I have noticed that many accidents happen because of people too distracted while talking on their cell phones. We need to have a law where people can only use hands-free devices so that they can keep both hands on the wheel.

A recent article in the New York Times identified only 8 countries on Earth which do not have National Paid Parental Leave Laws. These countries: Suriname, Liberia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Western Samoa, Tonga - and the United States of America. Today in the United States, almost half of working mothers have no access to paid Maternity leave of any kind. Parents are faced with an impossible choice: Taking a few critical weeks off of work to bond with their new child, or returning to work in order to keep their job and protect their family's economic security. Even worse, only 54.9 % of American workers qualify for FMLA protection, meaning that many mothers have no nationally guaranteed job protected leave at all. This is wrong. America - We Can Do Better for our families. Currently, the United States is the only developed country that does not ensure working parents can take job-protected, paid time away from work to bond with a new child. We as a nation believe strongly in family values - we now need laws that value families!

Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, Toni Stone, and Connie Morgan were the only three women in American baseball history to every play in the a men's league. Yet, they are not in the baseball hall of fame.

Many of us have had enough of the hate spewed by this buffoon and his "ditto's", and feel he's long over due to be let go.

Since reading the NY Times article about stalled policies for families since the Family Medical Leave Act http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/opinion/sunday/why-gender-equality-stalled.html?pagewanted=all it's apparent that women AND men deserve time and money to bound with a newly born child. Only if paid maternity leave and paternity leave is provided will women feel they can remain in the workforce and contribute to society and men feel they can be fully present in their family's lives. Let's put the pressure on the US House, Senate, and President Obama to make this a priority!

Join “Hindu Voices for VAWA: Standing United Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse”, a campaign by Hindu American Seva Communities (HASC) to mobilize American Hindus to urge Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Our tradition worships the divine feminine aspects (God). Let us honor women and bring the dharmic social justice voice to the forefront. We urge you to sign the petition to support VAWA. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is our nation's most effective tool in addressing and preventing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. With 1 in 4 women experiencing severe physical violence by an intimate partner and nearly 1 in 5 women being raped in her lifetime in the United States alone, the reauthorization of VAWA is needed now more than ever. Recently, the Senate passed a strong bipartisan and inclusive VAWA reauthorization bill. It’s now up to the House to pass an equally robust version of VAWA quickly. Background: Initially passed in 1994, VAWA was written to protect women against domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. VAWA provides the law enforcement officials efficient and effective support in responding to crimes such as these. VAWA brings awareness to the serious endemic of domestic and sexual abuse and promotes efforts to end such violence. VAWA programs are administered by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services and give law enforcement, prosecutors and judges the tools they need to hold offenders accountable and keep communities safe while supporting victims. In 2012 the 112th Congress stalled and did not vote to reauthorize VAWA for another five years the Senate version that gives extra provision to protect the immigrant, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), and Native American communities. “Hindu Voices for VAWA: Standing United Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse” is a project of Hindu American Seva Communities (HASC) (aka Hindu American Seva Charities), an independently registered not-for-profit organization. Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC) is a progressive American organization advancing seva (community service), interfaith collaboration, pluralism, social justice and sustainable civic engagement to ignite grassroots social change and build healthy communities and coalitions while strengthening our places of worship. Through education and policy changes it seeks to bridge the gap between US government and Hindu and Dharmic people and places of worship. For more details see www.hinduamericanseva.org and http://www.sevavotes.org/social-justice/womens-empowerment/

Native American Women and Children are seriously vulnerable to attack on Tribal Lands by non-Native Drug Dealers and Sexual Predators. As the Law stands now only Federal Courts can prosecute these perpetrators and there is rarely follow through. Knowing this we call upon the House to open the way for Tribes and the Dept. of Justice to work together to protect our Families!

Hate Crimes issue--there is a large statue on Central Park's Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street of "Dr. Marion Sims, Father of Gynecology" a 19th Century Alabama "doctor" who performed many documented gruesome gynecological experiments on several African slave women in the 19th Century in his backyard without anesthesia. This was during the time when many in the medical community were using gruesome experimentation of African black slaves to enforce the slave system (especially in the South). The experiments are well documented even in medical journals. There is no mention of any of the victims on the statue. He encouraged backyard experimentation of slaves whether he wanted to or not. The statue belongs in a museum on slavery not as a regular great statue. Yet, it is listed as a highlight in Central Park and it also happens to be across from the Academy of Medicine. What should be investigated is why the government's various civil rights departments have not had it removed.

The Violence Against Women Act has been incredibly effective in decreasing domestic violence in the United States. Yet there are still women killed every day by their husbands or boyfriends. Countless women still live in fear of abuse, and one in five have been victims of rape. The House should follow the Senate’s lead and pass the Violence Against Women Act right away.

I see women in my small community that are bullied by their husbands. many people just turn a blind eye. it seems that the more money the man has the less concern for the woman -- people, including law inforcement just turn their backs.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is our nation's most effective tool in addressing and preventing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. With 1 in 4 women experiencing severe physical violence by an intimate partner and nearly 1 in 5 women being raped in her lifetime in the United States alone, the reauthorization of VAWA is needed now more than ever. Today, the Senate passed a strong bipartisan and inclusive VAWA reauthorization bill. It’s now up to the House to pass an equally robust version of VAWA quickly.

Two bills in the Alabama Legislature will impose regulations that are totally unnecessary and can not be met by the current clinics in our state. These bills are an attempt to shut down every clinic in the State of Alabama and have nothing to do with patient safety. The regulations in these bills are duplicating regulations that Reproductive Health Clinics are currently meeting and Governed by the Alabama Board of Health.