persons only. Artificial entities shall be subject to regulation by the people. Federal, state and local government shall regulate and require public disclosure political contributions and expenditures; and prohibit the judiciary from construing spending money to influence elections as speech under the 1st Amendment or construing this amendment to abridge freedom of the press. Rep. Richard Nolan, phone: (202)-225-6211.

HR 1579: The Inclusive Prosperity Act to create a micro tax on speculative securities trades to raise up to $350 billion dollars a year in revenues to fund permanent living-wage jobs, rebuild our communities, launch a green energy boom, extend quality education to all of our children, expand mass transit, guarantee healthcare for all, and other human needs including retirement and household security. Rep. Keith Ellison, phone: (202)-225-4755.

HR 4754: The Managed Carbon Price Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring a Federal emission permit for the sale or use of covered substances and to return funds to the American people. Rep. James McDermott, phone: (202)-225-3106.

Finally, we are seeking an end to the use of killer drone strikes, which we believe to be illegal and unconstitutional. We ask you to speak out against this assassination program, which ignores any veneer of due process. Consider as well a request for the full, unclassified release of information surrounding the administration’s drone policy.

We look forward to your response. And when you are ready, we would like to meet with you, preferably in Baltimore. But if necessary, we will travel to your D.C. office. We thank you for your consideration regarding these critically important issues, and look forward to ongoing discussion and engagement with you in the coming months.

Peace,

Max Obuszewski, on behalf of Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore/Fund Our Communities

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs