As a Jewish American, I am outraged that Amazon.com promotes the sale of items containing relics of hatred and terror such as swastikas and ISIS symbols. The site banned sales of Confederate flags; now go one step further!

As a proud retired veteran of the Vietnam War, my sons and nephews as veterans of the wars in Panama and Iraq, my grandson and my nephews as veterans of the war in Afghanistan, I and my family have experienced the hardships of military life and reaped the consequences of misguided, senseless conflicts. My grandchildren, upon registration with the Selective Service, will automatically be subjected to being drafted into a future war. As such, I believe they should have an automatic say, at the voting booth, as to who makes the decisions to go to war, they should be able to decide who the deciders are in our government.

My name is Joaquin Jackson, Mr. Clifford Greene asked my father Rev. Ronnie Jackson Sr. to bond his son (Moses Greene) out of jail on a property bond. The bond was $49,500.00, and my daddy didn’t get any money upfront. My father’s friend Mr. Jerome Enders knew Mr. Greene, and vouch for his character under the premise he would do the correct thing. Having his son at all future court dates. He missed a court date in early May. Mr. Greene and his son lied to my father for nearly a month saying his son had made the court date. My father didn’t found out until the Middle Georgia Fugitive Squad came looking for my father. I was so scared for my father, and I thought they were getting ready to hurt my father, and I just started crying. Instead of condemning his son, he is condoning, and encouraging his son to flee from prosecution. Mr. Greene is very aware that my father is getting ready to lose his home because of their backstabbing and low life ways. Therefore, if my father is going to lose $49,500.00, Mr. Greene should not keep making money at Flava Fashions//FLAVAUSA 1747/646 Shurling Drive, Macon, Ga. 31211-(478) 743-4050. He is making money off the African American community to fund his son excursion as he flees from prosecution. This is Cain killing Abel in our community as he screws over my father who has helped his son out. DO NOT SUPPORT FLAVA FASHIONS, Or FLAV USA. My father was borne and raised on the east side, and no Jacksons should support this business, or this low life scumbag. Boycott this business until he turns his lousy son into the proper authority. He is already on Macon Regional Crime Stopper (478) 742-2330 with a reward up to $10,000. Would you all please help my father so he won’t lose his property? PLEASE? Excuse my grammar, I am so afraid for my father. I thank you in advance, Joaquin. ☹

Coercion. Fraud. Relinquishment. These are all words I was unfamiliar with until they impacted my life in a very horrible way. I was blindly led into a coercive adoption, and my rights as a mother were signed away before I even knew what had happened. I am pleading with you to consider changing the adoption laws to protect birthmothers, children, and adoptive parents. In my case I had agreed to have a child (biologically mine and my husbands) for some very close friends of ours who were unable to conceive. I made it clear before conception that I needed to be a part of my child's life or I could not do this. The couple eagerly agreed and promised I would always be in his life and he would know who his real parents are. One big happy family was the term always used. The signing of documents were referred to as temporary custody & 48 hour papers. I was also told the adoption wouldn't be finalized until the baby was 6 months old. This also led me to believe I would not have to sign adoption papers until the 6 month time period. I did not have an attorney to represent me, and never even knew that was an option. We were told to take our baby to the Dr. the day after we left the hospital due to a slight fever. I was told by Becky-the potential adoptive parent, that in order for her to take him to the Dr. we HAD to go first thing in the morning after I was dismissed from the hospital so she would have papers to show the Dr. Once again, I thought these were temporary documents giving her a legal right to have my son in her home and to seek medical care for him until the adoption was final in 6 months. Early the next morning we left for a law office and met with a lawyer I had never seen before. I was crying my eyes out because I was really having doubts about not having my son for the 6 month time period, but I was too scared to say anything. I was horribly sleep deprived and taking a pain medication I wasn't familiar with that made my thoughts even more cloudy. The whole meeting was very casual and there was a lot of talk between B and her lawyer about how we would remain involved in our sons life. I could barely see due to my crying, and regrettably just signed whatever paper was slid in front of me. I trusted this was temporary at this point, and never ever dreamed it would be so easy to sign away permanent rights so soon. We left the office with no copy of what we signed. Our son was born on July 17, and we didnt find out what we had truly signed until August 5. I was devestated and heart broken. All I could say when I found out was What have we done, what have we done??? I have researched and found support groups for so many women who have similar stories. Some don't remember signing anything at all. Almost no one ever has had a lawyer to explain the documents before they are signed. Ive seen a great deal of sad stories. Before this all happened to me I would have never believed half of these stories, or I would have dismissed the women as crazy. There is no way of knowing the emotions one will feel after your baby is born. Then when you have someone pushing papers in front of you and making promises to you, it is all just too overwhelming. I would like to propose a change to avoid this trauma to all parties involved. I propose that it become mandatory for a pregnant woman to recieve counseling at the expense of the potential adoptive parents so that she can make an informed decision. This will help ensure she is not being pressured or coerced by anyone, and that this is truly her decision. I propose that every pregnant woman would have to speak to an attorney prior to any signing to go over the documents that she will be expected to sign. The documents should be explained thoroughly by the attorney, and she should be told in no uncertain terms that once papers are signed, she will not have any rights to ever see that child again. Any promises made by the potential adoptive parents will most likely be broken, and she will have to learn to live without her child. I propose that the waiting period to sign papers be lengthened. Giving birth is a very hard, life changing moment and no woman should be expected to make a life changing decision in that condition. I propose that all adoption documents be signed in a court room in front of a judge. This will cause the woman to understand the seriousness of the matter, and everything said and done will be on record. While it is true that in some cases adoption is the best answer for a child; there are way too many cases such as mine that are very wrong and the system has failed us and our children. Please protect those of us who have been victimized by people that want a baby so badly that they will say and do anything to get their hands on one. Please protect the innocent children from such wrong doing.

