Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson Wants to Restrict Freedom Of Speech With Constitutional Amendment

Many Americans were highly amused when Democratic member of Congress, Hank Johnson, suggested that Guam might tip over and capsize from over population by US sailors, but his latest idea is simply no laughing matter. Rep. Johnson is demanding a Constitutional Amendment to limit Freedom Of Speech. Johnson wants the government to decide what you can say or what others can say to you.

Johnson is directing his attack on the First Amendment by cloaking it under the guise of the controversial Citizen’s United case in which the Supreme Court ruled that corporations have the same rights to political free speech as individuals. Obama was opposed to the ruling and prominent Republicans claimed the President objected because several large corporations were strong financial backers of conservative political candidates.

Obama responded with an unsuccessful attempt to push the so-called DISCLOSE Act through the Congress. The bill would “amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit foreign influence in Federal elections, to prohibit government contractors from making expenditures with respect to such elections, and to establish additional disclosure requirements with respect to spending in such elections, and for other purposes.”

In common English, under the DISCLOSE Act, any business bidding on a government contract would be required to reveal all the political contributions made by the company and directors or officers would be forced to reveal their personal political donations. The proposed law gave an exemption to unions, a major source of support for Obama and the Democratic Party.

Since the failure of the bill, the Obama Administration pursued the idea of restrictions on the First Amendment. They have misstated the Citizens United ruling to claim the Supreme Court opened a legal floodgate of foreign donations and influence on American elections, while removing the limits on campaign contributions. Not only is this absolutely untrue, but the court ruling did not affect the 1907 Tillman Act’s ban on corporate campaign donations. The decision did not remove the prohibition on foreign corporate donations to American political campaigns and it had no effect on campaign contribution limits.

Now the Democratic Party’s resident expert on Geology, Representative Johnson, has gotten into the act with his demands for a new amendment to limit Freedom of Speech and allow the Federal government to be the arbiter of First Amendment rights for, in Mr. Johnson’s own words, “all confused people.” Rather than pass any judgement on his ideas, we shall simply let Mr. Johnson speak for himself and allow you, as a freedom loving American, to make your own decision about his intentions.

“Corporations control the patterns of thinking in the United States and the Bill of Rights to the Constitution should be amended so that the government is given the power to restrict freedom of speech.”

“We need a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to control the so-called free speech rights of corporations.”

“These corporations, along with the people they support, other millionaires who they’re putting into office, are stealing your government. They’re stealing the government and the U.S. Supreme Court was a big enabler with the Citizens United case.”

“They control the patterns of thinking. They control the media. They control the messages that you get. So, you are being taught to hate your government–don’t want government, but keep your hands off of my Medicare by the way. I mean, we are all confused people and we’re poking fingers at each other saying, well you’re black, you’re Hispanic, immigration, homosexuals. You know, we’re lost on the social issues, abortion, contraception.

“And these folks, are setting up a scenario where they’re privatizing every aspect of our lives as we know it. So, wake up! Wake up! Let’s look at what’s happening. We need a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to control the so-called free speech rights of corporations.”