On September 26, 2019, six officers from the Hyattsville police department (along with one officer from Mt. Rainier and three from Prince George’s County) participated in the killing of Leonard Shand. During a town hall meeting held on October 1, 2019, at the University Christian Church, Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, Chief of Police Amal Awad, and City Administrator Tracy Douglas spoke to the community and reported that all the officers involved would be placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of a homicide and administrative investigation. On April 13, 2020, Chief Awad reinstated the six Hyattsville officers were reinstated to full duty by Chief Awad without benefit of the homicide and administrative investigation being completed. City Administrator Douglas responded to community concerns about reinstating these officers without benefit of the investigation by stating, "City officials reviewed the events surrounding Shand’s death and found no violations of internal policies…[p]reliminarily, the city police command staff conducted an executive review of the unfortunate death of Mr. Shand and determined that the actions were consistent with departmental policy.” A police department investigating itself is NOT ACCEPTABLE! Any policies that justify the firing squad-style killing of a mentally ill man who was forced to run toward the shooters are NOT ACCEPTABLE! According to the ACLU of Maryland "officers used a flashbang grenade, which inevitably led to the killing of 49-year-old Leonard Shand, according to @PGPDNews. Running away from an exploding flashbang grenade is a natural and inevitable response. The police created a dangerous situation, causing an armed man to run towards them, and then used the inevitable result of their actions as the justification to shoot him. The PGPD Twitter account released photos of bloody knives that the victim was alleged to have been carrying, yet, the the footage released, didi not show anyone to be stabbed. The police left 40+ bullet holes not only left in the victim’s body but in nearby buildings that could have easily hit any other passerby.

By reporting this stuff you are also repeating it and spreading it. This is causing mass confusion and cynicism. Some people no longer believe anything they’re told, The Lie having become such a common tool of the Republicans.

In 1994, 2 Black Men Lamarr Davis, 21 years of age and Arthur Davis Jr., 25 years of age, were charged with aggravated robbery. No one was shot, stabbed, or killed during this robbery which took place at Prattsville One Stop store in Grant County outside of Sheridan Arkansas (a very well known racist area). Both of these brothers were given a sentence of life in prison without parole. The robbery was a first offense for Lamarr Davis. They received excessive sentencing, a direct violation of their eighth amendment.The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution states: 'Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. ' The amendment is meant to safeguard Americans against excessive punishments. The Davis brothers were sentenced to life and have served 26 years to date. They have been left to spend the remaining days of their lives in prison and their crime does not fit with the time they received. We must act NOW to end this racially charged excessive sentencing. We are demanding justice for the Davis brothers. They have given up so much of their lives to the prison system and Enough is Enough. We Must seek just for this injustice NOW! Sign the petition demanding Governor Asa Hutchinson immediately grant time cut/clemency for the Davis brothers.

To hear "I can't breath" 11-12 times while bystanders beg the officer to get off George Floyd's neck because he is killing him is life changing. This officer did not remove his full body weight from George Floyd's neck while he too begged and pleaded for his life. George Floyd's exact words to the officer were, "You're killing me." The officer remained on George Floyd's neck for 5-8 minutes with his hand in his pocket supporting the fact that George Floyd was no threat to these officers; therefore, the continued restraint with his full body weight to George Floyd's neck is criminal. A blatant violation of the city's police policy deems the officers' acts criminal. No human being can withstand a trauma of this magnitude. It depicts the lowest level of inhumanity. This egregious act violated George Floyd's civil rights; sentencing him to death without evidence that the 'misdemeanor' crime being charged was factual. Implementing "The George Floyd Protection Act" will save the lives of many and stop this pattern of blatant homicidal acts by those who have no regard to the oath to protect and serve. Knowing there are penalties, fines, and potential imprisonment can save lives.

South Carolina has effectively bent the COVID19 curve by following a stay-at-home order for several weeks. Knowing that asymptomatic people can spread the virus, the only way to continue to control the epidemics while safely reopening the economy is to require people to wear a mask in public places and at work, in addition to appropriate social distancing. If I am fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to work from home and choose to only shop in retails where customers and employees are required to wear face protection, I am confident that extending this rule to every business would allow a lot more people to feel safer going out. Our economy would then restart much faster!

During the Covid 19 pandemic the amount of plastic being used worldwide has increased significantly. The amount of plastic used in Amazon delivery envelopes and packaging is limitless. If Amazon makes this change it will set an example that will have immense impacts. As Bezos is propelled toward being Earth's first trillionaire, he, and his company, can give back to Earth by stopping unnecessary plastic use.

