The United States Supreme Court has announced their decision in Shelby County v Holder, a critical case in the fight for voting rights. At issue in the case was the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act (Section 5) which requires states with a history of discrimination to get approval from the federal government before enacting new voting laws. The court in its decision did not directly address Section 5, the preclearance provision, but instead strikes down Section 4, the coverage formula, thereby placing the responsibility on Congress to create a new formula. This means the country will be effectively without the preclearance provision until they do. This is a devastating blow for voting rights. Within hours, the Texas Attorney General announced that the discriminatory photo voter id law was effective immediately. Congress must act immediately to develop a new coverage formula and protect the right to vote! More info at http://www.empowerthevotetx.org/Shelby_County_v_Holder.html Also, like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerTheVoteTexas - and follow us on Twitter - @EmpowerTheVote

The far right is attacking the voting freedom of Black people, women, young people and other people of color. It is clear that far-right politicians are trying to keep the rising American majority of young people, women and people of color away from the polls.

The Supreme Court just struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act -- invalidating a key achievement of the Civil Rights Movement, that protected voting rights for people of color in areas with long histories of voting discrimination. The right to vote is the foundation on which our democracy was built -- yet our Constitution does not guarantee that right for all eligible citizens. In the court decision, Chief Justice John Roberts said that “things have changed dramatically” since 1965. Yet with increasing Republican attempts to limit voting rights through voter ID and other measures, it’s hard to see what’s so changed. Tell Congress to strengthen our democracy and pass a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote.

On June 20, 2013, a group of women went to Rep. Issa's district office in Vista, California for a scheduled meeting with the district director. Three of the women were from Mexico (two mothers - one of whom studied law in Mexico and the other pursuing her Bachelor of Arts now - and one youth attending college), and the other three were American ladies from the faith community. At the beginning of the meeting, the district director interrupted and said that if anyone was "illegal," they would all have to leave the office, because it is the office's duty "to uphold the law." After trying to reason with the staff member, the group of women left the office, feeling very afraid. Elected leaders in our country should not use their power to bully and intimidate constituents, and the color of a person's skin should never make them targets for such discriminatory behavior. Democracy is not built on fear and hate, and Rep. Issa's office should be reminded of this.

SCOTUS dismantled the Voting Rights Act today, vacating nearly 50 years of civil rights advancement. And this comes hard on the heels of the shocking attempts at voter suppression attempted for the 2012 election, which were only stopped because of the VRA.

After striking down Section IV of the Voting Rights Act, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, "...any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions." The duty of preventing discrimination in voting now falls to Congress, and our state doesn't have time to wait. Virginia's Congressmen must fix the VRA coverage formula immediately to protect the voting rights of all Virginians.

After striking down Section IV of the Voting Rights Act, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, "...any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions." The duty of preventing discrimination in voting now falls to Congress, and our state doesn't have time to wait. Georgia's Congressmen must fix the VRA coverage formula immediately to protect the voting rights of all Georgians.

