To the Editor:

On April 2nd, in a case called McCutcheon vs. FEC, the Court overturned a 40-year-old limit on how much aggregate money a single individual could contribute in an election cycle. That means that now a wealthy individual can pour as much money as they want directly into the election. They can give money to as many members of Congress, national and state parties, and as many political action committees as they wish.

Our elections are being turned into auctions, and candidates are being bought by the very few millionaires and billionaires who can offer the most money.

But it’s OUR democracy! Our legislators should be accountable to all the voters. They should not be influenced by a tiny group of contributors who make up less than 1% of Americans.

So listen up! If you care about student loans and funding for colleges and universities, global climate change, America’s growing economic inequality, the struggling economy, post-graduate job security, or where and when we go to war. If you care about laws protecting civil rights, voting rights, food safety, or whether your grandparents can collect social security. If you care about anything at all relating to policy change and justice, then this applies to you.

And there is hope. Some members of Congress also believe that democracy itself is threatened by the avalanche of big money that will hit as early as this November’s elections. And they are doing something about it. In the House of Representatives they have introduced a “Government By the People Act” and in the Senate, the “Fair Elections Now Act.” Both these bills would lessen the impact of big money in politics.

As students, we need to support efforts to save our democracy from becoming a plutocracy. Join the fight, and help to create a nation where justice speaks louder than money.

From,
Cecilia Elhaddad