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United States Congress
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United States Congress, President of the United States
Hello, I am Opal Lee from Fort Worth, TX and I am 94 years old. I want Juneteenth to be recognized as a National Holiday. Yes, Juneteenth originated in TX, but 47 states now have it as a state day of observance to commemorate the ending of slavery and more are making it a paid day off including Virginia, New York, and Texas. I believe Juneteenth can be a unifier because it recognizes that slaves didn't free themselves and that they had help, from Quakers along the Underground Railroad, abolitionists both black and white like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, soldiers and many others who gave their lives for the freedom of the enslaved.
I started a walking campaign to Washington, DC 2016 and have continued it to bring awareness to the fact that there is support for it all across this nation. There is legislation in the Senate S.4019 and in the House H.R.7232 - Juneteenth National Independence Day Act - that just needs to be passed into law.
It is not lost on me that the summer of 2020 saw the largest support of Juneteenth to be a national holiday because of the death of George Floyd highlighted the systemic racism that still exists because of the residual effects of slavery. We can't let the swell of support just simply disappear until the summer rolls around again. We have make sure Congress follows through with their committment to honor the lives of those who came before us.
My goal with this petition and my walk is to show the Congress and the President that I am not alone in my desire to see national recognition of a day to celebrate “Freedom for All”. Will you please sign my petition to let them know as well? You can get more information at www.opalswalk2dc.comRead more
Dione SimsFORT WORTH, TX, United States
1,611,445
10/20/19
Amazon.com, United States Congress, state legislators
Amazon, Federal Officials, and State Officials: Stop the sales of steel-jaw leg hold/foothold traps and snare traps. Please sign & share this petition.
This is a request to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, to immediately cease the sales of steel-jaw leg hold/foot hold traps, snare traps, and attractants on Amazon.com, as these are used in poaching and the maiming of bears and other wildlife. Amazon’s outreach and large selection of such traps put wildlife in danger everywhere. The enormous amount of leg hold/ foot hold traps for sale on Amazon makes it incredibly easy for a person, anytime and anywhere, to begin trapping wildlife, resulting in the maiming and killing of the animals. The easy obtainability of these traps has already resulted in this, based on the number of traps Amazon sells online along with attractants for bears.
The use of leg hold/ foot hold traps for bears is illegal in the United States. Bear traps are illegal to use but are not illegal to sell. Many types of steel jaw traps are legal for use on other wildlife such as foxes, wolves, and coyotes. Selling items illegal for bears is propagating illegal acts and causes horrific impacts on bears along with all wildlife and Amazon should not want to be part of this. These leg hold/ foot hold traps maim wildlife, as has been seen in the historic tragedy in the Asheville, NC area where there are 12+ bears missing limbs. These bears with missing limbs might have suffered this fate because of products sold by Amazon. In addition, our pets and children are at risk-as they could easily step into a trap. With Amazon’s customer outreach, anyone can be trapping within days near you and hurting the things you love. Please sign and share this petition to persuade Amazon to urgently stop the sales of these traps.
The listing of prohibited items on Amazon includes, “Products intended to be used to produce an illegal product or undertake an illegal activity.” Therefore, per Amazon’s OWN policy, the sales of such traps should be banned on Amazon.com and the signers of this petition are asking for that.
This is also a request to state and federal officials to ban the use and sale of steel-jaw leg hold/ foot hold traps and snare traps in the United States. According to the Library of Congress, steel-jaw leg hold traps are banned in over 100 countries including China. Tragically however, they are not banned in the US and are for sale on large sites such as Amazon.com.
Asheville, NC has 12+ bears missing limbs from trap escapes. This could be your city or town next! These maimed bears and their struggles are shown on this video, along with traps sold easily in stores and on Amazon. We hope the video will help convince you to both sign this petition and convince others to sign as well. With your efforts, we can stop this cruel trapping and prevent the horrific death and maiming of wildlife that occurs with steel-jaw traps and snare traps.
The questions to ask yourself when deciding if to sign this petition are simple:
Should kids, pets, bears, and other wildlife be safe living their lives in nature without the threat of stepping into traps like these?
Do I want these traps around my home and family or in places of nature we might visit?
All signatures and comments will be sent weekly to the Amazon head office and to Federal and State officials. Your comments will mean a lot!