Dear Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menio, Superintendent Carol Johnson and Mr. John McDonough, I recently read that the City of Boston and the Boston School Department has partnered with Verizon in an Anti-Bullying Partnership. • http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/verizon-foundation-partners-with-boston-public-schools-to-ensure-students-stay-safe-online-100990779.html In 2004 when I decided to make a stand against inappropriate mistreatment to Verizon employees in general, the punishment and targeting began to evolve. One form of retaliation and punishment was that I had to sit in the back of the room in a corner, as I was not allowed to choose where I sat while attending some Directors Meetings at Verizon. I had to listen to Verizon management tell me that because I’m black, I will never be an equal. I had to sit there and listen to Verizon management state that blacks were stupid and less deserving, and that our positions were only granted to us because of Affirmative Action. I had to sit and listen to why female black lesbians were hired and promoted as well as listen to the type of foods black people like to eat. I was advised by an upper level minority manager prior to making complaints to the Verizon’s EEO and Verizon’s Security Officer’s; that if I decided to report these acts of racial harassment, racial torment, racial jokes and bullying, I would be blackballed, retaliated against and it was career sabotage my career would be over. Mr. Lopez also stated this to two other minority managers within Verizon of these as well; when they came to him for advice because of the racial harassment they endured while working at Verizon as well. Verizon put the fear of GOD into these two female black managers within Verizon that if they reported racial harassment or discriminative act, they would never advance and be blackballed, and used me as an example of my demise caused by them. I would like to bring to your attention about the company that responded to a Federal and State Agency when asked about a manager that was bulling a minority manager. Verizon responded: The investigation yield that Benvie had a reputation of being a BULLY and an equal opportunity offender. Race was not an issue with Benvie’s condescending and obnoxious behavior and inappropriate comments to almost everyone that he had contact with. McGovern had substantiated complaints from Caucasian technicians concerning Benvie’s offensive management style. Best simply had a foul mouth and did not differentiate between anyone with the manner in which she spoke. A female technician in Massachusetts made complaints to Verizon as well about a male manager touching her inappropriately, Verizon responded to her by saying: “He only touched you once.” Verizon responded in a federal deposition in 2011 that they received over 104,000 complaints into the EEOC a year. More than ½ of their employees are having issues of their unethical abuse and bullying tactics, and they are ignored. We the employees of Verizon and others against workplace bullying are asking you to please break your ties. This is the company you’re really in a partnership with. I request that you choose your partnerships with companies that actually have ETHICS. Read the employees respond in these petitions: • Verizon – Enough is Enough / Petition: http://signon.org/sign/bullying-at-verizon-enough?source=c.em.cp&r_by=4096164 • Enough is Enough - Stop Workplace Bullying / National Petition: http://signon.org/sign/enough-is-enough-stop-1?source=c.url&r_by=4521742 “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke Neal W. Dias 774-991-3663 [email protected] [email protected] My Blog Page: Blog Address (GOOGLE): Bullying at Verizon – Enough is Enough Facebook: • Justice at Verizon • Enough is Enough – Stop Workplace Bullying President Obama – Workplace Bullying Meeting http://justicefor7.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/the-president-of-the-united-states-bullying/ My Story: http://justiceatverizon.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/bullying-at-verizon/ Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination: http://justiceatverizon.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/unjustice-at-verizon-and-the-massachusetts-commission-against-discrimination/ Verizon - Federal Violation and Criminal Investigation http://justiceatverizon.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/civil-rights-act-of-1964-verizon/ My Speeches: Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in Boston Massachusetts July 7, 2012 (Video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85HKgP-dfyI Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in New York April 30, 2012 (Video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6pPe2gqGRI&feature=share Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit in Hartford Connecticut at the Legislators Building, August 9, 2012 **(Neal W. Dias – fast forward to 02:41:56 – 02:56:09)** http://ct-n.com/ondemand.asp?ID=8061 National Workplace Bullying Press Conference in Washington DC October 15th 2012 http://youtu.be/bid5DK97rq8 http://www.workplacebullying.org/2012/10/21/npc-dias/ Huffington Post Article: Title: Verizon: Plenty Of Good Middle Class Jobs But Would You Want To Work There? http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/14/verizon-plenty-of-good-middle-class-jobs-but-would-you-want-to/

We too are Human Beings Created by THE MOST HIGH and Citizens of The United States of America, and we have been left out of your agendas. We are not the middle class that you speak about all of the time. Our living areas are run down and blighted and our income levels are mostly below the poverty line. We demand an Executive Order to provide block grants for free college education for all people in poverty and for all of the descendants of chattel slavery in our cities and other areas. In addition each family member of descendants of chattel slavery should receive a cash award of $50,000 per person. And be allowed to relocate to any area in the world with their money. We demand your full support of HR 40, sponsored by Congressman John Conyers Jr. of Michigan. Finally a set aside fund for business development and housing repair for all residents living in poverty in the inner cities of America. Deadline December 1, 2013.

On May 16, 2013, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb went on a rant regarding those who do not "look" disabled and use accommodations in airports. What started as a comment on the recent phenomenon of "renting" a disabled person to use his or her disabled pass at Disneyland, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee took their comments to the extreme.

This is to make all residents of Florida aware that in a custody case children have no voice. There best interests are not taken into consideration. We can change this by demanding that all children have legal representation through the Guardian Ad Litem Foundation. Every other state has law Guardian's for children involved in a custody case.

I've watched the North Carolina General Assembly create districts designed to protect incumbents or the party in power, not the people. We need a change.