This week, at least 29 republican governors have said they oppose letting Syrian immigrants into their state following the tragic attacks in Paris. Unlike Europe, which has been overwhelmed by the crisis, the U.S. has a thorough vetting process for every refugee who is allowed to enter the United States. The typical process takes between 18 and 24 months. Furthermore, under the U.S. Constitution, governors can’t deny any group of people entry to their state, nor can they determine our federal refugee policy, which is set by the president. Statements attacking Syrian refugees make no one safer and create an environment where racist attacks are more prevalent. We can be a strong, secure country and a welcoming, moral one at the same time.

South-East Human Rights Coalition Warns Military Chiefs In Nigeria We, the Coalition of Southeast Human Rights Organizations, comprising the Anambra State Branch of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy, Human Rights Club (a project of LRRDC), Southeast Good Governance Forum, Forum for Equity, Justice & Defense of Human Rights, Society Advocacy Watch Project, Anambra Human Rights Forum and PADDI Foundation; wish to align ourselves with the earlier statement issued by our leading Coalition Partner (International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law) over the above subject. The statement is reproduced below as follows: “Our immediate and prompt attention has been drawn to a statement made by the Nigerian Army yesterday in Abuja, in which it issued a stern warning with vivid reference to millions of Nigerian citizens who are peacefully and non violently asserting through non violence and peaceful assembly and association, their regional and international rights to self determination. Such rights are also constitutionally guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution in the form of rights to personal liberty and peaceful assembly, as well as rights to freedom of association and movement, and they are contained and enshrined in Sections 35, 40 and 41 of the Fundamental Human Rights Charter of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Nigerian Army had in its statement, titled: “Reminder on Nigerian Army Rule of Engagement for Internal Security Operations”: “the Nigerian Army would like to send an unequivocal warning to all and sundry, more specifically to all those threatening and agitating for the dismemberment of the country”. The statement is in vivid reference to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which has in the past one week grabbed global attention with sweeping marches in major cities of Nigeria and foreign countries. The army statement further said: “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), 1999 (as amended) vide Sect 217 (2) (c) provides that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) shall suppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authority to restore order when called upon to do so by the President, Commander-in-Chief. This provision is reinforced by Sect (8) (1) and (3) of the Armed Forces Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (LFN) 2004. This presupposes that troops have to use necessary force to quell crisis resulting in deaths, injury and damages to properties”. We wish to state firmly that the Army statement is totally incoherent with and unknown to the 1999 Constitution, particularly its Fundamental Human Rights Charter. It is also a clear misinterpretation of the 1999 Constitution, particularly its Section 217, which clearly states that “there shall be an armed forces for the Federation” and not “the army for the Federation”. The “armed forces” include other recognized armed forces segments like navy, air force, DSS, etc. That is to say that the view of “the Nigerian Army” cannot represent the collective view of “the Nigerian Armed Forces” and the Nigerian Army is not “the Nigerian Armed Forces”. The statement also failed woefully to understand the common meaning of “suppressing insurrection”. The word “insurrection” is a military act of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against civil authority or an established government or a range of violent behaviors aimed at destroying or taking over the position of an established authority such as a government, president, governor, or political leader. When compared with the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a self-determination pressure group, the stern warning or riot act so issued is totally misguided, vexatious, shallow, dubiously intended and constitutionally incoherent. The stern warning or riot act was also grossly misdirected, as it ought to have been directed to the Boko Haram terror insurgents who have severally disclosed their intention to violently destroy the country’s existing socio-legal system and put in place radical Islamic theocracy. To date, the IPOB pressure group and millions of its supporters have not used or advocated violence. We see the stern warning or riot act as a clear declaration by the Nigerian Army of an intention to commit crimes against humanity by indicating its readiness to deploy and use brute force to “suppress” ongoing peaceful and non violent processions involving the IPOB pressure group and its teeming supporters. From the body language of the Nigerian Army, it may most likely stage-manage or create group violence, arson, vandalism and damages to property so as to find grounds to deploy and use brute force as well as justification of same. We wish to warn and remind the leadership of the Nigerian Army not to forget that there still exists International Criminal Court and other formidable local and international mechanisms through which its commanding officers found engaged in “brutal suppression or quelling” of ongoing peaceful and non violent protests shall be held accountable for crimes against humanity. Let the Nigerian Army also be reminded that during the recent economic meltdown in USA, some States agitated to secede from the United States, yet they were not tagged “insurrectionists” warranting “military suppression”. Even in the present United Kingdom, Scotland, which agitates for secession, has not been militarily crushed. It is unarguably a case of “crimes against humanity” when brute force is deployed to crush a people asserting non-violently for fair belongingness and fortification of their ethnic identity”. Beyond our alignment and total agreement with the referenced statement above, we wish to further demand for the immediate removal and replacement of the Service Chiefs, particularly the Chief of Air Staff and the Chief of Army Staff. Their open threats and comments are attestation of th...

In 1838, Georgetown University president Thomas Mulledy sold 272 human beings of African descent, legally owned by the Jesuit religious order, to Louisiana in order to cover the school's debts. To this day, Georgetown has a resident hall named after this slave owner. Like the confederate flag flying on state grounds, memorials to slave owners have no place in this society. As part of a growing student and social movement, Georgetown University students are sitting in at school president John J. DeGioia's office until our demands are met. Support our students, our demands and our movement.

It's about the injustice he has done to this loving couple because they are gay. Because of this, he has removed the child from their home and put the child in a heterosexual home because he and his religion believe gays are not fit to be parents. He needs to be removed from office.