“Steel-jaw traps work by slamming shut on the paw or leg of an animal and holding it until a trapper arrives. The devices are outlawed in more than 100 nations, but not in the U.S....Iraq bans them. So do China, Somalia and Sudan....But in the United States, steel-jaw traps are not only legal, they are the go-to tool for trappers who capture and kill millions of wild animals a year for the global fur market.” Credit: Tom Knudson/Revealnews.org
www.facebook.com/helpashevillebearsRead more
Carol MorganAsheville, NC, United States
264,827
1/1/20
Federal Communications Commission, United States Congress, West Virginia AG Patrick Morrisey
The FCC has recently voted to repeal net neutrality. And yes, that is a big deal.
What is net neutrality?
To put it simply, net neutrality allows us to communicate freely online and the idea to destroy it would allow companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon to decide who is heard and who isn’t.
What happens without net neutrality?
Well, several things...without net neutrality, companies would be able to block content that competes with their own content. Do you watch Netflix? That could soon be another higher extra charge on your bill or be blocked altogether. How about Hulu? Yep, that option could be gone or overpriced too. The same goes for messaging apps, email, social media, music apps and more. Net neutrality keeps everyone and every piece of content on a level playing field.
Without net neutrality, companies could force your favorite websites into a slow lane, force you to pay more to view the content of your choice or block it altogether.
In rural communities and states like West Virginia, repealing net neutrality will have severe effects on the options customers have when deciding on an internet service provider.
In a society that is dominated by massive amounts of information on the internet, we cannot allow access to be hindered by greedy companies.
We MUST save the internet.
Read more
Madalin SammonsUnited States
210,728
11/22/17
United States Congress, President of the United States
Channeled through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), this form of assistance was modified 20 years ago, when Democratic President Bill Clinton signed a law pushed by the Republican Party on the issue.
States continue to receive the same amount of funds as in 1996.
For 2015, on average, 25% of the funds were earmarked for financial assistance, although this refers to many elements of the program.
In the 20 years since the creation of the TAFNF program, the number of people receiving food stamps has grown significantly, at the same time that the payment of fees has been reduced.
We need the congress and the president of the United States to increase this aid to the most needy and disabledRead more
Héctor wiliam LeónEstados Unidos
144,511
7/21/19
United States Congress
We encourage you to join us and call on the United States Congress to make sure Holocaust education is taught in American schools.
The Never Again Education Act H.R. 943 would create a new grant program, within the US Department of Education to provide teachers across the country the relevant resources, tools and training to teach school children about the Holocaust and the repercussions that hate and intolerance can have on our society.
Why you should sign:
With the alarming rise in antisemitism that we are witnessing today in the United States and worldwide, Congress has a responsibility to act now. Indeed, according to a recent audit done by authoritative organizations, antisemitic incidents increased by 57% in 2017 as compared to 2016, the highest increase on record.
An equally worrisome trend shows that the horrors of the Holocaust are fading from our collective memory, especially among millennials. A recent survey found that 49% of millennials polled were unable to name an extermination camp, and 41% believe that the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust was significantly less than 6 million.
With the number of last survivors of the Holocaust decreasing as time passes, the responsibility to keep the memory and the legacy and the lessons of the Holocaust alive will fall to us and to our younger generations. The current trends are deeply concerning.
Congress needs to take proactive steps to make sure that students are equipped to take up this challenge. This can only happen if their teachers have the resources and the tools to empower younger generations with the knowledge that decisions and actions have consequences.
Watch this video to learn more.Read more
Sacha DratwaNew York, NY, United States
139,537
7/1/19
United States Congress
Conversion therapy is an outdated practice that is proven to be ineffective and dangerous. The presence of conversion therapy perpetuates the harmful ideology that people of the LGBTQ+ community are not worthy or capable of thriving. As a woman who is proudly bisexual, I can’t stand to allow people of my community be forced into changing who they were born to be. Conversion therapy is proven to do far more harm than good. According to a report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, an estimated 20,000 minors in states with no law will be subjected to conversion therapy. There is no credible evidence to prove that conversion therapy works. LGBTQ+ minors rejected by their families are 6 times as likely to have high levels of depression, and 8 times as likely to commit suicide.
With all of this being said, banning conversion therapy in all 50 states is very much overdue. With some states having laws that protect only minors, we must take it further and make it illegal altogether. Continuing this harmful, disgusting practice is a violation of human rights. If conversion therapy continues to be legal, we will lose more and more minors to suicide. We all deserve to be accepted and loved, no matter our sexual identity.Read more
Alexis BurgoonQuincy, MA, United States
118,089
7/22/20
Victory!
