PLEASE WRITE YOUR AFFILIATION IN THE COMMENTS SECTION We are Illinois faculty members who strongly oppose Illinois Senate Bill 3017, proposed legislation that aims to curtail the constitutional right of all academics to determine for ourselves the scope of our academic associations. SB 3017 would prohibit Illinois public universities from using State aid to fund an academic entity, or even fund a professor’s membership or travel to attend a meeting of an academic entity, that “has issued a public resolution or other official statement” supporting or engaging in boycott. The legislation was proposed in direct response to the decisions of the American Studies Association (ASA) , the Association of Asian American Studies (AAAS) , and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAIS) to endorse an academic boycott of Israel. The legislation would impose the views of elected officials on Illinois universities. This bill aims to punish academic advocacy in the form of a boycott on an issue of public concern because some members of the Legislature disfavor the viewpoint expressed. In doing so, it opens the door to government interference in any academic speech activities on important political issues. The legislation violates academic freedom rights as guaranteed by the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions. SB3017 proposes to impose a political litmus test by which legislators dictate to universities which boycotts by academics are appropriate. Under the U.S. Constitution, “free speech is not a right that is given only to be so circumscribed that it exists in principle but not in fact.” For this reason, the government may not withhold funding in order to suppress “dangerous ideas.” We strongly oppose legislative attempts to put a strait jacket on the manner in which faculty associations exercise their academic and professional judgment. We urge our elected representatives in the Illinois General Assembly to reject Illinois Senate Bill 3017.

OPEN LETTER TO President Barack Obama The White House Washington D.C Dear President Obama, I hope this letter of concerns find you in good health. I am doing my very best to continue supporting you. I trust you leadership, but I am very concerned about the problems Michigan residents especially those in the Black communities are experiencing ever since Mr. Rick Snyder became Governor. He has eroded and disrespected democracy in Michigan by ignoring the United States and Michigan Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We need your intervention now! We need you NOW! Many feel abandoned by you, our President. I am doing all I can to give you support and speak up for our historical president but when we don’t hear or see you speaking up against anyone, especially any top official such as a governor, who is disrespecting and attempting to, and in some cases, reverse our voting rights, that is a major problem that can’t be defended. Please speak up and against these types of actions. So many voters have opted out of the voting process. Why? Because it seems as though our votes are being railroaded and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is being ignored as displayed shortly after a majority vote on November 6, 2012 repealing PA 4 of 2011 also known as the Emergency Manager Law. The governor signed into law before January 2013, another version of the EM bill (PA 436) during lame duck session in which it was written to not be able to be repealed. This bill was already written and ready for the governor’s signature had Proposal 1 been approved and it was…with a “NO” vote. Even prior to this vote, over 300,000 signatures were easily obtained for the purpose of having this proposal placed on the November 2012 ballot and the Republican party did all it could to not have this initiative placed on the ballot by claiming that the “font” was inaccurate. That trick didn’t work so the only resolve Governor Snyder chose was to ignore the vote by signing into law, House Bill PA 436 another form of taking over and away our right to vote, be it wrong or right, on December 27, 2012. Please respond. Sincerely Yours, Cynthia A. Johnson Registered Detroit, MI voter

There has been an alarming trend on these news sites of individuals spreading hate and scurrilous lies by using the comment sections. News media sites should adopt the same standard they use in print editions in both quoting individuals rather than anonymous sources and identifying writers who pen letters to the editor. These news site are giving these cyber assasins a platform and also skewing the public debate.

CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin said the law has not caught up to technology and called it an assault on a woman's right to privacy. "I think the courts got it wrong," Hostin said. "The spirit of the law makes it clear it is about the person's privacy." Read the full article here: http://www.wesh.com/national-news/Massachusetts-court-Upskirt-photos-legal/24827980

Restricting a citizen's right to vote goes against every thing that our Democracy stands for and the reasons given for these changes are completely unjustified.

