Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT and model citizen. She loved her family and community, working at two hospitals as an essential worker during the pandemic. Over six months ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department performed an illegal, unannounced drug raid on her home, executing a discriminatory, botched no-knock warrant. Not a single officer announced themselves before ramming down her door and firing 22 shots, shooting Breonna 6 times, killing her, according to her lawyer, boyfriend, neighbors, and relatives.  Also named on the warrant was Jamarcus Glover, who had already been arrested earlier that day. Officer Joshua Jaynes lied to obtain a no-knock warrant on Breonna’s residence, citing that the US Postmaster had claimed that Breonna was receiving illegal packages at her home — the US Postmaster later testified that he had never verified these claims.  Police were dressed in plainclothes when they knocked Breonna’s door down in the middle of the night; Kenneth Walker, her boyfriend, fired a single shot, believing that someone had broken in. In response, the officers fired multiple rounds, killing Breonna.  No one has been held accountable for the systemic failure that caused Breonna’s death. 1. Charges must be filed immediately. The officers involved, specifically John Mattingly, Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove, Joshua Jaynes, and any other law enforcement officer involved in the death and coverup of the death of Breonna Taylor must be fired, charged, and arrested immediately. There have been no charges thus far (it has been over 7 months). Their pensions must be revoked.  2. Her family must be paid in damages for wrongful death and the negligence of the LMPD.  3. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear must speak up on behalf of Breonna, and Governor Beshear or Attorney General Daniel Cameron must appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Louisville Police Department immediately. An in-house investigation is unacceptable.  4. The "no-knock" warrant that police had used in Breonna's murder completely violates the constitutional rights to reasonable search and seizure. By law, police must be legally obligated to announce themselves before breaking and entering into a home privately owned by American civilians. Legislation to federally ban no-knock warrants must be passed in Congress and signed by the President; what happened to Breonna was a complete violation of her constitutional rights, and threatens the rights of all American citizens. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has voiced similar concerns. A special session must be intervened by Congress to discuss the constitutionality of no-knock warrants immediately.  5. WE DEMAND A NEW PROSECUTOR AND A NEW GRAND JURY HEARING. Recent testimonies released by the brave jurors involved in the grand jury hearing have revealed, quite clearly, the conflict of interest involved in allowing Daniel Cameron to serve as the prosecutor on this case. His partisan interests and position within the GOP have clearly influenced his ability to fulfill his responsibilities as an Attorney General and officer of the law. His conduct in the case, and his complete disregard for the injustice and tragedy that occurred to Breonna Taylor, is completely unacceptable.  This has carried on for over seven months. For weeks, the city treated Breonna like she was a criminal, calling her a “suspect” before finally admitting that she was an innocent, crimeless victim. She had no drugs. She committed no crime.  Yet, she is dead, and the perpetrators are facing no charges.  She was not only an exemplary citizen, but an essential one. She was a daughter, a friend, an American hero, and most importantly, a person. She deserved to be treated as such.  In what world is it fair, just, or legal, to kill a crimeless victim in their own home, and call it an accident? You cannot kill an innocent woman and chalk it up to a clerical error. At the very least, we must hold the system that killed Breonna Taylor accountable.  Let’s get justice for Breonna. Say her name.  PLEASE help me get the word out, and share this campaign on your social media platforms. Thank you to everyone who is helping in our fight to get justice for Breonna.

Our military veterans are heroes. They face struggles that we couldn't imagine, and they do it selflessly to protect our great country. However, their transition home can often be just as difficult because of mental and physical ailments from their service. The waitlist for the VA is far too long to quickly handle the care of every returning veteran, but their medical needs are urgent. Some of these needs can only be treated through direct medical care, but other needs can be met through a service dog. Service dogs can be trained to care for people with PTSD, visual impairments, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, and many other conditions. Furthermore, these dogs can ensure that the veteran is never alone while dealing with these conditions. Currently, the VA offers service dogs to those with hearing/sight loss and mobility impairments. However, they do not offer dogs to veterans with psychological issues, such as PTSD. I am advocating that, as part of the VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) evaluation process, the VA offer dogs to all veterans diagnosed with psychological or physical conditions. This small step would make a massive difference in the lives of these men and women. They've given everything for us. Let's give back to them.

