While Greg Abbott, the Governor of the State of Texas, is busy protecting Texans from terrorists by banning the settlement of any Syrian refugees in our state, thousands of Texans are injured or killed by legally obtained firearms. Until the governor and his administration can guarantee these weapons won't fall into the wrong hands, we feel there should be a ban on all future sales.

Many students are sleep deprived and a designated nap room would solve the dilemma of lack of concentration and enthusiasm due to exhaustion.

Voting rights are under attack – and we desperately need to modernize and restore the Voting Rights Act’s protections against discrimination. But the bipartisan bill to do that, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, is caught in Congressional gridlock. We have a unique opportunity for progress. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) is the newly elected Speaker of the House. He’s promised to fix dysfunction in Congress and unite lawmakers in support the essentials -- things every American can agree are important. And what’s more essential than voting? The right to vote is just too important to be a partisan political football. For decades, legislators crossed the aisle in Congress to protect our most fundamental of constitutional rights; we can get there again. Sign your name and tell Speaker Ryan to get it done!

I am quite serious about this and I hope that the following will clarify my choices and concerns: Why Congressman McDermott? First of all, he is my Congressman. In a grander sense, he is also the Congressman of many of those who feel that their elected representative does not speak for them. He has always spoken his mind without fear, often leaving him a lone voice in the wilderness. In short, I think he may be one of the very few members of Congress who would have the courage to introduce this legislation. Why pre-emptive legislation? Yes, the chances are good that legislation of this nature will be circumvented to some degree. But having these limitations already in place will at the very least require that they are acknowledged, even if they are completely evaded. On being interned close to home Ideally, I’d prefer that my concentration camp be within the confines of my Congressional District for a variety of reasons. I know where they sent people last time, and I have no doubt that some pretty grim locations can be found in this state; but at least when I escape, I’ll never be more than a few weeks walk from home. Contemplating the rumors (I wouldn’t argue too much if you were to call them wild and/or unfounded) of massive federal compounds in the Deep South, ready and waiting for an instant influx of hundreds of thousands of residents, is disturbing enough. If we find out they are real, it will only be after their first inhabitants have already been transferred there; in other words, after it’s too late. What would trigger this limitation? When citizens (ideally, residents) are required or coerced to move to a secured location against their will and/or better judgement, and without the due process set out by the Constitution of the United States of America. “Without due process” is when due process is suspended, delayed or denied. The reason given for the mass relocation is immaterial; protecting the internees from the (justifiably) angry general populace is invariably one of the first used. A final caveat, internees will be the only arbiter of their Congressional District or territory of residency.

My piece speaks for itself. No, it's not a petition. It's a fervent desire.

Panhandlers or beggars on street corners cause traffic to be slowed or impeded. Every time a driver stops to give money or other forms of assistance, the normal flow of traffic is disturbed. Making it illegal to do this from your car while on a public street would help curb the problems associated with the panhandlers.

Some of you may know, that in April, Time Warner Cable ran lines into our town but for some reason, are not offering service. I just spoke with the Office of the President of Time Warner Cable to get this issue escalated and hopefully get them in our town so we can get rid of the horrible Frontier Service. She advised in the meantime, anyone who is interested in service to either email the office @ [email protected] or Call 212-364-8300 Option 2. The more people we have contact and would be willing to switch to Time Warner Cable, the faster they will hopefully get the service going in out town! Please share this out so we can tell Frontier to get out of our town!

