Zoo official have failed to expand the elephants' living area with the money they received from a 2008 bond issue. What have they done with the bond money designated for this purpose? Elephant exhibits and breeding programs are profit driven exploitation and it is time overdue for the Oregon Zoo to close its exhibit and retire the elephants to a sanctuary. With strong evidence from scientists, animal behavior experts and responsible animal rights organizations, it is no longer debatable whether captivity contributes to serious physical and emotional problems for elephants. IT DOES.

I am appalled by this inhumane practice.

I want the State of Florida to recognize that the early Florida was developed by Southerners. The state would not be the Great State of Florida it is today without the Southern people and their heritage.

On January 17, 2014 a former student of mine took her own life. Madison Holleran was a freshman at U Penn, and she was also an extremely talented runner on U Penn's track team. Her suicide left a void in the hearts of so many people across the United States. This law would allow us to keep Madison's legacy alive, and help other young adults from choosing suicide as a way of escaping the pressures of college expectations.

In a recent speech, Pope Francis suggested he wants bishops who are "close to the people ... animated by inner poverty, the freedom of the Lord and also by outward simplicity and austerity of life." Meanwhile, the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey has decided that his existing weekend residence -- a 4,500-square-foot house with five bedrooms and an outdoor pool -- isn't big enough for his retirement. The archdiocese is spending at least $500,000 on a 3,000-square-foot addition, including an additional indoor pool, hot tub, three fireplaces, and a second elevator. Archbishop John J. Myers has had a controversial career -- he allowed priests accused of sexual abuse to continue working and he once issued a pastoral letter demanding that supporters of marriage equality refrain from receiving communion. Many New Jersey Catholics say this is the last straw, and they'll stop contributing to the archdiocese fundraising appeals unless Archbishop Myers drops his plans for a huge retirement mansion.

Cub Scouts Pack 459, of Lee, NH, is an active member of the community and has been for many years. On February 21, 2014, the day after a pack meeting held at the Safety Complex, the leader of Pack 459 was informed that the cub scouts would no longer be able to use the facility for its monthly meetings. These were the reasons: 3 issues were brought up. 1. Safety 2. Noise, and 3. Not leaving the facility clean. What is particularly frustrating is that at no time prior to the town’s decision were the scouts made aware of these issues surrounding their use of the complex, and therefore, no opportunity for a course correction was given. In response to the 3 issues: 1. The group was unaware of safety issues, and the boys are supervised at all times, 2. The scout meetings are held in the evenings after business hours, and were unaware of disturbing others in the building. They are children participating in group activities, which lend to some amount of noise. Never were they informed that their noise was too much, nor were they asked to lower their volume levels, and 3. Each time the scouts used the facility it has ALWAYS been cleaned and straightened and returned to its original order, or better. During an appeal by the Scouts Pack Leader, an offer of community service as reciprocation for use of the complex was made at the Town meeting which would have been great learning experience and lesson for the Pack, but that option was rejected by the Chairman and Town Administrator. Scouting teaches these boys about good citizenship, responsibility and that being a good citizen means listening to and being engaged with your community members. These scouts participate in Town parades and activities and events, community food basket drives, clean up days, and so much more. These trainings in giving back will follow them through their boy scouts careers and adult lives to become valuable, useful, ad positive members of this wonderful community, and to the larger world community. The town officials have denied them the ability to be engaged and the opportunity to listen. Now that they have been made aware, they want to be given the chance to redeem themselves and right the wrongs the officials have claimed to have been made. But the Town Administrator and Chairman of the Board have refused to give the boys that learning opportunity. This ban of the scouts and the use of our community's public facility by the town administrators of Lee is sending a message to our scouts and all of the children who live here that they are not welcome participants of the community. As voting members of the Town of Lee, tell Julie Glover, the Town Administrator, and John LaCourse, the Chairman of the Board, and the Board of Selectmen to remove the ban and show their support for the future leaders of our town.

A select group of graduate students enrolled at the University of South Carolina College of Social Work started this petition for the purpose of promoting social advocacy on behalf of the citizens of this state.

General Aviation in this country is and has been on the decline. there are many reasons, high cost of fuel, insurance and the medical requirements among others, we need to correct this trend, this bill could be the first step. This decline has affected all states that have GA aircraft based with lost jobs and revenue .

We wanted to bring to your attention that animals are not treated well in captivity. Sea World is one example of a place that does not meet the needs for their sea life. With orcas SeaWorld encloses their orcas in a small amount of space and does not let the animals maintain their natural instincts. In order for orcas in captivity to meet their needs of swimming 100 miles a day, they will need to swim the circumference of their tanks 1,900 times. We just want to spread the news about how animals and sea life are treated in captivity.

Free ranging cats and dogs kill more wildlife than our very fragile bobcat population ever could, yet we would consider it monstrous to open a hunting season on cats and dogs. The few bobcats we have are a valuable part of our ecosystem, feeding mostly on rodents, rabbits and squirrels and causing no harm to citizenry or hunting. Just because we "can" kill an animal, doesn't mean we should. Please help me try to protect bobcats in Illinois by signing this petition.

FreeRealms has affected the lives of many kids(and teens) in the 5 years it's been running. Being one of the few original players that has stuck around to watch it change and grow, this hits me pretty hard. Myself and quite a few of my friends wish to see FreeRealms be around for the next generation to bring them the happiness and comfort it brought us.

Because puppy mills are in every way animal cruelty!!