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After the Civil War, US Courts began systematically chipping away at the rights of human beings and eventually began giving more rights to corporations than their human creators enjoyed. By far, the largest blow to the issue of rights came in the 1886 Supreme Court case "Santa Clara County vs Southern Pacific Railroad". In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that a private corporation was a "natural person" under the 14th Amendment. Ironically, the 14th Amendment had been ratified to protect the rights of human beings from slavery.
60 years later, Supreme Court Justice William 0. Douglas would write about the Santa Clara vs Southern Pacific Railroad case. "There was no history, logic or reason given to support that view."
Throughout our history, great men have showed concern for the power corporations could obtain. Quotes from the most notable are shown below:
Thomas Jefferson - "I will now tell you what I do not like. First, the omission of a bill of rights, providing clearly, and without the aid of sophism, for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction of monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable by the laws of the land, and not by the laws of nations."
Abraham Lincoln - "As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless."
Dwight D Eisenhower - “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes,” he said. “We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”
Other resources on the Net
Recommended Reading
 Unequal Protection
The Rise of Corporate Domination and the Theft of Human Rights
by Thom Hartmann
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