Hi! My name is Thomas Freedman. Throughout my entire life, I have been someone who has always hated racism. In todays culture, I believe that the use of the "N" word is something that should not be done. One night while at university, a visitor from out of the country was visiting my school, BYU. He knew English, and used the "N" word quite frequently. My roommate and I told him that the word should not be used, but he ignored our advice. Because I thought it was hysterically incorrect for someone to use this word, I took a video of him saying the word and was laughing in the video due to his ignorance pertaining to such an important and sensitive issue. I decided to post the video to Instagram with a caption stating "Swiss people have no idea what its like to live in America", basically stating his ignorance. After a few minutes of having the video up on a private Instagram account which my closest friends followed, I deleted the video due to the fact that addressing such a sensitive issue no matter your stance is something that should not be done. Months later, the video popped up on twitter without the caption, and was made to be seen as something as racist as possible. No one understood the context, and even I, someone who hates racism, was seen as a racist. It made me sick. Because of this experience, I have gained an even deeper hate for any use of the word, no matter the context. I have realized that if we want to end racism, we need to stop using the words, symbols, and signs affiliated with it. Just like the confederate flag or statues of civil war "heroes", the "N" word is something with a history that is discriminatory towards the African American race. Because of this experience and the growing hate that I have towards the word and racism in general, I would like to start a pledge. A pledge that if one signs, they promise to never be an advocate for the word, no matter the circumstance. I want to make a change. We need to all love each other!

GLIDE serves thousands of people in the San Francisco Area. They go to the margins and serve people who often have no other place of refuge. Their Church is one of the most diverse and celebrated in the world. The UMC's decision to strip GLIDE of a pastoral team indefinitely threatens to impact the incredible work, mission, and message of the GLIDE Church and Foundation and is harmful and counterproductive to the UMC. Stand with GLIDE!

The citizens of the United States have been adversely affected by the Senate's failure to ratify the CRC. Our tax dollars and energy have been spent on fighting the unfair treatment of children domestically and internationally. Children are denied protection in war, asylum, education, justice and family matters in our name. It is time to ratify the CRC and hold the U.S. accountable to the same standards as other United Nations member states.

The lack of respect by government officials is the ongoing ethnic cleansing and decimation of Native Original People of Texas. It is well known if historical ethnic cleansing of Carrizo/ Comecrudo since first contact. The separation Of Children from Native Original Families is an ongoing killing of tribal identity and part of the oppressive colonization.

Please help us stop segregated busing of students in Lakewood. The Lakewood Board of Education funding is funding busing of 40,000 students on buses and to schools that are segregated by both sex and religion which is strictly forbidden by the State of New Jersey Constitution. The public schools are failing because they receive less money than what is paid for the segregated busing to segregated schools..

Living in close proximity to other households who enjoy parties, especially outdoors, my family and other neighbors suffer when the volume (dB) is excessively high or the bass is obnoxiously felt inside our floors and walls. The sound from parties nearby should not be so loud that we get migraines, nosebleeds, panic attacks, and other telltale signs of prolonged exposure to high decibels. For all other noise levels, common respect to a normal sleep cycle is all we ask.

