Terrorism is defined as the use of violence or intimidation in pursuit of political aims. The events of August 12 in Charlottesville, VA, which left 3 people dead and dozens injured, were the result of terrorism and not "freedom of speech." Hundreds of armed white supremacists with assault rifles marching in a small American town is intimidation. The intentional killing of a pedestrian with a vehicle is murder. The chant of "blood and soil" is a call to genocide. None of the acts of August 12 constitute protected speech, but instead, terrorism. As an American citizen, a resident of Charlottesville, and VA5 constituent, I demand that Rep. Garrett introduce legislation in Congress placing all hate groups tracked by the SPLC in the FBI's terrorist watch list, and that Federal resources be devoted to monitor, prevent, and counter any and all terrorist activities arising from those groups. And I invite all my fellow Americans to demand their senators and representatives join in support of this legislation.

To enactment legislation that will end gerrymandering, and guarantee independent, fair, nonpartisan redistricting reform, immediately following the 2020 census.

As Virginians who want a pro-business, pro-equality future for Virginia, we need leaders who will move our Commonwealth forward.

Tell the government you will not stand for discrimination of our transgender military personnel.

Hank Williams, Jr used his previous platform as the show opener for Monday Night Football as a spring board for appearing all over the country denouncing human rights and racial equality issues. He was particularly insulting to President Obama, likening him to Hitler. It has been announced that ESPN is planning to bring him back to the program although he has never retreated from his bigoted commentary. We should demand that for the good of our country, as it tries to heal, he should not be returned to the public airways.

During his address to the 2017 National Scouting Jamboree, Donald Trump delivered a highly politicized and divisive speech that is against the patriotic spirit of the Boy Scouts of America. I am a proud Eagle Scout who was an active Scout for twelve years, from Tiger Scouting through Cub Scouting and into Boy Scouting. As someone with different political values than the current president, I found his remarks at the Jamboree to be alienating and the use of the Boy Scouts as a prop by him to be dispiriting.

Jasmine Shepard should have become the first Black valedictorian in 110 years at Cleveland High School in Mississippi. An amazing achievement considering that Cleveland, MS still has not fully complied with federal desegregation orders from Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. But Jasmine was denied this honor when she was forced to share it with a white student who did not qualify for it. Since filing a lawsuit against the school district a few weeks ago, Jasmine and her family have been the target of a torrent of racist and hateful messages. Messages that are too sickening and hateful to be shared here. This whole incident exemplifies the barriers that Black girls and women face - when we work twice as hard we get half the credit, and when we speak out about that unfairness we get flooded with hateful messages. Black girls know all too well that they must often navigate through a landscape that reinforces multidimensional stereotypes, discrimination, and debilitating narratives about their Black femininity. Recognizing Jasmine as the sole valedictorian is a small but crucial step to changing these harmful narratives about Black girls. Jasmine Shepard should be recognized for the incredible work she’s done to become the first Black student to ever earn valedictorian honors in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Many fathers in the State of Missouri are becoming homeless, and are not able to afford the necessities of daily living, due to the "Child Support" laws that are currently in place. Some fathers are even forced into poverty. These laws must be revised immediately to be fair for the fathers.

