Our laws go a long way in conferring the rights of citizenship or personhood on corporations. Corporations may own property, enter contracts, sue or be sued and be held liable under criminal and civil law. Importantly, they enjoy the right to “express their stockholders’ political views” through often massive political contributions. More recently, the Supreme Court ruled that certain corporations are even entitled to have a religion and are allowed to impose their religious beliefs on their employees.

But, according to Gov. DeSantis of Florida, corporations do not have the right to disagree with him. Any corporation, even Disney, his state’s largest employer, with the temerity to disagree with him risks swift and costly political retribution. Of course, Disney’s political contributions would still be welcome. So much for the “freest state in the union.”

Nor can public entities like school districts cross the leader of the freest state. He says it is government overreach for Washington to impose public health standards to fight a pandemic. But to Governor Putin, it is not government overreach for him to forbid and fine any school district that seeks to protect its school children from COVID as they see fit. It is not government overreach for him to forbid cruise lines to protect their guests and crew by requiring proof of vaccination.

What happened to “the best government is closest to the people?”

James Hughes

Belgrade