Currently, the only holidays acknowledged and allowed leave for by the Federal Government are Christian holidays. If days off from school and work can be given to Christians, then the same should be extended to other religions as well, such as Islam and Judaism. For Islam, major holidays include Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, and Eid al Adha and Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Hanakkuh. People of at least all major religions should be given built-in time off on the calendar for special holidays to spend with their families just as Christians are able to. Therefore, businesses that offer extended vacation time for Christian holidays should offer the same amount of vacation time for the holidays of Islam, Judaism, and other major religions. Acknowledging diversity is ethically important and necessary for everyone to have equal opportunities and freedoms to spend as they wish. This should be observed, not just during the December holiday season, but year-round.

It is time for a national day commemorating the accomplishments of Rosa Parks in the United States of America. Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott on December 1, 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on the bus. Rosa Parks embodies the values of non-violent, peaceful protest and individualism that are synonymous with what it means to be a leader in the United States of America. It is time to celebrate this great American's service to her country with a national day of commemoration on the 60th anniversary of her refusing to give up her seat on that bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

We knew the big banks would play dirty when officials in Richmond, CA announced a game-changing plan to stop the wave of foreclosures decimating their city. But we didn’t know they would stoop this low. The banks want to bully Richmond out of our plan to seize or buy underwater homes by threatening to make it more expensive for people to borrow money to buy homes if our plan passes. They know that if Richmond successfully implements their plan, other cities will follow -- and that would threaten the banks’ power. Thing is, there’s another name for this kind of bullying: redlining. It’s a tactic that was used for decades to maintain neighborhood segregation and keep people of color out of home ownership -- and it’s completely illegal. By threatening us, the banks are betting that our plan will lose political support not only in Richmond, but nationwide. That’s why we must hold them accountable for threatening illegal action right now. Sign the petition calling on the U. S. Department of Justice to investigate the banking industry’s threats. Decades of redlining kept qualified borrowers in working class communities and communities of color from having the opportunity to own a home. Then came reverse redlining, otherwise known as predatory lending: the banks peddled high-cost bad loans to unsuspecting borrowers. The result? More than 4 million Americans have lost their homes and decades of hard-earned wealth -- mostly in black and brown neighborhoods -- has been wiped away. Cities across the U.S., with Richmond leading the way, are developing a smart strategy to save homes from the bank-caused foreclosure calamity by acquiring troubled loans through purchase or use of eminent domain. This plan would effectively rewrite the rules of the game -- levelling the playing field so that homeowners have a fighting chance to keep their homes. The plan we have to save homes is fair, sensible and has the potential to help tens of thousands of families across the U.S. It’s a win-win solution that reduces foreclosures and blight, helping to stabilize home values and improve property tax revenue for our cities. The big banks and their allies are doing everything they can to intimidate Richmond out of pursuing this plan -- like any bully, they want to keep the game tilted in their favor. They’ve threatened the city with lawsuits, they’ve spread lies about the impact of the program. But their latest tactic -- threatening to make credit more expensive for homebuyers in any city that passes a similar plan -- is way over the line. Don’t let the bullies of Wall Street derail a program that will help communities across America recover. Please sign this petition calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Wall Street’s plans to discriminate against cities that use the laws at their disposal to fix bad loans and save homes.

Some of my relatives are unable to legally marry within their state because of their state's laws regarding marriage. We would like to propose an amendment to the Constitution that gives the federal government power to allow legalization of same-sex marriages in every state. We believe that some Americans are being denied a basic human right of legal acknowledgement of marriage due to their sexual orientation.

Upon joining the military I signed a "waiver of service" and a "general power of attorney" so that I may get divorced from an abusive, drug addict. And allowed his step-mother to stand in court for me. With these two signed documents she not only got my divorce, but she took custody of my children without my knowing or permission. Since then I have been unable to take custody of my children due to rapid deployments, I am now a year from getting out and have sustained injuries that prevent me from ever deploying, I am now in a position to have them with me. She is unwilling to give my children back to me. Please allow me the right to be a mother.

My parents don't get to see my niece and its not right. They are the best grandparents any child could have and the only thing they want is to be apart of her life. Their are also other grandparents who help raise their grandchildren and without warning they can be taken out of their lives. It's not fare or right when all they want to do is love them and be there for them. A child can never have to many loving parents even grandparents.

The children will suffer so much without Cile Precetaj's presence. Let's not create broken homes unnecessarily. Allow and aid her to go through the proper channels on the road to citizenship.

I am an 8 and a half year old girl and I don't think that Russia should have the privilege to host the 2014 Olympics because of their anti-homosexual law. We need to take a stand because we need to show Russia what they're doing is wrong.