About 6 years ago I had the misfortune out of necessity to move back to Pottstown due to a domestic abuse situation, almost immediately I began experiencing problems with the school district, they made reports to children and youth about the oddest things, they made reports that my children didn't go to school when they did, and I'm not the lay down and take it type, never have been, never will be, one of the advantages of having been a victim of domestic abuse via the courts, I've become well acquainted with the law in this area, so I'm not one that's easily pushed around in a court room, or by any power hungry people standing in abuse in their position, when taken to court, I always beat it, when the school started to realize that they could not "subdue me" by taking me to court, because I know my rights and the law, they decided to call children and youth regarding truancy, by this time we were technically homeless and covered under the McKinney-Vento act, (I had neared bother truancy cases because of this but they conned me into giving them a mailing address and then tried saying I wasnt homeless because I had an address for mail and temporary housing, which by the way, "doubling up" is still homeless under the law), children and youth proceeded to invade my life and the homes of the people I stayed with and harass and Nate and switch and next thing you know, poof, we're in court and my kids are gone after a year and a half of cooperation and following the family service plan, even though we are supposed to be covered under the special education act, McKinney-Vento act, and my children have special illnesses and mental health problems which I was managing just fine in my own until these people got involved, they are housed at Bethany children's home where my girls are not properly cared for and they're having serious health and mental health issues, and my son is exposed to daily violence and irratic behaviors of very disturbed children who are probably experiencing the same problem, on one such incident, a staff member encouraged 2 young men in the group home to beat to near death another young man because he supposedly stole the staff members SIM card, it was actually in the news, I barely see my children, at one point they had home passes, which were quickly snatched away because my daughter had a hicky, which, first of all, that's a morals or values decision between myself and my daughter, and second, visits with a parent or other family and friends should not be used as a punishment or reward, I'm lucky if I get to see my kids once a week, talk to them on the phone for 5 minutes at a time and I am in severe shock and having issues with ptsd myself as well as it's causing me physical health issues, this kind of treatment of myself and children's human and privacy rights as well as the laws bypassed or broken entirely is cruel and unusual, as well as unnecessary, given there were no proven cases of abuse or neglect on my part whatsoever, if you're as enraged as I am, are dealing with a similar issue, let's get this addressed to prevent further family and loved one alienation, if you're not enraged or bothered by this, you should be, this can and does happen to anyone, unless of course you have enough money to fight back, which of course most that this happen to do not, please join me in my fight to protect our families and freedoms!!!

I am a big fan of basketball, and I've appreciated how on numerous occasions, the National Basketball Association has exemplified an openness to support players' and coaches' First Amendment rights to address important political and social issues. The league supported LeBron James and his teammates' protest of police brutality. The league has supported players speaking up about mental health issues. Some coaches are more outspoken against Donald Trump's extreme policies of nationalism, racism, and hate than most elected Democrats. That's why I was horrified when I learned that in light of the National Football League's (NFL) terrible new national anthem policy, the NBA's policy is even worse: mandating that all players, coaches, and trainers must "stand respectfully" for the anthem. The deputy commissioner even went so far as to send a memo prior to the the 2017/2018 season to all teams, notifying them that they "do not have discretion" to waive the rule for their players and staff. Recently, Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr criticized the NFL's new policy: "They’re just playing to their fanbase, and they’re just basically trying to use the anthem as fake patriotism. Nationalism, scaring people, it’s idiotic, but that’s how the NFL has handled their business. I’m proud to be in a league that understands patriotism in America is about free speech, about peacefully protesting, and our leadership in the NBA understands that the NFL players who were kneeling, were kneeling to protest police brutality, protest racial inequality. They weren't disrespecting the flag or the military, but our President decided to make it about that." This is well spoken by Kerr, but it rings hollow because it's not true. Long before Colin Kaepernick, the NBA dealt with its own high-profile anthem controversy. Forward Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf didn’t stand for the song in 1996, because he views the flag as a symbol of oppression. As a result, Abdul-Rauf was fined $31,707. And to this day, they have an explicit policy against kneeling during the anthem.

Because this is an appalling violation of immigrants' human rights.

I know countless people with illness weather mental, physical, or both including myself in which I have both will benefit from the medical use of Marijuana. Personally I'm in pain everyday from fibromyalgia and muscle spasms and have mental issues like PTSD, Social Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder; I've been on countless medications none seems to completely work then I tried Marijuana .. I had less pain and next to no muscle spasms and my mind was at rest and I was calm and clear headed and not so jumbled. I've asked a lot of people who I know that has some kind of issue and use Marijuana in moderation in how they feel afterwards with there illness, I've gotten all positive remarks.

I love my Daughter!

The purpose of this petition is to penalize the NFL in Oakland, California for its blatant abuse of their players' right to free speech and protest.