Cultural Change for the We the People Amendment
[eighth in a series]
The United States. has been involved in 11 wars and 175 non colonial military conflicts (and counting) in its 249 year history since claiming independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. Today, the U.S maintains roughly 750 military bases and installation in 80 countries worldwide. There are very few years in U.S. history when its military was not engaged in armed conflict somewhere in the world.
Perpetual state-sponsored violence from the colonial era to the present day has been responded with perpetual organized movements of people for peace and against wars and colonization. This history is too exhaustive to examine in detail. Thus, this examination will focus on cultural lessons learned from peace, anti-war and anti-nuclear weapons movements beginning in the early 20th century.
The imperative to challenge the dominant culture on grounds of of conscience
Religious convictions have been a consistent source of opposition to war throughout U.S. history. Many who came to the American colonies from Europe escaped religious persecution – including beliefs on war. From the onset of WWI to today, Quakers, Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonites, Brethren, Bruderhof), Seventh-day Adventists, and other Christians, including Catholic communities such as Pax Christi and the Catholic Worker Movement, have publicly opposed participation in war on the basis of pacifism and biblical teachings of peace. Others have been driven by personal moral convictions about justice, humanity, and a livable world, refusing to accept unquestioned patriotic calls to arms, military occupations, or colonial occupations.
Today, the same moral imperative applies to challenging corporate rule. While there is widespread public support for getting big money out of politics, fewer people question the broader issue of corporate constitutional rights. This stems largely from a dominant cultural belief that corporations are indispensable to economic well-being, providing jobs, income, products, and lifestyles. Thus, many assume corporations deserve certain rights. Human rights were always intended for people, not artificial entities designed for profit maximization. Unlike human beings, who are at least somewhat restrained by conscience, community, and accountability, corporations operate without intrinsic moral constraints. Thus, the struggle is not just legal or economic but moral: to affirm that rights belong to human persons, not legal creations of government.
Questioning authority is a democratic obligation
Wars are routinely justified as protecting safety, defending democracy, or being the only way to resolve conflict. Nationalism, patriotism, and claims that “God is on our side” have long suppressed dissent, while accusations of being “un-American” have intimidated critics.
The government has historically feared that widespread questioning of war – its legitimacy, costs, and consequences – could fuel powerful resistance. During WWI, the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 were weaponized against pacifists, anarchists, and socialists. Over 2000 people were charged under the Acts with more than 1000 convicted, including Socialist presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs (sentenced to 10 years in prison) and anarchist Emma Goldman (deported to the Soviet Union).
Later, activists exposed official lies: the nuclear arms race framed as guaranteeing “peace,” the Vietnam War justified by the “domino theory,” fabricated stories to trigger the Gulf War of Iraqi soldiers pulling babies from incubators, and false claims of weapons of mass destruction to invade Iraq in 2003. Each time, grassroots resistance challenged authority and sparked massive anti-war protests and civil disobedience.
Questioning authority has never been more important than today given the growing collaboration between corporations, the super rich and government. Corporate entities have captured public officials and hijacked constitutional amendments to serve their own interests – often at the expense of human survival itself. Speaking truth to this reality, and exposing the harms of corporate rule, is essential, reflected in our Examples of Corporate Rule, to counter corporate propaganda, gaslighting, and distractions that confuse and paralyze. While laws like the Espionage and Sedition Acts are gone, elites now deploy other tools of intimidation, including Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) lawsuits. Greenpeace is the target of a $660 million SLAPP suit by Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, that Greenpeace has exposed of the environmental harms.
The importance of legacy organizations
Scores of major national peace, anti-war and anti-nuclear organizations came into being over the last century. These organizations not only mobilized action but also provided cultural communities that nurtured moral courage against the dominant narrative of war. Major organizations that formed to resist U.S. entry into WWI were the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Quaker-based American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and Anti-Enlistment League, the forerunner to the War Resisters League (WRL). Subsequent wars and military conflicts led to the creation of new organizations with a particular focus on the current conflict (i.e. Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy and the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaigns) advocating for nuclear disarmament; 60 “Anti-Vietnam War” groups; Witness for Peace opposing the war on Nicaragua; Veterans for Peace and Code Pink opposing the Iraq war; and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights opposing U.S. support of Israeli genocide in Gaza.
These legacy groups – especially AFSC, WILPF, and WRL – remain crucial today. Their unmatched institutional knowledge, credibility, experiences and ability to connect past lessons with current struggles continue to strengthen movements for peace and justice. AFSC’s Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 affirms this historic role.
