This poem was written in response to the United States Supreme Court’s rulings in favor of Citizens United (January 21, 2010) and then later McCutcheon’s.  The first ruling gave corporations 1st amendment rights by declaring them people.  A Corporation's money is now legally considered to be free speech and therefore the ruling made it legal for a corporation to give donations to politicians (unlimited/undisclosed). The McCutcheon’s (April 12, 2014) ruling allows individual donors (like billionaires) to group their donations together allowing for donations of  $3.5 million or more to be given to the party or politicians that they wish to buy.  It also allows them to give unlimited amounts of money to PACS.  As I type, there are now legal avenues that allow for our government to be bought. 

Hullabaloo

Dedicated to my friend Kimberley A. Johnson

Too much doom going around

It is hard to know

When you wear that frown

And I want to put the smile

Back on your face

Make the gloom go away

I’m soul searching for the right words to convey

Against this nay and the fray

This McCutcheon power play

The answers are there

To be found

The great leaders of the past

We must sound

Their voices

With integrity

We must constantly propound

For I, too, get down

So I stand with you

United

On common ground

History has proven that

The actions of one

Can be profound

Collectively
We can astound

To stop this money-oriented 
Merry-go-round

Insatiability provokes this rue

In this withering Deja vu

Hope
We must imbue

With compassion

We must woo

With courage

We must stand up to

And against any injustice spewed

So when you get blue

You have a friend

Here

To turn to

And in togetherness

We will brew that stew

In the struggle

We shall carry through

Transform this materialistic

Worldview

And put to rest this old but familiar

Hullabaloo!

Authored by Shellie Blevins