Christopher Columbus' acts of extreme violence, mass murder, and barbarism against the native people of the Americas can no longer be ignored or relegated to the status of a mere foot note in history. His exploits, writings, and philosophy inspired generations of conquerors who engaged in the wholesale destruction of many of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Yet we continue to tell our children that he "discovered" the Americas and we enforce this fantasy by honoring Columbus with a federal holiday. It is time for the U.S. Congress to end the disgrace of honoring this barbarian with a federal holiday and change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.

Dear Honorable Tom Vilsack, We have a tremendous crisis in this country that needs immediate attention. "Lifer" is the apt term used to describe female dogs kept in puppy mills, sentenced to an existence of continual pregnancy to produce the cash crop of puppies sold in pet shops across the country. These lifers receive little or no human interaction, compassion or companionship. They are kept in small, overcrowded cages, and are often chained together with male dogs for weeks at a time to facilitate breeding. They are forced to become pregnant and deliver litters to the exclusion of healthy, normal canine activities. Such horrors are all typical sights and conditions documented in ongoing ASPCA investigations. Dogs living in squalid, unsanitary circumstances receive less consideration than machines on an assembly line. One facility’s stacked caries forced puppies on the bottom row to be defecated and urinated on collectively by all the animals above them. Lack of adequate veterinary care was illustrated when state regulators documented a rabid 4-month-old golden retriever bred at a Pennsylvania puppy mill and sold in the western part of the state. As a result, six people have received anti-rabies treatments, including a 6-year-old boy and two veterinarians. Trendsetters Almost always, the only human concerns given puppy mill dogs are how many litters and how many dollars they can produce. So, it’s no surprise that conditions at puppy mills today are as miserable as ever. But the investigations also revealed some disturbing new trends in this cruel enterprise: An industry once centered in the Midwest and Great Plains states has now spread east to Pennsylvania and probably upstate New York. The ASPCA uncovered 70 dog breeders in one Pennsylvania county alone: Lancaster has the largest concentration of wholesale puppy breeders in the United States. Humane organizations and governmental agencies believed previously that the bulk breeding of puppies was considered by operators to be a secondary crop for side income. It is now clear that the puppy mill industry is a major money maker for everyone from the operator to the pet shop owner. According to investigations, one Pennsylvania breeder sold 1,293 puppies last year for estimated sales of $290.000. One of the biggest problems revealed is breeders relinquishing their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) licenses, thus hoping to escape the regulation of Federal inspectors. Above the law? Given authority under the Animal Welfare Act since the 1970’s to set and enforce federal standards for sanitation, nutrition, housing and general conditions for dogs wholesalers, the short-staffed corps of USDA inspectors – only 73 nationwide – has tried to regulate puppy mills. But the results have been uneven at best. Many breeders who have been cited for numerous violations stay in business; the operator who took in $290,000 last year received dozens of citations for overcrowded cages, inadequate sanitation, lack of pest control and substandard feeding and watering of his animals. And rather than correcting such problems, some of these breeders simply give up their licenses, knowing they will no longer be scrutinized by the USDA if they do. The conditions documented in investigations cry out for swift and decisive action. We need an end to this atrocity! Are you privy to the story of Libre that recently made national headlines? Here is his story http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2016/07/update-libre-the-mangy-dying-puppy-has-been-adopted/ There are many more puppies like Libre that have gone unrescued. With the euthanasia rate in this country's shelters, the killing of lovely dogs daily, there is no need for the continuation of this barbaric industry. Please hear our voices. Thank you in advance for your help in ending this tragedy.

That the Commission has decided not to have a Latino moderator for these debates out of fear that they will come under fire from Donald Trump for a perceived bias is ludicrous. By not having a moderator with that background, the Commission has said to the voting Latino community, "You don't get a voice on this stage. Your perspective is not worth considering, so you aren't allowed here." That is pure bias, and that fear has made the Commission abandon principles is appalling.

I have not be personally affected by this, but I believe our democratic process will suffer over the next weeks in advance of the campaign by the distraction of Paul Ryan and others proclaiming this and that in response to the drip, drip, drip of the emails. Enough! Let's move on to the really important matters in the upcoming campaign.

The Exeter Town Hall is a community space that benefits many, provides a broad range of arts and entertainment, and supports local artists. In addition to having an arts impact, the building is of historical significance. This building should remain available to the community while having the historical integrity protected so that it remains a community treasure. The proposed lease of the building to the Exeter Theater Company would create a number of issues, such as making the facility unavailable to the community, permitting major changes and loss of historical integrity, and straining downtown with parking demands.

A petition to show the interest for Joshua Harrison, AKA JRockets, to teach a series of lectures on how to acquire dates with women and begin romantic relationships. The lecture series will be held at the Swan House. Formal dress required. If things go well, we can see this expanding to a successful podcast as well in the near future.

Our community has had several meetings held between the LDS Church and members of the community on the proposed development of the LDS Church located on the corner of Hunters Mill Road and Crowell. Even though the community has outlined conditions to ensure that the Hunters Mill area is preserved under current zoning, our concerns have been ignored.

It's time to end our political indifference to the native tribes of Washington State, who were here long before European settlement. Naming a cross state bike trail after a Hollywood actor who made movies that glorified the death and destruction of our indigenous people is a slap in the face to our native tribes. Sacajawea is a famous explorer, and should be recognized for her efforts. Renaming the cross state bike trail after her helps correct a portion of the racial imbalance that has affected generations and generations of our indigenous tribes.

To prevent the closing of the last remaining national bank in our rural town that needs and deserves these services.

Donald Trump is trying to erase months of racist rhetoric, by changing his stance on immigration. It’s more important than ever that we stand together against the racial, religious and other intolerance that Donald Trump’s policies and rhetoric promotes. It is putting Latinos, Muslim-Americans, those with disabilities, and so many others directly at risk. If we speak with one voice now, we can stand up for those in our community most at risk from Trump’s rhetoric and policies, and defeat his brand of hate once and for all. Join us in saying: Donald Trump is Not Who We Are.

On Tuesday, August 30, 2016, dirty, Nutella-laden dishes were found in the Wellspring kitchen. Allegations against a known Nutella aficionado Marta Conner have emerged. Marta denies all involvement and has suggested she was set up. Was it Mike Edington? The Russians? We may never know, but the Children's Anti-poverty Program is intent on clearing her name. Will you sign a petition and show Marta we've got her back?

I think that all business should be treated the same here in the city of Kinston N.C