Every year a large number of Ethiopians migrate to Saudi Arabia for domestic work through a visa system called Kafala. In this system the visa is obtained through the employer. The migrants are not allowed to change employer or move around without the permission of the employer. Because of the inherent flaw of the system many are abused specially women. The abuse surfaced in recent days as the government of Saudi Arabia implemented a new law that required migrants either to leave the country or upgrade their immigration status. Essentially the new law automatically made those who came through the Kafala system illegal. It is impossible for a detainee to prove that he or she is in the country legally because most people come to Saudi Arabia under contract with an employer, the employers take away their passports until they complete a contract. Since the beginning of November thousands of Ethiopians are now in detention centers, so far over 90000 people have been deported. Still thousands more are rounded and hunted by security forces and vigilantes and being prepared for deportation. The detention centers are spread throughout Saudi Arabia and a large number of detainees are being damped on the Yemen side of the border. Because of deliberate media campaigns, there is a huge report of abuse, torture and rape. I demand justice on behalf of my fellow Ethiopians. With the help of world leaders this modern day slavery will stop. I am appealing to you to consult the Saudi Government to restrain its brutal treatment of Ethiopians, and help to return the Ethiopians to their people. The situation is desperate. The violence against Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia has now approaching the scale of genocide. People are being killed and tortured everywhere and young people are commuting suicide. In a detention center there are several prisons. Each 300-person prison is packed with 500 people. Some prisoners report that the place is cold and they are hungry. Children are being born, many pregnant women are having miscarriages. It is impossible for any decent human being to be on the sidelines and to watch this happen. We have every imaginable document to prove this suffering. It is difficult to share images of horror. Please help 1) Communicate our concerns with Saudi authorities, community leaders and also request hearings in countries where rule of law and human rights are respected. 2) Demand the safe return of all Ethiopians in the detention centers 4) Demand the return of Ethiopians sentenced to jail terms to be handed over to Ethiopian to finish their sentences in Ethiopia 3) Demand the safe return of all Ethiopians in detention centers. Finally I believe that the situation of Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia is getting worse by the day. This is silent human tragedy deliberately fanned by hatred and religious fanaticism. It is extremely dangerous and it parallels the Nazi brutal treatment of Jews. It is my wish that the United States Government pays attention to this matter. Sincerely

For years, the government has prohibited cell phone use on planes for fear of interference with essential communications. But with technological improvements, that is no longer a concern. So, the Federal Communications Commission may lift the 22-year-old ban on cell phone use during flights. If being stuck in a metal tube miles above the earth amid the cacophony of other passengers’ phone calls sounds dreadful to you, sign the petition right now. Using cell phones in-flight for texting, email and the Internet is fine. But phone calls should wait until the plane has landed. Let’s mobilize for a little peace and quiet: Tell the Federal Communications Commission to continue prohibiting cell phone calls on airplanes.

I don't like that we are being forced to enter our personal information into a facial recognition database in order to get a driver's license. There should be a right to opt out. I would like to see how many people are against this dangerous violation of privacy. Is your state putting your face into a facial recognition database? 37 states now use their facial recognition in their DMV database. 26 of those allow law enforcement access to the DMV database. See this site to see if your state is one of those that has facial recognition (if your state is not on the list, remember: You're next): http://www.lossofprivacy.com/index.php/tag/facial-recognition/

We, the people of Hawai'i, have followed the events of the State Legislature's Special Session Marriage Equality this fall with deep interest. This petition addresses acts of discrimination and hate perpetrated during the session, notably including the testimony given by Honolulu Police Officer Tenari Ma'afala on Nov. 5, 2013 and other acts of verbal and physical hostility against supporters of Marriage Equality. Officer Ma'afala is a public figure, as the union president of SHOPO (State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers) and a pastor of New Hope Church. Here is his testimony on Youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaAkQZ5DnZ0 We, the supporters of Marriage Equality, witnessed Officer Ma'afala's testimony, in which he stated his opposition to LGBTQ rights was so strong that he would become a "lawbreaker" with the passage of SB1 (the Marriage Equality bill, which has since been signed into law and took effect Dec. 2, 2013). We also witnessed incidents by opponents and their children during the hearings that were dangerous and filled with hate, including physical confrontations and verbal assaults. Will those incidents continue and escalate? If so, can the community have confidence that the Honolulu Police Department will adminster justice fairly and compassionately? We, the people, demand that Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the Honolulu Police Commission REQUIRE DIVERSITY TRAINING for all police officers. WHY are we demanding Diversity Training? Members of the LGBTQ community and their allies, following the reprehensible behavior of some opposition members and the provocative testimony of Officer Ma'afala, feel strongly that their personal safety is endangered and could be left unprotected by those whose job it is to protect. As president of SHOPO, officer Ma'afala, through his presence at the Special Session and angry words in support of discrimination, may have signaled that other Honolulu police officers should also be "lawbreakers" and turn a blind eye toward crimes committed against LGBTQ community members and supporters of equality. We would like to believe the lofty Mission Statement of the Honolulu Police Department (http://honolulupd.org/department/) quoted below will be respected and upheld. Diversity Training will help to ensure that it is. MISSION STATEMENT We, the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department, are dedicated to providing excellent service through partnerships that build trust, reduce crime, create a safe environment, and enhance the quality of life in our community. We are committed to these principles: INTEGRITY We have integrity. We adhere to the highest moral and ethical standards. We are honest and sincere in dealing with each other and the community. We have the courage to uphold these principles and are proud that they guide us in all we do. RESPECT We show respect. We recognize the value of our unique cultural diversity and treat all people with kindness, tolerance, and dignity. We cherish and protect the rights, liberties, and freedoms of all as granted by the constitutions and laws of the United States and the State of Hawaii. FAIRNESS We act with fairness. Objective, impartial decisions and policies are the foundation of our interactions. We are consistent in our treatment of all persons. Our actions are tempered with reason and equity. ...in the spirit of aloha.