United States Congress
Juneteenth Proposal
Hello, my name is Phoenix Knox-Washington. On June 19, 2020 it will make 155 years since slaves were declared as free in America. I thought to myself, why isn't this more greatly celebrated? This is considered as America's second day of indenpence yet is only celebrated locally within small black communities. Juneteenth deseves as much recognition and celebration as Independnce Day. My goal is to push for Juneteenth to be a federal/national holiday. This day is such an important part of history and an importance to the African American community. I am reaching out now, hoping a powerful voice , much bigger than mine, may help a dream come into reality. With your help we can make it happen.
You may contact me via Instagram @phoenix_the_entrepreneur or email. phoenixknox94@gmail.com
With Best Regards,
PhoenixRead more
Phoenix WashingtonUnited States
117,102
6/5/20
United States Congress
Arresting a few officers won’t be enough. We need real, substantial change for the millions of minorities living in fear of law enforcement across the United States. Until American police officers are investigated for their crimes, things will never change. We need a law to hold them accountable for their actions, until which point there will never be any change. We’re looking for your help, for your support for the people that don’t have a voice loud enough to speak. We need to use this momentum to draft and pass a law for the good of our citizens, and the generations that follow.
We are therefore asking for Congressional support, to help draft and pass comprehensive law enforcement legislation. CONTACT CONGRESS AND VOICE SUPPORT FOR THESE THREE CURRENT BILLS:
Justice in Policing Act of 2020
Police Accountability Act of 2020
End Qualified Immunity Act
LET THIS ALSO BE A RESOURCE FOR OUR DEMANDS: (When voicing support for the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, demand we add clauses about independent review for excessive use of force, and other aspects of this petition you feel strongly about.)
Establish an independent committee of prosecutors and professionals to review excessive use of force in law enforcement cases that result in the discharge of a firearm or death/serious injury of any individual. Officers found to use excessive force would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Officers can also be cited for ethical violations.
Require all “Internal Affairs Investigations” of officers to be outsourced to independent committees not affiliated with law enforcement.
Create a database for law enforcement officers that have been found guilty of ethical, but not criminal, violations, barring them from employment.
Strictly limit the power of police unions.
Mandate police body cameras for all officers that cannot be toggled on and off manually, the video of which is saved to a remote database.
Disqualify state and city law enforcement officers from “qualified immunity”.
End civil asset forfeiture.
Require individual private liability insurance for law enforcement officers to pay for the legal fees of defendants found "not guilty" and for settlements in civil lawsuits, to end civilian liability for unjust actions and arrests.
End “no knock” raids.
Require all law enforcement officers undergo intensive diversity training and submit to mental health evaluations annually.
These need to be core demands of the movement. Please, share this message and spread the word.
ATTENTION: IF YOU WISH TO DONATE DIRECTLY TO SUPPORT THIS CAUSE PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK. (All donations to change.org go directly to the change.org website, not the Law Enforcement Accountability Act. Only donate on this platform if you wish to support change.org.)Read more
Robert SalernoIllinois, United States
110,864
5/29/20
United States Congress, President Donald Trump
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is playing politics with people's lives.
On Sunday, she interjected herself where she did not belong, effectively upending bipartisan legislation in the Senate that would have helped millions of Americans and businesses through the the COVID-19 crisis.
Why? Because at the last moment, she wanted useless, petty line-items included, like additional bargaining powers for unions, increased fuel emissions standards for airlines, and the expansion of wind and solar tax credits.
What in the world do these have to do with helping people through a pandemic? Absolutely nothing.
She does not deserve to be Speaker of the House. She does not deserve to be in talks with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. She does not deserve to have an office in the halls of Congress.
Which means she doesn't deserve the title of "U.S. Representative," the hallmark designation of an individual whose job is to go to bat for citizens across the United States and deal with crises head-on.
What Nancy Pelosi did to the American people was utterly disgraceful and I hope you'll join me in advocating for the resignation of the career California politician. Read more
William AddisonNorth Carolina, United States
87,431
3/23/20
Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, Mike Pence, United States Congress
We the people of the United States of America are asking for the expulsion of senators Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi for being traitors to our fine country and the well being of its citizens. Under Article I, Section 5, clause 2, of the Constitution, a Member of Congress may be removed from office before the normal expiration of his or her constitutional term by an “expulsion” from the Senate (if a Senator) or from the House of Representatives (if a Representative) upon a formal vote on a resolution agreed to by two-thirds of the Members of that body present and voting.
Senators Schumer and Pelosi should be charged with treason and handled as traitors to the United States of America for not protecting and defending the constitution of the United States. We the people ask that both senators be removed for neglecting their duties to us citizens of the United States.
Read more
Sean CoombsMalad City, ID, United States
57,214
2/18/19