As a gay ex-Mormon I am infuriated by seeing a civil servant using his religious views to tamper with Utah citizens' lives. This couple is legally married and meet ALL the requirements to adopt the child they have been fostering for 3 months. This judge's decision came about less than a week after the LDS church put out a new policy punishing the children of gay parents. These actions are linked and proof of the dangers legal citizens face when a religion is intertwined with legislation. Apparently there have not been enough anti-discrimination laws put into place to stop this type of thing from happening. There is a terrible shortage of foster parents here in Utah as well. We should be grateful and respectful to every couple that opens their home in order to relieve this crisis. Please sign so we can submit this petition in order to uphold the law and reverse this discriminatory ruling.

On October 20, 2014, 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was brutally gunned down by 16 shots from Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke. The murder was caught on police dashboard cameras and security video from the restaurant- which was erased by police. [1] With the release of this devastating video evidence, it is now clear that the police lied and Laquan did not act in an aggressive manner. More than a year later, even with full evidence, Chicago city officials did nothing but reassign Officer Van Dyke to desk duty. But now that sustained grassroots mobilizations forced the city to release the video, they are finally charging Van Dyke- not because they believe in justice, but only because they want to avoid mass outrage. In Chicago, Black women, Black men, and Black youth face extreme levels of anti-Black violence and terrorism at the hands of the police. The city of Chicago has no interest in justice and the US Justice Department has consistently failed to defend Black people from racist attacks by police. That is why we are calling for the resignation of the police superintendent and the state's attorney and calling on the governor to appoint a special prosecutor whose only job is to investigate police killings. In addition, we call for a truly independent investigation conducted by the United Nations and Organization of American States into the violation of the human rights of Black people in Cook county and the city of Chicago. Sources [1] “The video that will rip Chicago apart — and why you need to see it,” The Chicago Tribune, 11-10-2015, http://trib.in/1lk39d4 “Chicago Police Sued for Alleged Police Brutality” ABC 7, 07-09-2015, http://abc7.ws/1TqxzWQ

Black students--who pay tuition just like their white counterparts--are leaving the University of Missouri because of active death threats against them. The school is on lockdown, classes have been cancelled, white students are walking around shouting "white power," and bricks have been thrown through windows--all in the wake of the University Chancellor stepping down and the President resigning. At the time, I was unable to find any mainstream media coverage about this incident. Racism is pervasive and threats and abuse are rampant. It's the worst we've seen in years. We cannot afford to live in denial or sit back and wait for others to act! Please sign this petition to help these students get back to campus and prevent further harm from being done. This violates their basic human rights! My petition is calling for the government to publicly address these concerns & to declare a no-tolerance policy on racial threats, slurs and discrimination.

While the inspiring protests against racism on campus led to the resignation of the University of Missouri president and chancellor, that hasn't ended the threat of violent racists. Threats against Black students at Mizzou have actually surged in recent days, including threats to 'shoot every black person I see,' shouts of 'white power,' and even physically trapping cars with Black students inside them. One called in threat resulted in the lockdown of a school building. CNN says these 'reports' of threats have been declared false by police but, at the same time, quietly notes that arrests have in fact been made--meaning the threat is real. Mainstream media is about to walk away from this story, but we can't abandon Mizzou's students right now, just as they're becoming more vulnerable. Let's stand together against violent racism at the University of Missouri.

Children need the protection of seat belts when riding on school buses. Children are at risk of death or injury in the event of a crash. Seat belts are required in private vehicles, why not on school buses?

I am the daughter of one gay couple and one heterosexual mormon couple, raised to respect others' lives and decisions, especially their religions, and to be loving and kind toward my fellow man. This petition seeks to reverse the senseless, discriminatory new policies adopted by church leadership regarding children of same sex couples. Children who are heterosexual themselves are barred from membership and full participation due to something they cannot control. It is hateful and discriminatory to bar anyone from membership for any reason beyond their personal control, including anyone of any sexual orientation and their potential children. I want the Mormon church to reverse the discriminatory rules they have recently adopted and open their church to any interested member, regardless of their family composition.

Nothing will stop us, for what we are fighting is just as enshrined in the UN charter of indigenous people. IPOB Leadership had ordered its members to stage a one million man Protest in major cities in the Eastern and Southern Part of Nigeria to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu. he indigenous people of Biafra have retained Dutch lawyer, Prof. Dr. Göran Sluiter. He has been instructed to file a criminal complaint against Nigerian President Buhari before the International Criminal Court (ICC), on account of crimes against humanity. The people of Biafra, living in the South of Nigeria, have been trying to exercise their right to self-determination for decades now. They have been systematically oppressed by the Nigerian government and have suffered serious human rights violations, amounting to crimes against humanity. With the election of new Nigerian President Buhari, violence and crimes committed against the people of Biafra have intensified. This is exemplified by the recent unlawful arrest and detention of Biafra’s leader, mr. Nnamdi Kanu, since 14 October 2015. Prof. Dr. Sluiter is convinced that there is more than enough evidence to have the ICC Prosecutor conclude that the people of Biafra are the victim of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC and that President Buhari plays an essential role in these crimes. He also points out that the situation in Nigeria –including other crimes committed by Buhari, namely the electoral violence of 2011- has been under preliminary examination of the ICC for some time now and that the moment has come for the Prosecutor of the ICC to launch a full criminal investigation. The criminal complaint will be finalized on short notice and will –in the interests of justice and transparency- be made available to the public.

The ACAA was enacted by Congress decades ago to eliminate discriminatory practices against disabled travelers. However, the lack of specificity in the ACAA with respect to the dimensions of airline lavatories has allowed the airlines and airline manufacturers to continue to downsize the lavatories to allow more seating capacity, making it impossible for wheelchair-bound travelers to use the lavatories. As a consequence, millions of wheelchair-bound travelers suffer true indignities and physical hardships when traveling on the airlines.