Anti-Lynching legislation first made it's way into Congress in 1922. It was filibusters and never passed. Subsequently, the language of the 1922 Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill was the foundation of multiple Anti-Lynching Bills presented to Congress. All of which failed. June 2018, Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) presented the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act. A bill that would make lynching a federal hate crime. It was voted on by the Senate but failed to be acted upon by the House. This past February 2020, the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Bill was passed. It was introduced by Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL). Between the Justice for Victims of Lunching act and the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Bill, it was assured that there would finally be measures taken against those that would commit such atrocious racial terrorism that has already claimed over 4,000 African American lives.  Today, this bill is still on hold as Sentor Rand Paul has objected to it's passing. He considers the language "too broad," despite the bill being accepted as a bipartisan effort. “Under the statute as written, bruises could be considered lynching. That’s a problem, to put someone in jail for 10 years for some kind of altercation. And it also I think demeans how horrible lynching actually was,” - Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) To that, I say to Senator: How dare you? Your opinion on the definition of lynching doesn't matter. Nobody asked you because you never had to go through it. If some escaped a lynching with a few minor bruises. They're still a lynching survivor. To only make lynching the most extreme case is the exact problem America has. America has constantly minimalized the experiences of Black Americans. You've generalized our history into oversimplified digestible chunks that you can spew when it serves you. That is why MLK's legacy is misappropriated. That is why we are told, "Slavery was long ago." 186 Black bodies were brutilized by lynching in the very state that you serve. Your opposition to this bill speaks volumes to the Black Kentuckians that you serve. Furthermore, you are using this bill as a prop for personal political visibility. You are bringing attention to yourself and your base on the 4,000 lynched Black bodies. You have zero grasp of the depth and range of lynchings in America. So, you DO NOT get to set the bar on what is too little and too great a definition of it is. You DO NOT get to be the tone police for this bill. It is best that you sit behind your desk, sign the bill and be quiet. With this petition I demand that you sign this bill into law. If Rand Paul insists on obstructing justice and a form of reconciliationfor Black Americans, I demand of Senator Mitch McConnell to bring it to the floor for a vote.

Mail carriers are battling the sweltering heat in the summers and are constantly being pushed and demands are high. Parcel volume is at a high level because of the convenience of online shopping, which of course is good for business.  However, the Arizona summers get to be 120 degrees and the LLV's get about 20 degrees hotter than that. It is illegal to leave a child or an animal in a vehicle in these conditions, shouldn't the same be applied to us? I know I don't even have a place to cool down on my lunch break.   The new fleet replacement is supposed to occur at the end of the year so it would be great if the hottest climate areas be replaced first since this may take a few years to be completed.