I met my husband two years ago in an FB singles group. I had no intention of ever dating again as I had been through a terrible divorce. We talked and became friends and then decided to meet. He told me he had a 6-year-old daughter and then dropped a bombshell. He couldn't see her regularly because his ex-wife accused him of molesting her. I was stunned and of course thought there's no way I can continue even a friendship with this man. Then, I thought, first of all, a pedophile doesn't announce he's a pedophile. I decided I wanted to meet his daughter and see them interact. One time seeing this little girl do everything she could to get away from her mom and run to her dad and jump in his arms was all I needed to see. Shortly after, there was a court date for him to try and get more time and I decided to put his paperwork together. I was appalled at the things I read. His daughter had NEVER been taken to a doctor, DCFS didn't do an investigation - they turned it over to law enforcement - and he was interrogated until they found out that the day he supposedly "molested" his daughter he was with numerous people, none that were spoken to about the incident. He sold everything he had to fight for this little girl and to this day he still does. He agreed to go to counseling, his daughter and ex also agreed so that they could work towards a 50/50 schedule. He committed his end; his daughter hasn't been to counseling for 6 months and I doubt his ex has gone once. A person doesn't become a pedophile once and then stop. I have three older children, all who love my husband, all who are comfortable with him and support him. We now have a granddaughter with whom he is amazing. For two years I've watched this woman do everything she can to keep this little girl from her dad. I watched her work the system, and I've watched the system enable her. This little girl loves her dad and should be allowed to be with him, he should not have to live with the stigma of being a predator, of having to sell everything he owns in order to see her. He shouldn't have letters written to his employer telling them he's a pedophile when the case against him has been closed for over 3 years now. Today is the 4th of July; if the court petition had been followed we would have been able to have his daughter on the 3rd at 6 pm until the 5th at 7 pm; instead, we get her from 12-6 and are unable to do anything because that's how her mom dictates it. This is wrong and it needs to be stopped. She should be charged and any woman who does these kinds of things should be charged.

The 13th Amendment of the US Constitution still allows slavery, creating increasing populations of caged people who provide free or near-free labor to the stockholders of the Prison Industrial Complex, the builders and profiteers of mass incarceration. As a result, American jobs are lost and job-seekers are victimized because private industry cannot compete with low-cost and unpaid labor.

When President Trump claimed without evidence that "millions voted illegally" in last year's election, he was roundly criticized by experts and election officials from both parties for falsely undermining faith in our democracy. But rather than back down on his outlandish assertion, Trump doubled down -- ordering Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to "investigate" the integrity of our elections -- both of whom have backed Trump's irresponsible and incorrect claim. Kobach is a particularly worrying pick given his history of voter suppression -- from leading the charge to demand documentary proof of citizenship from already legitimately registered voters, which courts later struck down as unconstitutional, to pushing a shady "cross-check" program that purges thousands of legitimate voters for no reason. We don't buy it -- the Pence-Kobach commission’s real purpose is to justify the President's false claims about illegal voting, and to push policies that will put up barriers to participation for eligible Americans. If they were really interested in dealing with voting problems, they would show how tactics like the ones Kobach has pushed in the past suppress eligible voters -- or cyber-security threats to our election infrastructure. Now, they've sent letters to election officials across the states, asking them to turn over private voter information -- requesting the full name, address, party affiliation, voting history, and partial social security number of every registered voter in the country. Many states’ laws protect how this information is used and shared. Turning everything over to the Pence-Kobach commission would permit Kobach to conduct a nationwide "cross-check" program -- a dubious tactic he says is to find illegal voters, but has flagged false positives in the past, and disenfranchised legitimate, eligible voters. Officials in some states, like California, Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Virginia have already done the right thing and refused to turn over private data -- and every state should follow their example. Because the best way to truly uphold the integrity of our elections is by making sure every eligible voter can vote and have their vote counted-- not using false claims about illegal voting to suppress votes. That's why we're calling on state election officials to put their duty to voters in their state before this partisan attack on voting rights -- and refuse to turn over voters' private information to this sham commission.

I am the Secretary of State for California, and I am refusing to hand over ANY data to Trump's "voter fraud commission". You should urge your state officials to do the same. For months now, President Trump has dangerously attacked the legitimacy of our free and fair elections. He continues to repeat false and unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations, all in an attempt to explain away his stunning loss in the popular vote last November. Now, he’s created a so-called “voter fraud commission” that is run by Kris Kobach, a man with a long history of sponsoring discriminatory, anti-immigrant policies including voter suppression and racial profiling laws. It sends a clear and ominous message -- and we have to be prepared to do all we can to save our democracy from Trump and Kobach. This fight is only beginning, but let's pledge through this action to do everything in our power to defend the right of all eligible voters to cast their ballots free from discrimination, intimidation or unnecessary roadblocks. It’s going to be series of tough fights, but I’m certain that if we work together over the next several months and years, we can protect our democracy and resist Trump’s radical voter suppression agenda.