4 white supremacists terrorized an ongoing protest in support of a victim of police violence, shooting 5 protesters Monday night. Jamar Clark, an unarmed 24-year-old Black male shot and killed by Minneapolis police on November 15th. Eye witnesses say Clark was handcuffed and not resisting at the time of his execution-style shooting. [1] Because the entire incident was caught on police dashcam, Black Lives Matter Minneapolis (BLM-MN) began camping out in front of the 4th Precinct police station to demand the release of the video. White supremacists showed up in ski masks and as protesters chased them out, they shot into the crowd hitting 5. When police arrived on the scene in riot gear, they pepper-sprayed protesters before attempting to pursue the shooters. [2] From racist backlash against civil rights workers to support for racist attacks by leading presidential candidate Donald Trump, this act of terror is an attempt to stop Black communities from organizing for their rights. We call on white allies, and all people of good conscience, to condemn and mobilize against these attacks and on the United Nations and Organization of American States to lead an international effort to protect the democratic rights of protesters. SOURCES [1 ] Jamar Clark shooting: Witness says he was in handcuffs, CNN.com, November 21, 2015, cnn.com/2015/11/21/us/minneapolis-jamar-clark-police-shooting/ [2] Five people shot near Black Lives Matter protest site, Star Tribune, November 24, 2015, startribune.com/several-people-were-shot-near-black-lives-matter-protest-site/353121881/

I am a Maine Indigenous woman from the Penobscot Tribe. I want to make the state a place that does not condone racism and mistreatment of my people.

One of the absurdities of U.S. policy in the Middle East is that the U.S. government loudly complains about ISIS beheading people for their beliefs but turns a blind eye when the government of Saudi Arabia does the same thing. A Saudi court sentenced a Palestinian man to death for apostasy on November 17, 2015, for alleged blasphemous statements during a discussion group and in a book of his poetry, Human Rights Watch reports. [1] The accused, Ashraf Fayadh, 35, denies the charges and claims that another man made false accusations to the country’s religious police following a personal dispute. “Regardless of what Fayadh said or didn’t say, Saudi Arabia should stop arresting people for their personal beliefs,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director. “The fact that Ashraf Fayadh is facing the prospect of being beheaded only adds to the outrageousness of this court ruling.” Saudi authorities regularly pursue charges against individuals based solely on their peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, in violation of international human rights obligations, HRW says. The Arab Charter on Human Rights, which Saudi Arabia has ratified, guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression under article 32. “This death sentence against Fayadh is yet another indictment of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record,” Whitson said. “The Saudi authorities should immediately vacate this sentence and order Fayadh’s release.” Urge President Obama and Members of Congress to demand that Saudi Arabia cancel the death sentence against Ashraf Fayadh and release him immediately by signing our petition. References: 1. "Saudi Arabia: Poet Sentenced to Death for Apostasy; Reverses Earlier Ruling of 4 Years, 800 Lashes," Human Rights Watch, November 23, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/11/23/saudi-arabia-poet-sentenced-death-apostasy

White student unions create an atmosphere of hatred and prejudice toward people of color on university and college campuses. I personally feel threatened by the sudden increase of white student unions around the country.

There is currently a petition circulating on MoveOn.ORG that was started by members of the Tuscaloosa Country Club neighborhood located in Westend Tuscaloosa that is requesting the resignation of Mr. Clarence Sutton Sr. as District 1 representative for the Tuscaloosa City School Board. The petition falsely states that Mr. Sutton Sr. was not "elected" when in fact he was elected by majority vote of the sitting board members (http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20150803/NEWS/150809917) which is one of several ways the board can fill vacant seats. The Tuscaloosa Country Club neighborhood is a small section of District 1 and its residents make up less than 2% of District 1's population, yet its residents feel that the interest of their children supersedes the needs of the other 98% of the children in the district. Instead of saying "the heck with *those* other kids" in the district and sending your children outside the district to attend school, why not spend energies concentrating on fixing the problem within the district where your children live? Mr. Sutton has stated that he will not support any plan that does not advocate for *neighbood schools* and the residents of the Tuscaloosa Country Club area do not want their children attending school within the neighborhood which they live. While all parents should want what's best for their children, parents must also realize that they have a responsibility to the upcoming generation as a whole and should want to not only want what's best for their own children, but all children in the surrounding area. As representative to District 1, Mr. Sutton is concerned with the welfare of ALL the children in his district, not just those that reside within this small affluent area. With the mindset of "it takes a village" let's show our support for ALL the children in District 1 by showing your support for Mr. Clarence Sutton Sr.