A lot has changed in the 125 years since this invention, that we call movies, caught the eyes and sensations of people all over the world, and the United States motion picture industry is at the heart of driving this art form and helping to shape how we and future generations see the world as it was, as it is, and as how it could be. It is time for them to open up their doors to a plethora of diverse stories that represent humanity in all of its numerous forms. Despite the fact that the majority of people in the world are female and/or people of color, our representation in the cinema is not being duly noted by the motion picture industry. Instead, the motion picture industry insists on representing a world where women have limited voices and people of color are mere auxiliary characters that serve no real function in driving the plot of the story towards a denouement. We have reached a point as a civilization where we need to see more representation of women and people of color in the movies that we consume. A friend of mine asked me, "What is a viable solution to this pervasive issue?" With that I said to myself, "I definitely don't think it is another petition." However, we need a chorus of voices all telling the entertainment industry that times have changed, and we need to document and represent the changes that have occurred within our society, and part of this is changing the movies that we make and the narratives we tell to include more women and people of color in focal positions. In order to do this, we need the motion picture industry to step up and commit to increasing the representation of people of color and women in their feature films by 25% over the course of the next five years. That's why I am starting this petition. We have to take some control over our culture and the images and values that it presents and others consume all over the world. No one should have to stand by and watch over and over a series of images that reinforce a perception that you are not important to the story of the world, and in fact you don't even have a place in the world that has any relevance to the big picture. This has to change, and we have to start this today, but we can't do this without the motion picture industry agreeing that the time to make a change is now. Can you sign this petition today? They need to hear our voices. We can't afford to remain quiet any longer.

We know that smoking is addictive and damaging to the health of both smoker and second-hand smokers. Having lost their stronghold in the U.S., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is working against developing countries' health measures, irresponsibly pushing U.S. money and clout against that of poorer nations, to maintain profits for American tobacco. This is wrong and must stop! http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/business/international/us-chamber-works-globally-to-fight-antismoking-measures.html

President Obama is taking strong steps to require corporations to tell us what they spend on politics. It’s a reasonable step in the right direction. Everyone is for transparency, right? Wrong. In fact, Republicans in Congress are doing whatever they can behind closed doors to keep corporate political spending in the dark. They recently slipped a provision into a financial services bill that would actually prohibit the IRS from developing rules to unmask the dark money. It was approved by the House Appropriations Committee and could make it to the floor for a final vote any day. They thought they could get away with it. They thought nobody would notice -- but we’re calling them out. Sign the Petition: tell Congress to let President Obama unmask the dark money!

Metra, the commuter rail system in northeast Illinois, needs to take a stand for workers who build the rail cars they use every day—and there’s one simple thing it can do right now. Nippon Sharyo, Metra’s rail car manufacturer, recently fired Chicago worker Jenn Svenkerud after she complained about fall hazards on the job. Jenn’s complaints should not have been ignored by Nippon Sharyo, especially since Occupational Health and Safety Administration has conducted six different investigations and slapped Nippon Sharyo with more than $34,000 in fines for 11 different safety violations, including, you guessed it, employees exposed to fall hazards. We need Metra to hold contractors accountable when they don’t put workers’ safety first. Sign the petition now to tell members of the Metra Board of Directors to demand Nippon Sharyo reinstate Jenn Svenkerud and make the safety of workers who build Metra rail cars a priority.

The Fair Elections Now Act would put "we the people" back at the center of U.S Senate elections -- and greatly reduce the influence of big special interests -- by allowing candidates to wage successful campaigns without large donors. The Fair Elections Now Act provides candidates with funds to replace campaign fundraising that largely relies on large donors and special interests. Participating candidates are then to limit their additional campaign spending to the amounts raised from small dollar donors. Candidates qualify by raising a set number of small donations from in-state donors, and agreeing not to accept more than $150 from any one donor. During the campaign, small donations are matched and amplified by public funds. All Americans would receive a $25 tax credit they can give to their candidate, so EVERYBODY can donate. Right now, the Fair Elections Now Act (S.2023, Dick Durbin, D-Illinois) has 21 Senate co-sponsors. To help it succeed, it needs more support. Barbara Boxer is already a co-sponsor of this important bill, but Dianne Feinstein hasn’t signed on yet. Please ask Feinstein to stand with the voters – instead of wealthy donors and special interests – by co-sponsoring the bill.

The right-wing Mackinac Center for Public Policy has been spreading corporate propaganda by spamming thousands of Michigan teachers at their work email addresses. Tell the Mackinac Center to stop hijacking our schools’ communications systems in order to advance their pro-corporate agenda.

Donald Trump is running for President and immediately exposed himself as a hateful, anti-immigrant buffoon with his inappropriate remarks about Mexican-Americans. Many companies that have done business with Trump in the past—Macy’s, NBC and Univision—have severed ties with him as a result. But others have not. Trump’s bigotry has no place in our political discourse, and companies that continue to do business with him are only enabling him. Sign the petition to all companies who do business with Donald Trump: Fire him!

Our politicians need to legislate for the average American, not just their corporate interests. Sen. Sanders is championing the cause of the middle class and needs our support.

Univision dumped Donald Trump and his Miss USA Pageant after he announced his plans to run for president in part to stop Mexicans who "have lots of problems" and are "bringing those problems to us." "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists," CNN reports. Now Trump announces that Albuquerque-based Reelz Channel will partner with Trump to carry his Miss USA pageant, even though Trump has doubled down on his remarks.

On Thursday July 2nd the BP settlement was finalized requiring BP Oil Company to pay $18.7 billion in damages as a result of gross negligence in the Deepwater Horizon disaster, but there are indications that only $5.5 billion of that settlement will be non-tax deductible. BP has already paid about $42 billion to address the Deepwater Horizon disaster since oil first started spilling in 2010. About 80% of those payments have qualified for tax deductions, effectively shifting the cost of BP’s “gross negligence” onto taxpayers. These write offs send the wrong message. They diminish the value of settlements as a deterrent to future misbehavior. They are also costly for the public because taxpayers must make up for the lost revenue through cuts to public programs, higher tax rates, or more federal debt. It's time to demand an end to holding tax-payers accountable for corporate misconduct: no more write-offs for corporate wrong doing.

Univision dumped Donald Trump and his Miss USA Pageant after he announced his plans to run for president in part to stop Mexicans who "have lots of problems" and are "bringing those problems to us." "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists," CNN reports. Now Trump announces that Albuquerque-based Reelz Channel will partner with Trump to carry his Miss USA pageant, even though Trump has doubled down on his remarks.

He must be held accountable for his discriminatory statements made against the Mexican community.