A corporation is not a citizen because it is not a human being, and does not experience life in the way a human being does, does not have the same needs and desires. It should not influence our democracy, because its interests and the interests of ordinary human beings are not the same.
Businesses are certainly not bad, they provide goods and services we need and enjoy, employ our citizens (in the best case), and participate in developing our economic growth. Of course, businesses could do all that without becoming "corporations," a legal entity but not a citizen.
Corporations are formed to protect the human individuals around the world who found them, and the human beings from around the world who invest in them, from personal liability or legal consequences to their mis-steps or misbehavior. They do not have the same needs as human citizens, and should not have a voice in democratic processes.
A corporation never dies, never loves, never cries, never plays, never gets hurt or sick, and never loses everything because someone it loves gets sick. It doesn't need or care about an education, safe air and water, parks and community centers for its children, nor even have children and grandchildren to love and desire a future for.
A corporation experiences no human emotion, has no love or loyalty for home and country, cares nothing for preserving natural beauty or collective resources, doesn't appreciate art or music or theater, and has no sense of community well-being beyond its own bottom line. It has no desire to have fun or relationship, nor have a reason to care anything for its neighbor, would not help him raise his barn nor take her chicken soup when she is sick nor bring a casserole and comfort a friend when someone dies. It does not take care of nor sorrow at the suffering of its aging parents, in fact must evict its workers if they age or get sick or have an emotional crisis and are no longer productive, to fulfill its legal contract with its investors, often other corporations.
A corporation can only be a completely selfish money-collecting machine, that is its only legal or moral purpose in life, and it can only justify expenses, including lobbying expenses, to preserve its own bottom line. Because it experiences no human emotions and has no human conscience, it happily collects money while using community infrastructure that it does not fund nor maintain, mindlessly uses resources that belong to everyone, and the workers and customers who produce its wealth aren't asked how they want it spent.
I am one individual, a 68 year old American citizen, I vote and participate actively in the democratic process, including giving money to and participating in campaigns for both issues near to my heart, and candidates I think will represent my interests, as is my responsibility as a citizen. I do not have unlimited wealth, what I do have is a heart and a life experience and friends and family and a community I live in and a country I love.
A corporation now has the same rights as I do, but they do not bleed, they do not dance, and they are not proud Americans. In fact, now, after the Supreme Court decision, they don't have to be Americans at all.
I know I should close with an action step, but this is KOS, and you all know what to do, I just needed to express myself on this most important issue.