My name is Nick and I am 54-years old. In October 2011, I was diagnosed with ALS. Today, I am in a wheelchair and cannot walk or stand. My arms grow weaker almost every day and my breathing is starting to be affected. I used to be very active but now I can only leave my home when I have someone with me who's strong enough to lift me into my wheelchair once I'm done scooting down to the bottom of the stairs on my butt. It can feel like I'm a 100-year old man who can't do things for himself anymore. At 54, I should still be a vibrant part of my community, but this disease is kicking me where it hurts. Through the enthusiasm generated by the Ice Bucket Challenge, many people now know that ALS is a degenerative neurological disease that currently affects over 30,000 Americans, and as it stands the disease is always fatal. Most people with ALS are given only 2-5 years to live. When I was diagnosed, I was devastated - it took me months to accept it. Although I am now resolved, I have not lost hope. Currently, there is only one drug available to treat ALS (Riluzole) and it is only able to extend life expectancy by a couple months. That's why the recent news about a small company named Genervon Biopharmaceuticals and their trial drug "GM604" has been so exciting for the Global ALS Community. While most trials have a hard time even finding a positive trend, the GM604 trial data supports the view that this drug could very well be is a game changer in the battle against ALS. There are multiple, statistically significant data. Not only in clinical data and results alone, but also correlated biomarkers data and results as well. (Please see "Files" section on the campaign website: https://sites.google.com/site/aap4gm6/) Genervon met with the FDA in February 2015 and made a potentially life-changing request on behalf of the ALS community; they asked the FDA to promote GM604 to the Accelerated Approval Program with Post-Marketing Phase 4 Requirements, so all ALS patients can have legal access to GM604 now. Under the FDA's Accelerated Approval Program, the treatments would be covered by health insurance. Although Genervon knows that this request might complicate their relationship with the FDA, they were willing to take a stand and do everything they can to help the ALS community because it is the right thing to do. If the FDA does not grant Accelerated Approval, it will likely be 3 more years before patients are able to access this drug -- meaning that most people currently living with ALS will not live to see it reach market. While acknowledging the paramount importance of public safety in the FDA’s drug approval process, I believe that ALS presents a compelling case for an exception to the usual process. I am asking you to help me appeal to the FDA through their sense of compassion for those of us with this dreadful illness. People with ALS don't have time to wait for another clinical trial to be completed.  By signing this petition, you'll be helping patients like me request that the FDA expidite the way potentially life-saving treatments are made accessible to people with ALS -- starting right now with GM604. Doing so could very likely mean a change in the course of ALS progression not only for myself, but hundreds of thousands of other patients worldwide. After you sign, please follow this link to tweet and/or email the FDA: https://www.change.org/p/lisa-murkowski-fda-accelerated-approval-of-genervon-s-gm604-for-use-in-als/u/9475826 Thank you, Nick Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gm604forals Please go to the Genervon website for a true understanding of the facts and the science behind GM604: http://www.genervon.com/genervon/about_pressreleases.php  

This petition is for legislation that demands harsher and longer mandatory sentencing for child traffickers and pedophiles that prohibit reduction of sentences for over crowding, good behavior or parole. Offenders will receive automatic sentences that include incarceration and mandatory therapy. Possessing child pornography, or engaging in pedophilia will result in immediate incarceration and prohibit bail as these individuals should be considered both a flight risk and an imminent threat to society.  For possession of child porn there will be a mandatory 10 year sentence for each instance. Possessing 2 files will result in a 20 year mandatory sentence to be carried out to term. 10 instances will result in 100 years. For producing child porn the offender will receive a mandatory 20 years sentence for every instance. Engaging in sexual acts with a child will result in a minumim of 50 years per instance. Any pedophilia acts that engage in kidnapping the child will result in mandatory life sentence.  Any sexual acts resulting in the death of a child will be a mandatory life sentence to be served in full. Intentional death of a child will be a mandatory life sentence to be served in full. Profiting from or engaging in the trafficking of children will carry a 20 year minimum sentence per instance. Finally for the protection of the victims. There will be a mandatory restraining order for life against the offender unless the victim (after turning 18 years of age) decides otherwise. The victim will receive some form of therapy and counselling. Persons under the age of 18 cannot be tried in criminal courts for prostitution charges as they are victims of traffickers. Mandatory drug treatment counselling if that victim was drugged as a result of being trafficked. Redact legislation that charges individuals who report child enticement from online forums with entrapment or stalking. Charge offenders with a mandatory 5 year sentence for each instance of trying to entice a child via social media, email or text. Harsher sentencing and more victim advocacy with a no tolerance policy will  send a grave message to those who view children as a mere commodity to exploit and subjugate. The effects of trauma will affect a child for the rest of their lives often resulting in drug addiction, unhealthy relationships, low self image and high risk for suicide. Children are our most precious resource and we must all act to ensure a generation that doesn't need to recover from their childhood.  View the story that inspired this petition: #justiceforbabyjames #justice4karaskids https://www.facebook.com/Justice4KarasKids/

