Responding to a string of tragic shootings in Kalamazoo County since January 1, 2016 that have left several Kalamazoo area residents dead or badly injured, residents and community leaders are drawing attention to the epidemic of gun violence in the United States and taking aim directly at the companies profiting from it. Gun sales tend to increase after mass shooting events, increasing revenue for the gun industry, much of which is used to influence elections and lobby elected officials to prevent passage of common sense gun regulations at the state and national level. We need to take action as individuals by selling off any investments we have in companies that profit from gun violence and calling on others, especially our elected officials, to do the same. Kalamazoo city and county would not be the first local governments or pension funds to divest from the gun industry. New York City, Chicago, the state of Rhode Island, and the California State Teachers Retirement System, valued at nearly $150 billion, have already acted to sell off, and stop purchasing, investments in the gun industry. For more information on divestment from gun manufacturers, see http://unloadyour401k.com/ Certainly individual behaviors and ideas about guns need to change, but we also need to change the incentives so that gun makers cannot profit from gun violence.

The number of dead sports athletes outnumber the number of live ones, and the ones that are alive have broken lives. How many wrestlers were left with nothing and broke after giving years of their bodies and lives? How many football players have nothing to show for after their sports careers ended? How many tragedies have occurred due to the shady practices of sports companies? Please sign this petition to destroy the harmful practices of corporate American sports. This is our America. It is not the property of corporations.

My son and my daughter both attend Beaver Creek Elementary School. My son attended kindergarten a few years ago and was given recess and snack time. My daughter, who started kindergarten this year, has no recess or snack time. When I inquired about it, I was told that the school needed more instructional time for kindergarten students. My son is in third grade and they are given one recess per day. Studies prove that children are much more attentive and retain more information when given adequate breaks. There is also a noticeable difference in behavioral issues. "Through active, free play and interactions with schoolmates, children can develop a respect for rules and an appreciation for other people's cultures and beliefs. They learn skills such as conflict resolution, self-discipline, determination, compromise and teamwork, as well as sharing during recess." Dr. Robert Murray, a pediatrician and professor of human nutrition at the Ohio State University, did a study on the benefits of recess. What she found, however, was that playtime’s benefits extend beyond the physical. “We came to the realization that it really affects social, emotional and cognitive development in a much deeper way than we’d expected,” she says. “It helps children practice conflict resolution if we allow them unstructured play, and it lets them come back to class more ready to learn and less fidgety.” For a real life example of the impact that increased recess can have, read this article entitled, "Texas School Triples Recess Time and Sees Immediate Positive Results in Kids": http://www.playgroundprofessionals.com/news/play/texas-school-triples-recess-time-and-sees-immediate-positive-results-kids101 Some of the links referenced above: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/1/183 http://study.com/academy/lesson/benefits-of-recess-for-elementary-school-children.html http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/31/yay-for-recess-pediatricians-say-its-as-important-as-math-or-reading/ PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION SO WE CAN GET THE SCHOOL BOARD TO GIVE OUR KIDS MORE RECESS!!!

For the past three years, there have been racist attacks on students of color immediately following the Ray Warren Symposium for Race and Ethnic Studies. Each time, students have organized, and requested that the administration take proactive steps to change the culture of racism on campus. The President's office has sent a letter to the community each year, but has not taken concrete steps to concretely address the attacks or the culture of racism on campus. This lack of commitment borders on neglect, and is hazardous to the health and well-bring of the L&C community.

In 1988, Proposition 73 made publicly funded elections in California illegal. Simply put, democracy was stolen from us. Our voices are no longer heard. Our opinions no longer matter. This is an injustice that must be corrected. We must let our legislators know that we will not support those who work for special monied-interests instead of "We the People." To do that, we must repeal the state’s 28-year-old ban on publicly funded elections and demand the restoration of democracy by changing the way our elections are funded. Elections should be free of the corrupting influence of money and fair enough that anyone can run for public office, not just millionaires and their allies.