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army, and was the 1st Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan. There are some apologists who argue that when the Klan started to become violent, Nathan Bedford Forrest distanced himself from the Klan. This image can easily be debunked, using the writings of the acclaimed historical non-fiction writer Andrew Ward:  "In the spring of 1867, Forrest and his dragoons launched a campaign of midnight parades; 'ghost' masquerades; and 'whipping' and even 'killing Negro voters and white Republicans, to scare blacks off voting and running for office." The ROTC building on MTSU's campus (Forrest Hall) is named after him. There is no reason or explanation on why MTSU continues to honor this man that is in any way justifiable. Help us to ensure that the memory of this hateful man be washed off of MTSU's Campus. We call on President Sidney A. McPhee, the State Legislature, the Board Of Regents, the SGA, and the Department of the Army to support our campaign and help to promote true diversity on MTSU's campus.  For any group interested in sponsoring our campaign, which is an extension Black Lives Matter, please contact us at the following email:  [email protected]

This week marks the two-year anniversary of Shelby v. Holder, the Supreme Court decision which gutted core components of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. The Shelby case is devastating because for the last half century, the VRA has protected the right to vote for millions of Americans. Unless Congress updates the Voting Rights Act, the federal government will be powerless to stop racially discriminatory election procedures from going into effect. Congress has been unwilling to restore the critical protections of the VRA for two years -- however the need for voting rights protections has skyrocketed. In 2014, 21 states had new voting restrictions in place, followed by 17 states introducing 40 new voting restrictions in 2015. The 2016 election will be the first in 50 years where voters will not have the full protections of the VRA, which makes fixing the Voting Rights Act an urgent priority. The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (VRAA), a bill just introduced in Congress by Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. John Lewis, will restore key voting rights protections. Most importantly, the VRAA will modernize the preclearance found in the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 and protect against voting changes that may be harmful or discriminatory. Republican and Democratic administrations and Congresses alike have reauthorized the Voting Rights Act in full for decades, and there is no reason why we cannot all work together to restore the Voting Rights Act today.

Although the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of marriage equality, current Michigan laws offer LGBT people no protection from workplace discrimination. LGBT couples who get married in Michigan can still be fired without legal recourse. Tell the Michigan Legislature to act immediately to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include workplace protections for the LGBT community.

It is the right thing to do. We have got to teach practicing bigots that this type of attitude will not be tolerated.

We are very saddened by the tragic deaths of our fellow community members. They were so loving and dedicated to our community and are amazing example of what Charleston, South Carolina is all about. We are the Holy City and we are a unified city where we look out and love one another. Their deaths did not occur in vain. They all inspired us to be better people and to be a strong and caring community. Instead of this tragedy dividing us as intended, it unified us as never before. Our undying love for our city and humanity over-poured as we celebrated their lives and honored their legacy in Charleston, South Carolina. They were all amazing examples of how Charlestonians, South Carolinians, and Americans should be and live. I am petitioning we honor their lives in an exemplary way by renaming the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to the Mother Emanuel Unity Bridge. I urge the South Carolina legislature to take this into consideration at their next session in order to honor the lives of these inspiring people in Charleston, South Carolina. Thank you!

Removing a negative piece of history that should not be portrayed as something good for all people.

Confederate symbolism lives on the flags of seven state governments (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee). This is not only a mockery to millions of citizens that live under these banners but it is a reminder that America is unwilling to rid itself of its troubled past. Symbols of secession should no longer be permitted to fly over state houses that are supposedly an embodiment of the values of all its citizens and that of the United States. Why stop at the removal of the Confederate flag in front of the South Carolina state house? Lets make sure that these symbols of hate and systemic racism are no longer used in our country.

Following last week’s attack on Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. and a Supreme Court ruling giving states discretion over what appears on license plates, the governors of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee have stated their commitments to taking the Confederate flag off speciality state license plates. Five more states offer license plates that bear the emblem—Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Add your name to the petition telling them to remove it. Whatever its benign significance to some people, the Confederate flag historically signifies an era of slavery and oppression, and is a rallying symbol for white supremacists and those fearful of progress. Displaying it on government issued license plates is unnecessarily divisive and hurtful. Sign the petition: Take the Confederate flag off state-issued license plates.