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<\/a>corporations are people.\u00a0 After getting heckled Romney insisted that \u201ccorporations are people, my friend.\u201d\u00a0 Although in one sense the matter may be academic if his slide in the polls continues, there is a much broader question of how Americans have and are conditioned to see the economy and their place in it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nCorporations are legal entities.\u00a0 They\u2019re not people.\u00a0 They don\u2019t possess a soul.\u00a0 They are not Creations of God.\u00a0 The only conscience they have is what\u2019s projected by those running the company who are quick to hide behind the corporate veil when accused of greed and unscrupulous behavior.\u00a0 Corporations don\u2019t come with values, ethics, or principles.\u00a0 Sadly, many in upper management who operate them don\u2019t either.<\/p>\n
Hershey<\/a>, the company that makes the beloved chocolate, is giving out a new kind of kiss<\/a>.\u00a0 They pulled in 400 18-19 year old international students to work in its factory.\u00a0 They\u2019re part of the \u201cguest-worker-cultural exchange program.\u201d\u00a0 Impoverished parents paid $3,000 to $6,000 for their sons or daughters to participate.\u00a0 Students thought they\u2019d fine tune English skills and learn about American capitalism, the good kind of an honest day\u2019s work for an honest day\u2019s pay.\u00a0<\/p>\n Students live four to a room, receive $8.35 an hour (sometimes only $42 a week), and pay housing costs of $400 a week at what has been described as a \u201cseedy motel.\u201d\u00a0 Many fear being thrown out of the program and denied future entry in the United States.\u00a0 Hershey<\/a> CEO David West made $7.5 million last year.\u00a0 Profits rose 7.5% in the second quarter in 2011.\u00a0 If corporations are people, Gov. Romney, then who should be sent to jail?<\/p>\n Whoever developed, signed-off, and failed to monitor this program should be fired.\u00a0 If company lawyers knew about it and took a blind eye to it they should be disbarred.\u00a0 Speaking as an attorney myself too few lawyers are disbarred.\u00a0 American human rights attorneys, the better angels of the profession, are now involved.<\/p>\n At the beginning of 2011, America, home of the free and the brave where the pursuit of happiness is a foundation of the country, had 25 percent of the world\u2019s inmates.\u00a0 Overhauling the correctional system has met with According to Corrections Corporation of America\u2019s own 2010 Annual Report, \u201cThe demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by the relaxation of enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction or parole standards and sentencing practices or through the decriminalization of certain activities that are currently proscribed by our criminal laws \u2026 Legislation has been proposed in numerous jurisdictions that could lower minimum sentences for some non-violent crimes and make more inmates eligible for early release based on good behavior \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n According to Kanya D\u2019Almeida of the Inter Press Service, \u201cthe private prison industry creates both demand for and supply of prisoners in order to sustain an ever-expanding market for their \u2018products and services\u2019 \u2013 all the while raking in enormous profit \u2013 at the expense of primarily minor offenders who might otherwise be granted a second chance at freedom.\u201d\u00a0 Ms. D\u2019Almeida in her article, \u201cProfiteers of Misery:\u00a0 The U.S. Private Prison Industrial Complex<\/a>,\u201d goes on to document lobbying efforts to stop criminal justice reform.<\/p>\n Hence, rehabilitation is not the goal.\u00a0 Mercy for non-violent crimes, perhaps pot possession, is a nuisance.\u00a0 Ironically, human beings are treated like disposable objects while corporations are considered the people who give America its soul.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, there are hundreds, if not thousands of examples like these.\u00a0 This type of corporate citizenship goes on all too often in a nation that is reminded ad nauseam that it was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.\u00a0 If that means greed, slavery, and exploitation then and now then sadly it\u2019s accurate.\u00a0 Americans are working for an exploitive economy.\u00a0 The economy is not working for Americans.<\/p>\n The Governor\u2019s comment reminded me of an annoying song, Kids Are People Too<\/a><\/em>, from a television show called Wonderama.\u00a0 Later, the show\u2019s name changed to the title song.\u00a0 Please take a moment to listen to the schlocky theme song<\/a>.\u00a0 As you hear it substitute kids for corporations.\u00a0 Pay particular attention when you get to the Golden Rule.\u00a0 Below I\u2019ve taken some editorial license with the song<\/a>.<\/p>\n You may smile, wear suits, and look real good but we Wacka doo, wacka doo, wacka doo doo doo!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re big or small you do your best to do your thing just like the rest Corporations are people too<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Wacka doo, wacka doo, wacka doo doo doo!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n It isn\u2019t easy going all day, And trying to live by the Golden Rule Perhaps Gov. Romney can get a more receptive audience if he used something snappy.\u00a0 By the way my sincere apologies if the theme song <\/a>is now stuck in your head for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n Paul is author of Credit Card Usury and the Christian Failure to Stop It \u2013 A Call to Social Justice<\/a><\/em> and Crucifying Jesus and Secularizing America \u2013 a Nation of Faith without Wisdom<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n Paul Peter Jesep \u00a9 2011<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney raised eyebrows and heard catcalls for telling an audience that corporations are people.\u00a0 After getting heckled Romney insisted that \u201ccorporations are people, my friend.\u201d\u00a0 Although in one sense the matter may be academic if his slide in the polls continues, there is a much broader question of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":969,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[30,44,55,56,101],"class_list":["post-840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-corporations-are-people-too","tag-economy","tag-greed","tag-hersey","tag-romney"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a> stiff opposition.\u00a0 GEO Group and Corrections Corporation of America received total revenues of $2.9 billion at the end of 2010.<\/p>\n
\nknow you\u2019ve got problems of your own
\nCorporations are people too<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nWinning and losing in the money games that ya play,
\nLobbying your souls away, doing the spreadsheets, finding the loopholes<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nAnd so we hope you\u2019ll understand
\nAnd try to lend a helping hand.
\nCorporations are people, corporations are people, corporations are people too!
\nThey\u2019re really, really people too!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n