Ben Cohen, the first half of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, was at Union Station in Washington on Tuesday to literally give cash away. These were no ordinary bills, though.
The popular ice cream brand, Ben & Jerry’s, has always been known for being combining great flavors with eco– and political–activism; for instance, they temporarily changed their Chubby Hubby flavor to “Hubby Hubby” in support of gay marriage. Ben Cohen, co-founder of the company, was in Washington on Tuesday to spread awareness about another Vermont-based campaign: Stamp Stampede.
Stamp Stampede has a unique approach to spreading the idea that “1) money is not speech, and 2) corporations are not people.”
Their method? Stamping big, bright red words onto dollar bills.
And that’s exactly what Cohen did with his team on Tuesday. They gave out these bills so that their message would circulate throughout the public. The Stamp Stampede website explains their mission:
Well, the 2010 Supreme Court ruling under Citizens United has gotten a lot of coverage this election season, and for good reason. Unlimited donations by billionaires and corporations to SuperPacs have drowned out the voice of ordinary Americans.
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad freeBut overturning Citizens United by itself isn’t enough. That case builds on two other cases that can all be addressed in an amendment to prevent big money from corrupting our democracy.
Cohen and co-founder Jerry Greenfield, have always had democratic ideals, so it’s no wonder that Cohen would be on Stamp Stampede’s board of directors. In a CNN op-ed, the pair explained why they felt the need to keep their ice cream company politically active:
Ice cream brings people together. We might not agree on politics or religion, heck we might not agree on Chunky Monkey or Phish Food, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk. And in that way, ice cream teaches us a lesson about democracy.Democracy is the triple-deluxe droolworthy idea that the people can govern and be governed in turn, that We the People are the author and the subject of the law. In America, it’s the idea that we can elect representatives who will rise above self-interest and work on behalf of the common good.
At least, that was the idea. These days, it looks a little different.
But stamping money? Selling stamps so more people can stamp money? Does it work, and is it even legal?
Well, to date, they have sold nearly 7,500 stamps and estimate that over 20-million people have seen a bill with their stamp on it since they started.
“The number of impressions is based on the assumption that each stamp sold will stamp 1095 one dollar bills, or three dollars a day for a year. But we hope you’ll stamp a lot more,” the website says. “After all, it’s slightly subversive, totally legal, and a lot of fun.”
It’s legal to stamp political messages on US currency. Many people assume that it’s illegal to stamp or write on paper currency, but that’s not the case. It’s illegal to destroy paper currency or deface it so much that it’s no longer recognizable and has to be taken out of circulation. But the intent of the Stampede is to make sure that these dollars STAY in circulation to help spread the message and build momentum for change.
The stamps that are sold on the website can be bought self-inking, or even pocket-sized, and hold several different messages about the political corruption caused by corporations including: “Not to Be Used for Bribing Politicians,” “Stamp Money Out of Politics,” and, the no-longer sold but still effective one, “The System Isn’t Broken; It’s Fixed,” among others.
The campaign has had a lot of success so far, and ultimately its aim is to amend the constitution to reflect that corporations are not people. Fifteen states and 150 politicians support the idea so far. It’s been so successful, in fact, that Ben and Jerry both helped launch a mobile stamping station for people to get their money inked.
Video: PBS/Stamp Stampede
Photo: Stamp Stampede
Abigail, their concept of constitutional reform is exactly what the masses are clammoring about. But neither party is talking about ‘real’ govt reform of the US Constitution…Congress is stuck in their aristocracy mode and forcing federal dominance over the masses and States. And violating our personal liberties all over the place. Who can we count on in our legislature? None of them…because they no longer represent our States or personal liberties. What Ben and Jerry are talking about is bringing ‘representational’ govt back, but that is accomplished through States Rights and scaling back govt. Voting for the DNC or the… Read more »
Isn’t it odd that big business is using money to advance their political agenda to amend the constitution…yet it is the same constitutional principle that brought them millions in corporate revenue. Talk about a double-standard of the money on the left…hmm? Maybe Ben and Jerry need to stay in the ice cream business and get money out of politics? Or let’s continue to use ice cream and Sesame Street to advance DNC platform, that seems to be making for a civil society and well-adjusted healthy kids. Think about it…