said by dra6o0n:No, he's right. A company or corporation is the enbodiedment of a organization, not a person or a individual.
All true but totally irrelevant. I actually disagree with SCOTUS on the subject of an organization being the same as a person.
However, the First Amendment that so often times trotted out in these arguments does not say in it's text that it is to only apply to people.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The purpose of such amendment, like others, is to set the guidance for the actions of government. Congress shall make no law... it does not state that law must only apply to individual citizens.
So while I think the argument VZ and others have made regarding their 1st Amendment rights being violated when having to adhere to consumer protections is laughable, making the statement that the Amendment only applies to people is in fact without basis - at least in literal read of the text. In spirit did they mean citizens...probably. But that's not what it says.
There are also many out there who think that the 1st provides the right of every citizen to say whatever they want without the burden of consequence, and that's simply not at all true. Your employer, your friend, folks who think you're full of crap...none of them violate your 1st amendment rights by calling you out on your BS.
The 1st only applies to government's actions. And that's where these guys are complaining. Again, I think it's crap but that's the application they are using.