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Letter: Money in politics prevents real change

(Patrick Semansky | AP) In this May 23, 2019 file photo, the U.S. Supreme Court building at dusk on Capitol Hill in Washington.

I read with interest Brooke Jennings’ Sept. 14 letter to The Public Forum. The case being made was the GOP’s rolling over for the NRA. Brooke makes a valid point and ends the opinion with the statement of how to fix this tragic issue we have with, “It’s just that easy.”

Unfortunately, it is not that easy.

Certainly, some legal restrictions on firearm sales and usage would help. I would posit, however, this is only one of a vast number of citizen issues that are getting short changed.

How about poor/costly health care? How about expensive pharmaceuticals? How about immigration? And the list goes on.

Brooke and the rest of you Public Forum readers, do you know what is at the root of these issues? Unlimited donations by Super PACS to our federally elected officials.

The Supreme Court found in May of 2011 that it was a violation of the First Amendment to limit donations and thereby advertising for any issue or to any politician. If you don’t believe it, go look at the Federal Election Commissions donations amounts to any given office holder. You can directly predict how an elected politician will vote based upon the money given.

So, Brooke, yeah, it might be that easy on a single issue but overall, the betterment of this country depends on the total elimination of big money in politics. This means overturning Citizen United.

Kent C. Overly, Draper

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