The Straight Dope 09/19/2003

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 09/19/2003

Dear Cecil:

A recent article on the Straight Dope Web site says that
in a famous 1886 case the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that
corporations are "persons" having the same rights as
human beings based on the 14th Amendment, which was
intended to protect the rights of former slaves. Not to
nitpick, but the Supreme Court made no such decision. If
you look at the case in question, Santa Clara County v.
Southern Pacific Railroad Company, you see that the court
itself never rules on personhood. A court reporter by the
name of J.C. Bancroft Davis (a former railroad president)
snuck that "ruling" into the books.
--bex, via the Straight Dope Message Board

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Cecil replies:

We've dealt with some weird topics in this column--quantum
mechanics, penile lengthening, Circus Peanuts. But for my
money the personhood of corporations proves there's nothing
so strange as the law. 

Most people have a general idea what corporations are. Some 
may even know that, for most of U.S. history, corporations
have been considered "artificial persons." The concept isn't
as nutty as it sounds. From a legal standpoint, corporations
can do many of the same things that natural persons do--buy
and sell property, hire and fire, sue and be sued, and so on.

What most people don't know is that after the above-mentioned 
1886 decision, artificial persons were held to have exactly
the same legal rights as we natural folk. (Not to mention the
clear advantages corporations enjoy: they can be in several
places at once, for instance, and at least in theory they're
immortal.)

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030919.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

"With it or on it." We've all heard that Spartan mothers said
it while giving their sons shields before their first battle.
With it = victorious hero; on it = fallen hero; without it =
coward. I've heard this quote attributed to Herodotus, but
I've never seen any specific reference. It's consistent with
modern conceptions of Sparta, but is it real? Is it just an
old wives' tale concocted to make us believe our own mothers
aren't so bad? --HCPIII

Guest contributor Una Persson replies:

You've got a point. After you hear about the mothers of
Sparta, it's hard to believe your own mom is so bad because
she makes you drink your milk. 

Your question is more complex than it might seem. To answer
it properly, several different aspects must be considered.
First, where and when does the quote first appear? That
part is easy. 

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspartanmoms.html

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 10/14/1977

Dear Cecil: 

At work I have occasion to use the Xerox machine. Since I am
copying from books, I sometimes have to hold them in position
while the light flashes and end up Xeroxing my hand. My
question is this: do copying machines emit radiation? If so,
what kind?
--Office Worker, Los Angeles 

Dear Worker:  Xerox machines absolutely ooze radiation--but
it's radiation of a friendly and fairly harmless sort known
as "light." No X-rays, or anything of that kind, are
involved; it's a simple photographic process, not that much
different from what happens in your Brownie. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_235a.html

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