Montana's governor announced on May 19 that we are entering Phase 2 of reopening the Big Sky at the end of this month for "business as usual." The 14-day quarantine for non-work-related arrivals in Montana is being eliminated. We believe, however, that it is the state's primary job to ensure that all Montanans remain secure, safe, and healthy. Phase 2, as it relates to travelers coming to Montana starting June 1, fails that test. This Memorial Day weekend and week, when we begin to mourn the 100,000 COVID-19 deaths in America, we are entering the season when the vast majority of people discover Montana: summer vacation (plenty of people will be taking them—and deserve, too!). Normally we are a very attractive destination: everyone loves the “Big Sky”, whether they’ve been here or not. Why not this year? They’ll love us, even more, when they discover that Montana is “where there is no virus." Because Montana is a big blank spot on the nation's COVID-19 map, a second wave of COVID-19 infection in Montana, due to out-of-state travelers, has to be prevented now. It takes too much time to effectively protect our children once the virus is allowed to respread in our communities. We need to be prepared for this next wave—starting at the beginning of the summer—in order to build confidence that our kids can go to school in the fall. It's as simple as this: stop the viral spread of COVID-19 at our border. P.S. I wrote about how and why I started this petition at The Montana Post, https://themontanapost.com/blog/2020/05/23/guest-post-where-there-is-no-virus.

Capital punishment is an issue in the United States of America. There are many states that have currently legalized and retained the right to execute criminals for their crimes. Capital punishment is a cruel and unusual punishment, it is more costly than imprisonment, and many innocent lives are being taken because of it. Capital punishment should be abolished in the United States of America. First, capital punishment should not be legal because it is a cruel and unusual punishment. There are many different methods of execution, but not a single one is better than the other. All are heinous. Cruel and unusual punishments consist of lethal injection, hanging, gas chamber, electric chair, firing squad, and beheading. It is understandable that criminals deserve the worst for the horrific crimes that they commit, but death is not the answer.  Next, capital punishment shouldn't be allowed because it is more expensive than a prison sentence. All the lawyers, judges, and other personnel put more hours into preparing, trying, and reviewing the issues, given that a life is at stake. In addition to the people who are participating in the trial, the equipment required to perform the execution is also very costly. If a criminal just got sentenced to jail, it would be a lot less expensive and the person would still be alive. Lastly, capital punishment should be abolished because many innocent people are being killed. The death penalty carries the inherent risk of executing an innocent person. Since 1973, more than 165 people who had been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated. Capital punishment should no longer exist because many people who are guilty of nothing have been killed. Unless it is absolutely certain that the person who is thought to be guilty actually is, nobody should be executed. In conclusion, capital punishment is a big problem and it only leads to more problems. Death should not be permitted. People deserve a second chance in life and they can't use their second chance if they are dead. We are on a mission to abolish capital punishment. So, who's with us?

To let senior athletes get the senior year they havent gotten yet to actually see what a senior season is and make memories that last forever

We're in the midst of Earth's sixth mass extinction — one species vanishes nearly every hour. Opening national wildlife refuges to more hunting is exactly the kind of action that is fueling the wildlife extinction crisis. We should be working to protect animals, not making it easier for them to be gunned down. These wild animals deserve to be safe from hunting in the very places set aside to protect them.

During the Wisconsin primary this spring, thousands of voters risked their health and defied a stay-at-home order to exercise their right to vote. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only story of states not being prepared to hold safe and fair elections in the middle of a pandemic. Every American deserves the right to cast their ballot safely and without unnecessary risk. That’s why we support the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020, n. This bill would do the following: Expand Access to Vote-by-Mail: Vote-by-mail could be the only safe and secure option for some Americans. States must offer multiple options for requesting, receiving, and returning mail-in ballots while maintaining the security of our voting system. Expand Early In-Person Voting: While all Americans should have the choice to vote by mail, it is crucial that we recognize that many people will prefer to vote in-person. We must make in-person voting as safe and available as possible. Expanded early voting will allow voters to cast their ballot a few days or sometimes weeks before Election Day. Expand Online Voter Registration: We should not make voter registration complicated if we really want everyone to participate. Online voter registration is a safe, accessible and secure way for voters all across this country can sign up to participate in our democracy. It allows eligible voters to quickly and easily register to vote online from the comfort of their own home. We know that when we knock down barriers to casting their ballot and make voting more accessible no matter who you are, more people -- especially young people and people of color -- turn out to vote. And when we all vote, we create a stronger democracy. Please add your name if you agree our nation must do more to guarantee safe and fair elections in 2020. Stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved.

Each day, we hear story after story after story about someone who is suffering in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. In response, the Pentagon performed a series of military fighter jets flyovers across the United States in early May. But this ultra-militaristic show of force has nothing to do with COVID-19 — it won’t help people get their jobs back or get better. It’s simply a gigantic and insulting waste of taxpayer money in a moment when millions are asking for critical help and support. Our movement is built for fights just like this. When Trump wanted a tank parade, we stopped him. When his Administration tried to limit our rights to protest outside the White House on the National Mall, we fought back, and we won. We can win this fight, too, but only if we get loud now. Demand Secretary of Defense Mark Esper immediately stop fighter jet flyovers and redirect every dime planned for these shows to be spent on lifesaving medical equipment and economic relief instead.