The United States Supreme Court has ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that marriage is a constitutionally protected right of all citizens of the United States of America, including members of the LGBT community. When you, and all officials of this State, decided to enter into public service you became servants of all of the citizens of Texas, not just the ones you agree with. The public servants of this State receive their paychecks from the State, counties and cities that they serve, not from their respective churches or religious institutions. We have no issue with you having your deeply held religious beliefs. But if they prevent you from executing your jobs, from which the citizens of this State employ you to perform, then you should find another job. You have a constitutional duty to enforce all laws, even the ones you do not agree with because of your deeply held religious beliefs. It is time for you to stop disrespecting the rule of law and begin to immediately require all public servants responsible for issuing marriage certificates to our LGBT Texans to do so, and to require any public servant who, under usual and ordinary circumstances, would perform a wedding ceremony to heterosexual couples to perform those same services to homosexual couples seeking to marry. Note that this requirement does not include any religious institution who have specific exclusions from the Supreme Court of the United States' ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges.

I am totally against using derogatory terms used to describe a particular race. As an African-American woman, I am highly offended and I want it removed from all English dictionaries.

There have been too many assaults on African American Churches in the wake of the South Carolina shooting. Six Churches have been burned. The Department of Justice needs to investigate these hate crimes.

I've been saving this issue for a long time. If they do not change this now, when the confederate symbols are being seen for what they are, then when? The Maryland state song is not just a symbol, it actually spells out in explicit terms what all Marylanders should do. It is way out of date, and needs to go.

Alice Paul, (1885-1977) devoted her life to equal rights for women. She was jailed, beaten, force fed raw eggs, yet never wavered in her push for the right to vote for women, and the Equal Rights Amendment. Secretary Lew has stated that a woman will be on the $10. bill in celebration of the 19th Amendment. Let's honor Alice Paul by having her face shine for the 100 year anniversary of her leadership, of women getting the right to vote.

In light of this great win why should we have to put up with more discrimination. And in a place meant for us to feel safe and accepted.

Too many of my friends, family, neighbors and myself are disgusted with being treated as though we are foreign invaders in our own state. He is at the forefront of attempting to disenfranchise as many different groups of people as possible. That is not what effective or just governance should be.

Alabama probate judge Wes Allen of Pike County stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether in protest of the Supreme Court ruling on Friday that struck down state bans on same-sex marriage and legalized it nationwide. Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage across the country on Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told his department directors to not take action against any state officials who act or refuse to act on account of their "sincere religious belief." "This order applies to any agency decision, including but not limited to granting or denying benefits, managing agency employees, entering or enforcing agency contracts, licensing and permitting decisions, or enforcing state laws and regulations," Abbott wrote. These are only two examples. Such flagrant violations of people's rights cannot go unanswered.

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.