How do we stop the corporate takeover of America? "Democracy hijacked and how to fix it," a forum on Saturday at the Uniterian Universalist, hopes to solve this riddle. Dr. Riki Ott, author of Not One Drop: Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, will explain fixing democracy calls for the 28th Amendment to the Constitution: Separation of Corporation and State and to strip corporations of their personhood.

Her environmental calling is a fascinating one: My story starts with a childhood epiphany. It was 1968. I was thirteen, growing up in Wisconsin. Robins were literally falling out of trees, dying, from the neurotoxin DDT. I read marine biologist Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. My father, a practical conservationist who modeled a deep love of people and nature through his daily actions, acted on his convictions and sued the state of Wisconsin. My father and his friends prevailed; Wisconsin banned DDT in 1972 and the rest of the nation followed suit in 1973

She became a marine biologist and Not One Drop, written in 2008, seems prescient in the wake of Citizens United and the Gulf Spill.

 

Event details

Town Hall: Democracy Hijacked and How to Fix It

Organized by: Washington Public Campaigns and WashPIRG

Featured speaker: Dr. Riki Ott, marine biologist, environmental and civic activist, founding member of Move to Amend. Fisherma'am from Cordova, Alaska and witness to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, veteran of over 20 years in challenges to the corporate power of Exxon.

Other speakers:

Craig Salins, executive director, Washington Public Campaigns, discussing the powerful effect of corporate and special interest money in setting the agenda, determining policy, and driving budget allocations in government.

Rick Eichstaedt, attorney with the Center for Justice, discussing how an amendment happens - the process, successes and failures, what to expect from corporate America in a movement to outlaw corporate personhood.

Kirk Smith, Republican PCO and political adviser, addresses the problems of corporate-government power from a classical liberal point of view


Moderated by: Dr. Kim Thorburn and Tim Connor

Presented at: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, 4340 W. Fort George Wright Drive
 
Date: Saturday, May 21
Reception: 6 PM
Town Hall: 7 PM
 
Admission: No charge for reception or Town Hall, donations requested
 
 
facebook invitation, please RSVP the reception:   http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118150858267498

Don't use facebook? RSVP directly, at reblamb@hotmail.com

 

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