Tim- the framers, to go back to original intent, meant these to attach to people, so their ideas would be protected, as individuals, from the state. These are rights given to the people of the United States.
It is ridiculous to assume that men who cared about individual freedom would think that large corporate entities, which begin to approximate small governments, should have their "speech" protected. It's just silly. The framers had in mind an Athenian form of democracy, where men would actually have their individual voices heard. I disagree with you that it is at all obvious that our framers could have stomached "free speech" belonging to large companies that could crush an indiviudal like a bug.
You can't have Constitutional rights if you aren't a person, unless you are enumerated- like "The press". The constituion is about "men", as they related to their government. When it is not about men, the collective is SPELLED out- as it is in "press".
The constitution doesn't say that my dog doesn't have free speech either- but I'm pretty sure it doesn't. It's meant to apply to people. Where the Supremes have stretched the rights to apply to corporations, I disagree. And I disagree whether I like what the corporation does, or not. |
