“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led like sheep to the slaughter.” ~George Washington
Oregon State Legislators are looking to take away one of the most important freedoms we cherish as Americans - free speech.
Your right to free speech is a cornerstone principle of liberty. America’s founding fathers understood this and protected this right in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
Legislators are being pressured to pass so-called “ethics reform” bills that would ultimately protect them from criticism under the guise of “ethics” or “campaign finance” reform.
Politicians want you to believe this bill will clean up the political process, but nothing could be further from the truth.
If passed, citizens and the grassroots organizations they support will be silenced, while sitting politicians and their cronies will continue in their current pattern unabated.
In fact, merely exposing the anti-liberty voting record of a legislator would become a crime without government “permission.” The onerous requirements needed to get their stamp of approval would curtail the grassroots’ ability to hold legislators accountable for their unconstitutional positions.
Please sign the petition demanding your legislators not proceed with any legislation that would curb your free speech or release your private information, and demand that they vote against any so-called “ethics reform” bills that would gag your First Amendment rights.
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Whereas: The right to free speech – including political speech – is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights; and
Whereas: Any so-called “ethics reform” bill designed to release private donor or supporter information infringes on the First Amendment rights of Oregon citizens and the grassroots’ organizations they support, in direct violation of our Constitutionally protected rights; and
Whereas: Any so-called “ethics reform” bill designed to gag political speech will protect legislators from having their voting records revealed to the people they represent and allow them to hide their true positions on crucial legislation.
Therefore: I demand Oregon State Legislators halt any further action on planned legislation that would gag political speech, and actively oppose and vote “NO” on any such legislation in the future.