Breonna Taylor was a black woman who worked as an emergency room technician, in two hospitals, during the pandemic. She won an EMT and model citizen award. On March 13, Police in Louisville—on a drug raid—forged their way into the home of 26 years old, Breonna Taylor. Without announcing themselves, the officers barged through the door and shot her 8 times, to her death. The Louisville police, in the end of the day, found no drugs in her home since, Taylor wasn’t even the suspect of the polices investigation. It turns out the main suspect had already been ARRESTED before this. After her death, the city treated Breonna like a criminal, claiming she was a ”suspect” before coming out and admitting that she was an innocent victim. 1.The ”no-knock” warrant the police used completely violates the Constitutional rights to reasonable search and seizure.  2. Please sign this petition to charge John Mattingly, Brett Hankison, Myles Cosgrove, and any other officer involved in the coverup death of Breonna Taylor. Thus far, there has been NO charges, even though it has been 4 month. This is an intolerable act and we must speak up.  Please share this in your social media and get the word out. Breonna Taylor and her family deserve justice.

Our police officers are not our military. Yet military weapons meant for battlefields like the ones I served on as an Army Officer in the Gulf War are being transferred to local police departments around the country. Put simply, these weapons are not intended for local policing and often result in escalating - not solving - situations. We’re seeing this right now in Ferguson, Missouri. Many of the weapons being sent to small police departments are coming directly from the Pentagon through the 1033 Weapons Transfer Program. Since its creation, at least $4 billion worth of equipment has been distributed to local police departments through this program. Thankfully, the Senate Armed Services Committee is reviewing the Weapons Transfer Program to evaluate how these weapons are being used. However, there’s no reason to continue sending weapons through the program while it's under review. So I’m calling on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to temporarily suspend the 1033 Weapons Transfer Program - something he has the power to do.  When local police departments have access to armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, M-4 rifles, camouflage uniforms and assault rifles - we’re clearly seeing the militarization of local law enforcement. But police officers are not at war with American citizens - they are here to serve and protect us. But it only makes sense that if we arm them like soldiers going into battle, they will act like soldiers. As a veteran and executive director of Veterans For Peace, I don't want to see our police militarized here at home. And I know many other troops and veterans agree.  The program has been suspended before in 2012, when some states actually lost track of military equipment. You read that correctly, these battlefield weapons have actually gone missing before. Yet the program was quietly restarted in 2013. It’s clearly time for a moratorium on the 1033 program while it is under review.

The time to EXPEL Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley from the Senate has come.  1) Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley should be immediately EXPELLED from the U.S. Senate.  He has violated his oath, stoked a violent mob of domestic terrorists and attempted to tear down our democracy.  Hawley was soliciting campaign funds while our nation's Capitol was under attack and people were dying.  He is a despicable, self-serving, deplorable, insurrectionist. 2) As reported in the KC Star, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley became the first senator to say he’ll object to the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory when Congress meets on Jan. 6 to accept the results of the presidential election. Hawley cited unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and accused the state of Pennsylvania of failing to adhere to its election laws by extending the deadline for mail-in ballots, an argument that has repeatedly been rejected by federal courts.  He held up the Electoral College Vote Certification process twice with his unfounded conspiracy theories, offering zero evidence to support his claims. 3) Josh Hawley lied when he tweeted that a "candle-light vigil for democracy" at his home in Virginia as "Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can’t travel. They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door."  Video evidence shows that nothing of the sort happened.  The dozen or so protestors chanted, sang and prayed outside his home, but exhibited no violence, threats or vandalism of any sort. 4) Sen. Josh Hawley doesn't even live in Missouri.  A review of property records shows that the first-term Republican is no longer a Missouri homeowner and that he is registered to vote at his sister’s home in Ozark, MO, while he is in-between homes in the state. He has alternately told the press he is living with his parents in Springfield, MO. Hawley owns a $1.3 million house in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., where he spends most of his time with his wife, Erin Hawley, and their three children. 5) Two separate MO audits found that in Hawley's short tenure as Missouri’s attorney general there were many paperwork and management problems that may have cost taxpayers unnecessary amounts of money. Taxpayer-paid staff working in former Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office met with his political consultants, perhaps more than a dozen times, in the months before he launched his U.S. Senate campaign in 2017. Several instances of travel related abuses noted that Hawley used a state vehicle and a driver for some trips without documenting the purpose of the trip. One cited example was that a driver told the auditor that on Dec. 16, 2017, he drove Sen. Hawley and his wife, Erin, to Kansas City for a Chiefs football game. 6) Former U.S. Sen. John C. Danforth on Thursday, following the domestic terrorist attacks on the U.S. Capitol building, said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Supporting Josh and trying so hard to get him elected to the Senate was the worst mistake I ever made in my life. Yesterday was the physical culmination of the long attempt (by Hawley and others) to foment a lack of public confidence in our democratic system. It is very dangerous to America to continue pushing this idea that government doesn’t work and that voting was fraudulent." Josh Hawley is seditious and self-serving. Hawley has blood on his hands for fomenting rioting at the U.S. Capitol. He is dishonest and is not upholding the oaths and ethics of his elected offices. Sen. Hawley tried to subvert and undermine the Will of the People by overturning the results of the 2020 Presidential Election. Time to EXPEL Josh Hawley. NOW!

