The primary elections and caucuses that have dominated the news in the last couple of months have demonstrated an appalling show of negativity.

That was sad enough. What was sadder was that so much of the money came from corporate donations, the origin of which remains a secret.

All that came about thanks to the Supreme Court’s incredible decision in the Citizen’s United case, in which the justices decreed that corporations are people.

That declaration implies that free speech, including the contribution of money, as much as corporations wish, can contribute to elections.

Corporations are not people. They are set up according to corporate regulations of states. They are established for an economic purpose. Political purpose is not listed in corporate manifests.

Furthermore, many corporations, Anheuser-Busch for example, are international and foreign-owned. Any such corporation now can contribute as much as it wishes to our political process.

Is that what we want? Is that what was intended in the definition of “government by the people, for the people?”

It is not.

Perhaps it has become necessary to amend the constitution, in the manner of an online resolution, titled the People’s Rights Amendment, at http://peop lesrightsamendment.org/.

People who are as outraged as I am about the Supreme Court’s decision are invited to sign the resolution.

I also support the moves that are being considered to have the Supreme Court reconsider its Citizen’s United decision.

Peter Garrett

Winslow