On February 3, NY State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was forced to withdraw a draconian bill that would have undermined academic freedom and free speech. His bill was designed to punish any state-funded college or university in NY that had used any of that money on activities related to groups that support boycotts of Israel. But enough pressure was put on Speaker Silver to force his withdrawal of that bill. But Speaker Silver quickly issued a revised version of his bill, titled A. 8392A. There is one difference between this and the earlier version: previously a college could have lost its entire state funding for a year if they had used any of their state funding on groups that support boycotts of Israel. In the new version, the college would only lose the amount of money actually spent on such activities. (1) This bill is opposed by the American Association of University Professors (2) and the New York affiliate of the ACLU. (3) In its legislative memo, the NYCLU noted that changing the means of punishing free speech doesn’t make the bill any less an unconstitutional attack on free speech. Regardless of how one feels about boycotting Israel, it’s the First Amendment right of academics to support or oppose such resolutions, and it’s their First Amendment right to participate in professional associations that support such resolutions. Urge New York legislators and Governor Cuomo to oppose Sheldon Silver’s attack on free speech by signing our petition. References: 1. The link to the full text is here: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A08392&term=&Summary=Y&Text=Y. 2. “AAUP Opposes Anti-Boycott Legislation,” http://www.aaup.org/news/aaup-opposes-anti-boycott-legislation 3. "Legislative Memo: In Relation to Withholding State Funds from Public Universities that Support Academic Associations that are Engaging in Boycotts," NYCLU, February 10, 2014, http://www.nyclu.org/content/relation-withholding-state-funds-public-universities-support-academic-associations-are-engag

With the state of the Internet as so we are being denied our RIGHTS to fully communicate without the PERMISSION of the Internet holders! Even our E-Mails are be Denied at will! Our voices are being Silences! Our freedom being withheld by the Owners of the Web! This practice is Going against the Ruled and Regulations of Internet Use!

Conflict minerals are often mined in brutal conditions of forced labour, debt bondage and even child slavery in the Congo. Slave-mined minerals are in many of our everyday electronic items: they generate hundreds of millions of dollars and fuel the world’s deadliest ongoing conflict. Huge progress is being made to rid our household electronics of modern slavery: Intel recently announced that all its new microprocessors will be free of conflict minerals and CEO Brian Kraznich has urged other companies to follow suit[1]. While Intel and many other electronics companies are making moves to ensure they’re no longer part of the violent cycle of conflict in the Congo, Nintendo – the world’s largest manufacturer of video game consoles – lags behind. We simply don’t know what steps the electronics giant is taking to ensure its products are free of the violence, murder and modern slavery associated with these minerals and its conflict minerals policy has been dismissed by experts as a “meaningless piece of paper”[2]. It’s time for Nintendo to stop playing games and step up its efforts to help end modern slavery. SOURCES http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25636001 http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/game-over-nintendo-bends-activists%E2%80%99-pressure-conflict-minerals

This is a discriminatory law that will not stand in appeals. Many similar laws have already fallen in appeals. The U.S. attorney general has encouraged states not to defend these laws. The governor is wasting taxpayer funds for the purpose of political grandstanding.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear—a Democrat—didn’t get the memo that it’s 2014 and the march of history is on the side of equality: Just minutes after Attorney General Jack Conway announced that he would not appeal a federal court order to recognize same-sex marriages, Beshear announced that he would hire outside counsel to appeal on the state’s behalf. Jack Conway bravely stood up for the rights of all Kentuckians, declaring that an appeal would be “defending discrimination”—and he’s right. That’s what makes Steve Beshear’s decision to appeal so outrageous. Sign the petition to Gov. Steve Beshear: Don’t defend discrimination.

Racial classifications of American Indians were reclassified as Negro and colored during colonial years, and they were denied the ability to claim their heritage by state laws that were prejudiced against Native Americans. We today, are not the descendants of Africans. We are American Indian descendants and we demand the embracement and embracing of tribal blood and heritage like every other member of federal and state recognized tribes without having to deal with prejudices and racism.

I am a victim of Stalking. The man who is stalking me knew where I lived, when I moved, and knows where I currently live. I don't feel safe in my own home. Without an Address Confidentiality Program, like 31 other states have, this man stalking me will easily be able to find me if I move again.