People with severe disabilities like Ed Roberts founded the Independent Living Movement. Ed was assisted by personal care attendants for most of his life and neither he nor his attendants were subjected to technical surveillance and prohibitive policies that monitored their every move. Ed designed IHSS to be an utterly simple and deeply humane program that fostered living and letting live. In fact, it was precisely because he enjoyed the unhindered freedom to move and function that he accomplished all that he aimed for himself and us, his brethren, in the Independent Living Movement. His revolutionary Independent Living way of life was based on the notion that we may not be able to do many physical things for ourselves due to our disabilities but that we are still able to accomplish them with the use of assistive technology and the unhindered help of personal care assistants who respect our wishes and preferences in how to do things our way, when and how in the secure privacy of our home. The original IHSS was a very delicate and symbiotic relationship of respect and trust between us as personal care recipients and our personal care providers. The secure and private set up of that relationship is another form of the God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness enshrined in the US Constitution, very much like a wheelchair is to one who cannot walk. IHSS is not like a business arrangement between animal handlers and a herd of cattle who have to be taken care of, an arrangement that businesses can manipulate with as much technology and control as they want. Yes, providing essential personal care services to human beings calls for funding the way we answer with food the problem of human hunger. But It does not give the government the right to violate our humanity and control and herd us like captive cattle. The outrageous insistence of government to force EVV on us or else is just truly sinister. Will this be another cottage industry to the home care and IT industries? The In-Home Supportive Services Program is only funded with IHSS dollars to make sure that disabled people don’t die, starve or suffer neglect because there is no one to feed, bathe and take care of them. The use of government funds to provide the personal assistance services should not force the loss of our civil liberties the way this intrusive EVV system exacts from the severely disabled who have no choice but to rely on personal care services. I’m sure that Taxpayers who fund the IHSS program would strongly oppose the use of invasive technologies that stifle the very basic freedoms that threaten their future when perhaps they themselves have to use the program. -Lillibeth Navarro

This is a very important issue to me. I'm very concerned for myself being LGBT and my brothers and sisters in this state that we shouldn't be discriminated against just who we are or love.

The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition Tennessee (TTPC) invites you to help ensure equal opportunities for all Tennessee children. Every year some legislators insist on attempting to attack transgender residents, both children and adults. They repeatedly rush to spend taxpayer dollars to do so. This year, they intend to force the state to pay the legal costs of any school which chooses to discriminate against the children it's intended to serve or its own employees. This bill was already presented and withdrawn once this legislative session. Now Sen. Hensley and Rep. Holt have chosen to pick it back up. There are better uses of our state resources than putting trans children and school employees at risk to deal with imaginary issues. All children deserve equal opportunities, and our state needs to be inviting to new business.

I'm a local organizer with Tax March, and MfS has actively created conflict with our progressive organization by co-opting tax weekend and telling their local organizers not to work with Tax March organizers because we are working against the Trump Administration. Tax March is held on the one highly symbolic weekend of the year, whereas MfS is simply moving their event to a different weekend this year. Tax March has been active year round with the annual tax marches, #NotOnePenny and #RepealTheTrumpTax campaigns. We have been constantly advocating for social justice through a fairer tax code, and tax weekend is our biggest mobilization event of the year. I want MfS to respect our weekend, and either go back to their original weekend or choose another weekend that is not in conflict with a major progressive event around the country. I'm starting this petition as an individual community organizer who has organized and participated in dozens of local events and who marched in the 2017 MfS in my community.

Getting humanitarian crisis aid and protection of human rights into Puerto Rico is needed immediately, as FEMA is leaving the island very soon. Food, water supply, and aid distribution will be cut off. This is a human rights violation and it’s a humanitarian issue. We need to request the protection of the citizens of Puerto Rico. They are Americans. Mass genocide and erasing their culture is also a crime. I am Puerto Rican, this island is my second home, our roots are all there. My father Teddy Torres’ legacy as a foremost guitarist and creator of a seminal genre of music needs preserving for our children and grandchildren; he is part of the island’s diaspora. He was a veteran hiding in a Korean jungle for 3 days under a pile of dead bodies, waiting for rescue. In the Army, he served two Korean tours. He was also a part of the island’s musical and cultural history, a native of Caguas. I need this part of our lineage preserved. It is essential to me, my family, as are our customs, culture, and way of life. They are our greatest treasures. We want a free, healthy, thriving Puerto Rico restored. Help me save Puerto Rico.