Move to Amend, though only 15 years old, plays a similar role in the democracy movement. Building on the foundational work of the Program on Corporations, Law & Democracy (POCLAD), Move to Amend through its own research on the history of the corporate form emphasizes that corporations were originally intended to hold privileges, not rights, granted by the state through charters. It’s an institutional memory and understanding that’s unique among groups addressing “corporate power” focused not on passing better laws or creating stronger corporate regulations, but through its assertions that corporate entities must be subservient to human beings if we have any chance of creating a real democracy. Its unique contribution is the insistence that only by abolishing all corporate constitutional rights through the We the People Amendment (HJR54) can we create authentic democracy.
The cultural power of literature, art and music
Anti-war literature and films “challenged traditional notions of heroism and patriotism, offering critical perspectives on the realities of conflict, and helped shape “public discourse and influencing cultural attitudes towards warfare.”Over the last century, anti-war music has evolved into a powerful cultural force, giving voice to dissent and galvanizing movements, especially of young people, against wars and occupations based on moral, legal, human, and economic grounds.WWI anti-war songs were often pacifist in tone and were sometimes created from the perspective of families at home. Anti-war songs of the 1960s and 70s were often interconnected with social injustices and the generational divide with the social upheaval of the time, addressing not only the conflict but also social inequalities and a generational divide. More recently, artists have responded to ongoing military actions and the personal struggles of veterans, often incorporating more aggressive or somber tones.
Move to Amend organized an "Arts and Culture" Caucus for a few years. Its goal was to develop and share artistic mediums linking our political and movement building agenda with culture. Movements for democracy like Move to Amend need basic cultural expressions that touch hearts and souls and are joyful celebrations of our cause and efforts. We’ve begun assembling examples of Creative Resistance songs, poems, literature, plays, and music for our supporters to use.
Promoting alternatives to the status quo
Peace, anti-war and anti-nuclear movements acting alone and in coalition with others internationally have proposed domestic and international alternatives to wars, occupations and militarization for more than a century – several of which became international treaties. Some of the international initiatives have focused on pressuring governments to outlaw wars altogether. More modest have been to establish more humane “rules of war,” codified in the Geneva Conventions and other treaties, strictly prohibiting the use of chemical weapons and the humane treatment of prisoners or war. Faith-based and non-government organizations opposing wars and international conflicts have employed many forms of conflict resolution. The first use of nuclear weapons by the U.S. in Hiroshima and Nagasaki sparked the major surge of attention toward alternatives to a nuclear arms race. Abolishing vs “freezing” the testing, production and deployment nuclear weapons has varied among anti-nuclear groups, although there was broad support for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the Limited Test Ban Treaty, banning comprehensive nuclear testing, no first strike use of nukis and “Nuclear Free Zones.” The growing threat of nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1980’s led to the rise of direct citizen diplomacy through US-Soviet sister city relationships.
Public pressure resulted in the War Powers Act of 1973 that reasserted Congress's constitutional authority in committing the nation to armed conflict abroad. There was also public support prior to WWII for the Ludlow Amendment, a constitutional amendment that would require a national referendum before the United States could enter a war, except in cases of invasion or attack on U.S. soil. The International Association of Machinists, supported by peace and anti-war groups, advocated for economic conversion, the planned process of shifting resources (i.e. factories, technology, and skilled workers) from military-related activities and production to civilian-oriented uses and markets. Many peace groups have also focused on “guns vs butter” issues, shifting budget priorities from military to domestic needs given that roughly one-half of all out tax dollars funds past and current wars.
Peace, anti-war and anti-nuclear groups have always focused on opposing the current war and called for alternatives. They’ve opposed and proposed. Much of their work has also focused internationally since military conflicts involve other counties, economies, and people. Move to Amend has focused its work on one single fundamental alternative – enacting the We the People Amendment, a constitutional solution that would significantly address the many problems and issues we face as a nation. We’ve avoided legal or regulatory “stepping stones,” based on capacity issues, but also based on the concern that many may feel that if those “stepping stones” are reached, victory will be declared and the energy to pursue a constitutional amendment will decline.
Our "stepping stones," therefore, have been limited to gathering signatures, supporters, organizational endorsements and symbolic municipal and state resolutions. We’ve not focused much of our work internationally, even though the power and rule to govern transcends U.S. borders. An example of this is the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) process established under many international mis-named “trade” agreements, which has less to do with trade than insulated corporate actions from any accountability. While Move to Amend will continue to prioritize enacting the We the People Amendment, there are opportunities to contextualize the work at the state level through such approaches as democratize corporate charters and at the international level in connected internationally with the growing number of efforts seeking to democracy their constitutions.