An Open Letter To Our Elected Officials - UPDATE 1 to the petition: https://militaryspousechronicles.com/2018/10/02/pcs-petition-brings-change/ Every year thousands of military service members and their families pack up and move on military orders. All of their memories, heirlooms, worldly processions, keepsakes, pro-gear, kids toys, and some useless stuff, otherwise known as household goods (HHGs) gets packed up by contracted strangers, loaded onto a truck and driven across country. If you are on the lucky side of things, your HHGs will arrive with a few scratches and maybe a broken bowl.  However, most everyone ends up on the other side. Boxes will be unloaded smashed and torn, furniture will come off broken in multiple pieces, and other items will just go missing. It will be brushed off as “don’t worry, you can just file a claim”, and while that might be true, there are things that money just can’t fix.  Money can’t replace the broken hutch inherited from my grandmother. Money can’t fix the missing foot board from the custom made bed. Money can’t fix my discontinued, now smashed in to pieces wedding china. And money can’t fix the box of my children’s baby memories box that never arrived.  I know, we should just leave these things with family! While that is a good thought, it’s not always possible. Some service members just don’t have the family available to leave these things!  Every year, thousands of service members  file claims with moving companies. Within the last 2 years the average claim has been around $10,000, with an average of only 50-60% of that being paid out.  Over the last 5 years, the PCS season has become more and more horrendous to deal with. The major moving companies being awarded the contracts, often sub contract out to smaller, local companies. Many of these companies do not understand how military bases work- usually sending drivers or crews who have a felony background, can’t access post, or a truck that has expired registration.  These companies also do a poor job in packing and handling of the HHGs. Many times the crew will pack as quickly as possible to get to the next job to make more money. In doing so, things are usually packed improperly, allowing for damage to occur. When loaded into the truck or unloaded at the storage facility or destination, everything is usually just thrown around without a care. When Service members and families speak up about how things are being handled, we are usually scolded, degraded, and told to just let them do their job.  In one of our recent moves we had a mattress come off the truck soaking wet. When I questioned it and ask what my son was suppose to sleep on, the driver took a furniture pad off the dresser and said he could sleep on that.  When we moved to our current location, I questioned the driver about my high value list, and the markings on the inventory about the furniture. The response I received was “this is just how we do it.” Then when we arrived, our range bags complete with range equipment were missing.  Our military service members and their families already sacrifice so much for this country. The deployments, holidays missed, birthdays not celebrated, their children’s firsts moments, training time, and sometimes even their life. Is it so much to ask that moving companies take a little more care in handling our memories? Is it so much to ask our elected officials to step in and protect our service members from the headache and heartache during a PCS?  I challenge you to start holding these companies accountable. I challenge you to step up your game and ease the worry burden on our military families.   MilitarySpouseChronicles #PCSChronicles #MemoriesSmashed