( CNN ) -- When Jerry and I first started slinging scoops in 1978 , we knew that it was about more than just the ice cream ; it was about community . Our first scoop shop was in a dilapidated gas station that we renovated with a small loan , a little pocket change and a lot of green wood . In the summer , folks would crowd around at the picnic tables late into the evenings and lounge on the grass laughing , talking and eating ice cream . 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 does n't mean we ca n'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 . Thanks to Supreme Court cases such as Citizens United in 2010 , which trampled over the last remaining semblance of campaign finance laws , our government looks a lot more like a plutocracy : a government where the wealthy rule . The massive influx of corporate dough does n't guarantee victory for Democrats or Republicans . But it allows wealthy donors to control the national conversation and drown out other voices , making it harder and harder for the people to be heard . It allows corporations to bully our representatives and influence their votes . All they have to do is threaten to throw gobs of cash against members of Congress who oppose them , and they can chill democratic debate . When George Washington gave a farewell address to Congress in 1796 , he talked about why the U.S. Constitution deserved the people 's support and confidence . It was n't because it contained immutable , universal principles ; it was because the people wrote it and the people have the power to alter it . Well , if we 're going to save our democracy , we need a constitutional amendment that declares once and for all : 1 ) Money is not free speech . 2 ) Corporations are not people . The movement to amend is already making big waves . Thirteen states and more than 500 municipalities have passed ballot initiatives calling on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment . More than 150 congressmen and President Barack Obama say they would support an amendment . But change wo n't happen if we sit back and let other people do the dirty work . We need a stampede to rout the special interests who have corralled Congress . And that 's what we 're doing . The Stamp Stampede encourages people to adorn their dollars , to beautify their bucks , to put make-up on their moola , to stamp money with messages that promote a constitutional amendment to get special interest money out of politics . We know it 's unusual , it 's slightly subversive , but it 's 100 % legal ( we checked into it ) , and it 's precisely the kind of democratic action we need if we 're going to win a constitutional amendment . It 's not enough for people to sign a petition . We need a petition on steroids . You can open up your windows and scream `` I 'm mad as hell and I 'm not going to take it anymore ! '' But if we want Congress to hear us we need to join together in a chorus . So take out your stamps and start stamping messages on your money . The average dollar exchanges hands 875 times . That means if a thousand people stamp one dollar a day for a year , the message would be seen more than 300 million times . If 10,000 people do it , the message would be seen more than 3 billion times . If we all do it , we 'll flush `` dark money '' out of politics for good . The time to act is now . This is OUR democracy -- a government of the people , for the people and by the people . But if we do n't stunt the influence of money in politics , we may very well lose our democracy to special interests . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield .
Ben and Jerry : After Citizen United , our government looks more like a plutocracy . We need a stampede to rout the special interests who have corralled congress , they say . Comment: Stamp Stampede wants people to put a message on their dollars . If we do n't stunt the influence of money in politics , we might lose our democracy .