Several readers immediately responded to my previous Blog about the attorney who verbally attacked my beginning Blog on the ‘Origin of the Corporate Nation.’ Attorney Don Muncy called me to task for, “Painting us [attorneys] with too broad a brush.” He further remarked: “I disagree that lawyers, per se, are the problem or created the problems you are addressing.”

That’s a good point, Don; I concur – to a degree. However, the Supreme Court of our land has designated corporations “People” and empowered them financially, beyond personal citizens’ ability, to influence political elections. I know this decision has a specific legal definition, but to the 330 million of us citizens, it sounds like we’ve been replaced by multinational corporations. The American idea isn’t: “Of, by, and for Corporations,” is it? I don’t want to trash corporations. I do, however, want American-based multinational corporations to stop trashing American workers and private small businesses.

I’ll always show respect for attorneys who work to put us people back in charge of the law instead of helping the large corporations assume this responsibility. I will also pay large corporations the respect I now deny them when they, as their priority, proactively share all available work and income of our national production with us citizens before exporting it planet-wide for increased profit.

Our music producer friend, Norman Dolph, offered a good suggestion. Regarding harsh personal criticism, he said: “With all due respect, if you can’t stand the [Internet] heat, get out of the kitchen . . . Be prepared for everything – anything and just let it shine on, next case, etc.”

Another good point, Norman. I didn’t intend to defend myself personally, though. I was attempting to state plainly that I feel Americans as a people have become an overly contentious bunch. Our civil war ended about 1865, if I remember accurately. We’ve not become too adept at civil dissension and dispassionate debate. Rather, we attack one another and name call instead of calmly discussing details about our differences of opinion until we collaboratively find solutions to problems. Bad form, to say the least.

I maintain we have too complacently allowed our Citizen status to be replaced by that of Consumer. I don’t know about everyone else, but I am not a Consumer. I am a Citizen – in an allegedly democratic republic of which I am constitutionally empowered to wield responsibility for our laws. A fundamental principle is at stake here. Since when have we been designated Consumers empowered primarily to buy until it hurts from multinational corporations who sell out our working rights to the cheapest labor forces on the planet to profit a small group of corporate leaders and their Washington, D.C. compadres?

To be continued . . .