It’s time the Democratic Party commits to doing away with the jobs-killing TPP, TTIP, TiSA, and other free trade deals in the Democratic National Committee platform. Also, commit to revisiting past free trade deals like NAFTA, to overturn the Investor State Dispute Settlement system that gives corporations power over sovereign decisions to protect people and the environment. It’s important that the Democratic Party stand up for the people, the environment, climate, affordable medicines, open internet, and end currency manipulation that kills jobs. Free trade is killing jobs, wages, the environment, driving climate change, and destroying our economy. To remain viable, the Democratic Party must commit to kill the TPP, TTIP, TiSA, and other free trade deals in the Party platform. We need trade that is sustainable for people and protects the environment with enforceable protections. The Democratic Party must lead in this crucial campaign, and demand a race to the top instead of the current race to the bottom model.

The differences in crime rates between the US and other developed nations have exponentially more to do with liberal social policies that create a more functional society, and thus more functional citizens with less need for violence and self harm, than they do with the alleged benefits of restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms. Single payer mental and physical healthcare, economic justice, an end to the Drug War: a progressive society reduces violence and self harm, as it results in a less dysfunctional less violent society. And these reforms, not being tied to the rights hot button issue, have an actual chance of passing into law, by sidestepping their strongest point of resistance. We must reject both extremist positions of deregulation on the one hand and prohibition on the other, and adhere to the full intent of the Second Amendment: a well regulated citizens militia. Let's examine just one of these measures: Half of all US violence, including and particularly 'gun violence' is perpetrated by gangs and cartels according to the FBI. http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment The primary reason for existence of gangs and cartels is exploiting the $400 billion /year US drugs black market. Other activities are secondary/opportunistic. To put out a fire, you remove fuel and/or oxygen. Legalize, regulate, tax, educate. Continue to interdict foreign shipments and crack down on gangs. Their money dries up, they can't attract new members or support their operations. Use proceeds from taxes on same and former drug war spending to implement single payer healthcare with addiction treatment on demand. No more wasting Billions per year - one Trillion so far - creating a black market for psychopaths to exploit. No more wasting billions per year ruining the lives of people that have harmed no one. No more wasting billions per year militarizing our police forces, eroding our own rights, and creating for profit prisons. No more overwhelmingly disproportionate victimization of minorities. No more incarcerating casual users and small time dealers with hardened criminals in gang run prisons, creating criminal universities in every state and hardened criminals where there were none. This alone would yield vast savings and improve countless lives. Let's move to another: TWO THIRDS (21,175) of the 32,000 ‘gun deaths’ per year commonly cited in this conversation are suicides. Not violence. Suicides. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm Let that sink in. These people need help, not paternalistic rhetoric. And that means social services. Remember those? We liberals are supposed to be really good at those. When did that change? When we started barking up the wrong tree. When effort that should be concentrated on expanding the services that will help these people started instead being focused on pointless restrictions that will prevent nothing. If you agree that murder is a public health crisis then you have to accept the notion that the remedy is medical. Therefore, abandon the farce that is gun control and concentrate on fixing the mess that is the mental and physical health care system in this country.

People who have bipolar disorder, PTSD, or seizures like I do need to have marijuana legalized.

The American Public Deserve the Truth

Jordan, the incumbent since 2007 has never passed a single piece of legislation. He is a well funded, Koch financed, pro Citizens United Congressman. Democracy itself is at stake when an incumbent can be virtually guaranteed perpetual reelection, regardless of no legislative success, due to ties to big business, Wall Street and lobbyists and the ability therefore to raise unlimited donations.

My mother has been a missing person from 1993 forward and she is still not found....there was no technology TO HELP THEN......there is now, lets utilize it, and help all the missing persons...we NEED AN ALERT SYSTEM FOR ADULTS ALSO.

At a major religious-right conference, Republican Senator David Perdue implied that Christians should pray for President Obama to die. "We need to be very specific about how we pray" for President Obama, Perdue said. "We should pray like Psalms 109:8 says: 'Let his days be few, and let another have his office.'" The very next verse of Psalm 109 is: "Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow." For years, this passage of scripture has circulated among religious-right extremists who advocate "imprecatory prayer" - asking God to kill President Obama. Senator Perdue's staff is now backpedaling, claiming that isn't what he meant, but so far he's refusing to apologize for his hateful misuse of the Bible.

Donald Trump has said that Judge Gonzalo Curiel can't fairly consider the fraud case against Trump University because of his Mexican heritage. This outrageous criticism was aimed at Judge Curiel, an Indiana-born, highly esteemed judge who was initially appointed by a Republican governor. And Trump followed up by saying that Muslim judges would also not be suitable to consider a case brought against Trump. This is the definition of racism. And while Republican leaders like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell have expressed their concern, they are still standing by their endorsement of the presumptive Republican nominee. This week, another Republican Senate candidate, Mark Kirk from Illinois, publicly renounced his support of Donald Trump over these latest racist comments. You can't have it both ways. If you consider Trump's views racist, declare that he's unfit for the presidency—and revoke your endorsement of him, declaring you will not support him in November. If you don't, then you are standing on the side of racism.

Donald Trump has said that Judge Gonzalo Curiel can't fairly consider the fraud case against Trump University because of his Mexican heritage. This outrageous criticism was aimed at Judge Curiel, an Indiana-born, highly esteemed judge who was initially appointed by a Republican governor. And Trump followed up by saying that Muslim judges would also not be suitable to consider a case brought against Trump. This is the definition of racism. And while Republican leaders like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell have expressed their concern, they are still standing by their endorsement of the presumptive Republican nominee. This week, another Republican Senate candidate, Mark Kirk from Illinois, publicly renounced his support of Donald Trump over these latest racist comments. You can't have it both ways. If you consider Trump's views racist, declare that he's unfit for the presidency—and revoke your endorsement of him, declaring you will not support him in November. If you don't, then you are standing on the side of racism.

Donald Trump has said that Judge Gonzalo Curiel can't fairly consider the fraud case against Trump University because of his Mexican heritage. This outrageous criticism was aimed at Judge Curiel, an Indiana-born, highly esteemed judge who was initially appointed by a Republican governor. And Trump followed up by saying that Muslim judges would also not be suitable to consider a case brought against Trump. This is the definition of racism. And while Republican leaders like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell have expressed their concern, they are still standing by their endorsement of the presumptive Republican nominee. This week, another Republican Senate candidate, Mark Kirk from Illinois, publicly renounced his support of Donald Trump over these latest racist comments. You can't have it both ways. If you consider Trump's views racist, declare that he's unfit for the presidency—and revoke your endorsement of him, declaring you will not support him in November. If you don't, then you are standing on the side of racism.

Proyecto Jardin is a garden in Boyle Heights that has been sustained and managed by community members for over 15 years. At the garden we maintain over 60 fruit trees, grow fresh organic produce, host fitness classes, nutrition classes, and workshops on medicinal herbs. In addition to harvesting food, we cultivate healing relationships among the residents in our community.

The recently-signed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was negotiated behind closed doors with hundreds of corporate advisors. It would make it easier to offshore good jobs, push down our wages, and undermine essential climate policies, affordable medicines, safe food, human rights & an open Internet. The proposed TPP trade agreement should never pass, and especially not be voted on during the “lame duck” session of Congress after the election — that unique moment in the political calendar when Representatives who have retired or been voted out of office still hold their seats for a short time and political accountability to constituents is at its lowest. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and countless other progressive leaders have announced opposition to a lame duck vote on the TPP. But House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has refused to take a position. Her public position will have enormous influence on how other House Democrats vote.