It is of vital importance that all progressives support the Democratic presidential nominee as well as Democratic candidates straight down the ballot in 2016.

Despite Bernie Sanders' big win in New Hampshire, both he and Hillary received the same number of delegates. Why? There are two different types of delegates in the Democratic Party Presidential Nomination Process; Pledged Delegates and Unpledged/ Superdelegates. During an interview on CNN, Jake Tapper asked DNC chair and Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz about the difference between to two delegates. Tapper asked Schultz, “Hillary Clinton lost to Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire by 22 percentage points, the biggest victory in a contested Democratic primary there since John F. Kennedy, but it looks as though Clinton and Sanders are leaving the Granite State with the same number of delegates in their pockets because Clinton has the support of New Hampshire’s superdelegates, these party insiders. What do you tell voters who are new to the process who say this makes them feel like it’s all rigged?” Schultz replied, “Well, let me just make sure that I can clarify exactly what was available during the primaries in Iowa and in New Hampshire. The unpledged delegates are a separate category. The only thing available on the ballot in a primary and a caucus is the pledged delegates— those that are tied to the candidate that they are pledged to support, and they receive a proportional number of delegates going into our convention. Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don’t have to be in a position where they are running against grassroots activists. We are as a Democratic Party really highlight and emphasize inclusiveness and diversity at our convention, and so we want to give every opportunity to grassroots activists and diverse, committed Democrats to be able to participate, attend, and be a delegate at the convention. And so we separate out those unpledged delegates to make sure that there isn’t competition between them.” Tapper responded, “I’m not sure that that answer would satisfy an anxious young voter..." Tapper is correct. As an anxious young voter myself, I am concerned that the Superdelegate process of the Democratic Party is undemocratic. If, Party elites are the ones who ultimately get to decide who the nominee will be, then what's the point of casting a vote for a candidate? I my view, the American people are the ones who should decide, not the Party elites. Please sign and share this petition, demanding that the Democratic Party abolish the Superdelegate system and restore the power to the American people.

Since the arrival of Mr. Andrew Lack to the MSNBC News division, a number of not so honorable events have taken place. Mr. Lack has a public history of dismissing people of color unceremoniously. However, for some strange reason, MSNBC and Comcast executives have a theory that no one is watching. Comcast suspended Mr. Brian Williams for 6 months. Mr. Williams, it turns out is a habitual liar. This revelation brought unbearable shame to the network. However, instead of being let go, Mr. Williams was brought back with opened arms, almost like nothing had happened. Mr. William's former boss Ms. Pat Fili-Krshel, the ex-chairwoman of NBCUniversal News Group was banished to some obscured position. Over the last year, MSNBC has banished or undermined people of color from its on-air personality lineup. Therefore, the question must be asked to MSNBC executives, are you telling the public that MSNBC would rather give a habitual liar a second chance then an employee who simply fought for her staff’s participation? We call on MSNBC to immediately reinstate Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry back to her show and to publicly apologize to her fans for what is clearly an overreaction by the executive team at MSNBC.

Gun violence kills 90 of us every day. Congress stopped funding research on the causes and effects. Why hide from knowledge?

As a person in long-term recovery, our community treatment providers played an essential role in saving my life. We should be supporting them - and supporting recovery! People without insurance also deserve access to treatment. Taking money from treatment providers and giving it to HMOs would be a death sentence for those who cannot afford health insurance. Under-served populations are not expendable. With the proper support, we do recover!

Please support proposed NY State MITO legislation S3250/ A5174

Vermont Rail System cleared 19 acres of forest to make way for a planned rail spur and storage facility without seeking state and local approval. The proposed road salt storage facility site is a stone’s throw from the LaPlatte River and is largely surrounded by Nature Conservancy land, which the environmental organization says is home to a number of threatened plant and animal species as well as crucial floodplain forest. Residents have vowed to fight the project and help town officials hold the railroad to account.