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It was recently reported that GOP congressmen Paul Ryan and Ben Quayle have decided to "privatize" their town hall meetings by hiring privately owned agendas in order to avoid public venues such as libraries and other civic forums. Some would comment, "so what?" but this illustrates how privatization is just one more nail in the coffin of our Constitutional rights.
No company, corporation or private individual is under any obligation to recognize your constitutional rights. Only governments grant your rights and the constitution only applies to infringement of those rights that may be committed by the government.
In this latest scheme we see GOP politicians who are so afraid of public opinion they have decided to charge admission and demand a fee of those who would ask them a question. If these "town halls" are held on private property managed by a private corporation, they can exclude anyone they believe might ask an embarrassing question. They can pre-screen persons and their questions to eliminate serious issues from the debate. This is no longer a "what if" scenario, it appears to be their current plan to censor and control which citizens are permitted to address their elected representatives...a right we have always taken for granted has been nullified by privatization of the traditional town hall once open to all. By creating a black list they can exclude any citizen not considered "friendly" to the representatives agenda.
Should you have to pay to speak to your elected officials?
Image public libraries handed to private corporations. You can use them only if you abide by their rules and they can censor reading materials as they see fit because your Firs Amendment does not apply any longer. Public schools are required to respect the constitutional rights of it's students, not so a private school. Your child can be kicked out if they or their parents object to anything!
By taking government out of regulating things like the Internet and the Radio spectrum we would be left with corporations able to legally shut down any web site they did not like and you have no First Amendment remedy with a private corporation. A privatized fire department can refuse to save your home. A privatized police department can choose to ignore your plea for help unless you can prove you can pay them first. A private Medicare or Social Security can decide to drop you and while you may be able to sue, if they allow it, you do not have any constitutional grounds to protect you.
Virtually anything privatized eliminates constitutional protections.
This is taking the idea of running government like a business to extreme lengths. Government is not a business...it's We The People.
Don't fall for any politicians who try to trick you into giving up your rights in the name of corporate profits.