I am starting this petition on behalf of one of Ferrin's victims, my dear friend, Professor Ersula Ore. I have watched her endure dubious legal charges and victim-blaming from the Blue Lives Matter crowd. In the meantime, Officer Ferrin managed to slip out of his situation and into a new position, only to victimize more people who have recently reached out to Dr. Ore. Officer Ferrin needs to be stopped before he does it again, or worse, kills someone.

CPS violates all constitutionally given rights with no transparency or oversite. This needs to be addressed at the Supreme Court level immediately.

I believe in justice served, which our Florida law does not!

Portland's transgender population is endangered and at a disproportionately higher risk of homelessness and housing discrimination. Transgender women of color experience even disproportionately higher rates of homelessness, unemployment and homicide due to prevailing animus against transgender individuals. For many in various stages of transition or for those who have accepted their new identity without transitioning, shelters are not a viable option. Once on the street the homicide rate is grim. Last year alone over 400 transgender lives were extinguished due to anti-transgender violence worldwide, the majority of which were reported homeless. These weren't just simple murders. In many cases the victims were decapitated, burned, dismembered or horribly desecrated. This is the depth of the animosity and hatred trans people face on the streets. We must intervene. We have taken great strides to create services for those marginalized by mental illness, addiction and HIV/AIDS but for over 30 years not one step of progress has been made towards protecting and sheltering the endangered transgender population. These are functioning, contributing members of society. They are doctors, nurses, teachers and therapists. They deserve the opportunity to thrive and enjoy the same resources, services and protections granted to other "at risk" populations. This petition is to elevate trans voices to cry out to the Mayor, appropriate individuals at Home Forward and Central City Concern to take immediate action and implement trans-specific housing services in the city of Portland and all of Multnomah County.

To save the history of all Native Americans, and to be taught how it happened.

Ocean Safety is a priority for me. I have consulted with an expert in this industry and here is what they have to say: "I was approached by a sales representative to carry full face snorkel masks when they first came out so I tried the product. After using it for about 10 minutes I decided to start "testing it" as it was fine for normal surface swimming. I dove down 5' in relatively calm waters. Upon surfacing, the valve stuck shut on the snorkel so I had to rip the unit off my face to get a breath of air... kinda scary if you're a beginner or not in shape. Then while surface snorkeling, I put my chin down to my chest to see what would happen if the snorkel went underwater... same result; the valve stayed stuck in the closed position, so I again had to rip the unit off my face to breathe. By then I was getting horrible issues with fogging, so I left some water in the mask to "wash the lens" and due to the design, I kept getting water up my nostrils (causing me to gag). Finally, I decided to exhale through my nose into the mask to see if the build-up of CO2 (carbon dioxide) would or could be an issue... within 2 minutes or so I was feeling light-headed and knew there was absolutely no way I would be selling this mask. This was before they became popular and it was being hyped as the greatest new mask for snorkeling. I gave the sales rep a call the very next day and gave him my thoughts and it didn't deter him from moving on to the next potential dealer. These masks are a horrible design and we will continue to get more deaths by asphyxia ( I wouldn't call it drowning because you are being deprived of oxygen and polluted by excessive CO2 due to the product design and not necessarily by the user being "out of shape" or inexperienced). I spoke with a first responder who went on three of the calls this weekend, and the common denominator was a full face masked being used. Perhaps it is time to consider having this product removed from stores? I never sold them and never will."

in the hopes, which are slim these days, of change.... I know there are many many souls who want to end this horrible situation like me.