Risk and sacrifice increases credibility
Movements gain credibility and moral authority when activists risk health, freedom, or life itself. Eugene V. Debs and Emma Goldman, as previously mentioned, risked jail for 20 years and $10,000 fine and deportation for speaking out before and after WWI. Conscientious objectors (COs) in WWI faced severe punishments, including imprisonment in military jails, harsh conditions, and forced labor, with some facing death sentences. COs in WWI were imprisoned or could opt to serve in Civilian Public Service (CPS) camps where they performed alternative, non-military service in fields like forestry, agriculture, mental health care, and subjecting themselves to scientific experiments. More than 12,000 individuals were arrested over several days, the largest mass arrests in U.S. history, opposing Vietnam in DC in early May, 1971.
Anti-war activists potentially faced years in prison after they broke into a local FBI office in 1971 and stole confidential documents, which exposed the FBI's illegal domestic surveillance program toward peace and civil rights activists, which they then leaked to the press. Anti-nuclear weapons risk-taking civil disobedience included trespass (i.e. the Golden Rule boat that sailed to the Marshall Islands with the goal of preventing atmospheric nuclear weapons testing), vandalism of weapon systems (e.g. Catholic led Plowshares Movement), obstruction of transport (e.g. at the Nevada Test Site) and construction, and mass protests at military sites (i.e. Seneca Women’s Encampment at the Seneca NY Army Depot) or government facilities. One member of Veterans Peace Action, Brian Wilson, lost both legs, when a train ran over him white sitting on railroad tracks at the Concord Naval Weapons Station in California protestingU.S. weapons shipments to Central America. Peace activists have resisted paying taxes risking existing jail time, gone on hunger strikes (i.e. most recently Veterans for Peace members against U.S. support of Israeli genocide in Gaza) and self iself-immolated in 2023 and 2024, including Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty U.S. Air Force member, protesting U.S. support for Israel in the Gaza war.
Move to Amend has not yet embraced actions that involve such personal risk.There is ever-growing opposition to corporate power and the corrupting influence of money in elections, as exhibited each and every day of the Trump regime. The destruction of what remnants of democracy we have or have ever had due to the power of corporate constitutional rights and money equaling free speech is equally compelling for Move to Amend supporters to engage in acts that raise the bar of personal sacrifice, which will increase the moral credibility of the cause. It’s imperative that MTA explore risky forms of civil disobedience and/or other forms of direct action against corporations doing harm to people, communities and the environment.
Connecting issues and solutions to build a powerful movement
A recurring challenge in U.S. social movements has been whether to stay “single-issue” or to connect struggles. The abolition movement sidelined women’s rights; the women’s movement narrowed its focus to suffrage; the labor movement avoided deeper critiques of capitalism; and the LGBTQ+ movement prioritized marriage equality while neglecting trans rights.
Similarly, much of the peace movement, originally led by mostly white males, historically limited itself to opposing particular wars without addressing racism, sexism, or Islamophobia, which supposedly “watered-down” or “weakened” the ability to supposedly maximize the numbers of people against said military action. By contrast, groups led by women and people of color, such as WILPF, NAACP, CORE, and the Black Panthers, consistently connected the dots – showing that peace requires justice and asserting that to do so would attract more supporters by acknowledging these direct connections. Encouragingly, today’s peace movements are more intersectional and inclusive
Move to Amend has faced similar tension among many supporters who have questioned why our mission is not simply focused on enacting the We the People Amendment, but also having as a core organizng principle “Anti-Oppression and Solidarity Organizing helps us develop relationships with those on the front lines of struggle against the impacts of corporate rule, our essential and immediate allies in the work ahead. Only through the talents, experience and wisdom of all persons is mutual governance and a system rooted in justice possible.”
Many supporters, including entire state networks, left Move to Amend – though continuing to focus with us on enacting the We the People Amendment. Move to Amend affirms connecting the fight against corporate rule with the struggles against systemic racism, sexism, and other forms of domination.
—
WWII presented perhaps the greatest challenge for U.S. peace movements to oppose. Setting aside for the moment the reality that many U.S. corporations collaborated with Nazi Germany, Fascism and authoritarian rule by Hitler across Europe was a credible threat.
Today, we face an even more immediate threat of homegrown fascism under the Trump regime: centralization of power and blind loyalty to one leader, violating the rule of law, ignoring judicial decisions, the dismantling of the public state, conversion of independent public agencies to entities focused on retribution toward Trump’s “enemies,” radical gerrymandering to fix election results, armed National Guard troops in U.S. cities, illegal arrests and deportations by ICE agents to affirm the myth of all immigrants are criminals, and entrenched corruption by Trump, his family and those close to him.
The need for a genuine people’s movement – one that both resists fascist oppression and organizes for fundamental structural change – has never been greater. Move to Amend’s role in organizing for ending all corporate constitutional rights and the corrupting influence of money in elections – as steps towards more fundamental constitutional change to ending all oppression – has never been more important.
In solidarity
Greg Coleridge
National Co-Director
