I am a Viet-Nam Era veteran (voluntary), a scientist and college instructor, and a grandfather. It is unthinkable that the efforts and sacrifices of my generation will be misdirected away from threats that will encompass us all.

The new appointee for Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health has had prior improper actions soliciting complaints against our local beloved doctor who treats Lyme disease. Her actions violated Rhode Island state law and also the code of confidentiality of the Department of Health. We urge the governor to find a new appointee who believes in proper treatment of Lyme disease! Your constituents are suffering! Please hear us.

I feel strongly that we need to do as much as we can to protect victims of domestic abuse from becoming murder victims, as well. We read all too often of entire families being murdered before the abuser commits suicide.

Last month, a 10-year-old girl in Paraguay arrived at a local hospital complaining of a stomachache. Tests revealed she was 21 weeks pregnant, the result of her stepfather raping her. Paraguay’s draconian abortion laws only allow for an abortion when the mother’s life is in danger. But even though the risks are building for this 10-year-old girl each day, so far government officials are refusing her access to an abortion that would protect her health. Forcing this young girl to carry the emotional and physical trauma of this pregnancy is tantamount to torture. Please, ask Paraguay’s Health Minister Dr. Antonio Barrios to allow this 10-year-old access to an abortion immediately, before it’s too late.

We want healthcare coverage for all California residents. SB 04 would amend current Covered CA regulations and allow undocumented residents of the state to purchase their own health care plans in the Covered CA insurance exchange. It would also stop unjust taxation of these undocumented residents for not having health care coverage; health care coverage they currently cannot purchase under current Covered CA regulations.

On Wednesday, May 20th, California will decide whether to increase funding for disability services or ignore the pleas of people with disabilities and their service providers. Liz Grigsby, like many people with disabilities, wants to keep living in her own home. Without adequate funding, people like her can end up isolated in an institution. Liz wants people to know that "We have a right to live in the community just like everyone else." Tell Governor Brown to approve the rate increase!

As Big Coal’s profits are squeezed by closures of coal-fired power plants across the U.S. and new EPA pollution rules, the companies are looking for ways to ship coal to foreign markets. After activists stopped coal export-terminal proposals in Oregon and Washington, the coal industry has turned its sights on California’s ports and marine terminals. Now Oakland is in Big Coal’s crosshairs. Developers are pursuing an export terminal on city-owned land along the Oakland waterfront and have been quietly soliciting a partnership with four Utah counties to allow them to export five to six million tons of Utah coal out of Oakland each year. Public land should be used for the public good — not for a dirty export project that would worsen local air quality and threaten climate stability. Coal is bad for the climate, community and worker health, and the environment, and both Oakland and California have standing policies opposing the export of dirty energy. California has worked hard to be a coal-free state, and it should stay that way! Join community groups, businesses, faith based groups, and community leaders in opposing this toxic proposal!

Fleeing the threat of genocide, thousands of ethnic minority Rohingya from Burma are trapped at sea in crowded wooden boats. With food and clean water running low, their lives are in danger. Governments, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, are turning their boats away. The Andaman Sea is about to become a floating mass grave, and it’s because of the failure of governments, including the United States, to do what is necessary. President Obama should call the leaders of Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, urging them to rescue and shelter refugees. The United States should assist with these rescue operations and we must also make it clear that the root problem—Burma's persecution of the Rohingya—must stop. Unless the policies of hate end in Burma, the crisis will only escalate. We must act now to save those stranded at sea and take the steps needed to protect the Rohingya that remain in Burma.

For decades, the American labor movement has worked closely with the United Way to help raise funds for those in need and help charitable efforts around the world. Recently, staff of the United Way Worldwide sought out union representation of their own to make their workplace a better one. Instead of remaining neutral and allowing workers to chart their own course, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Haggerty embarked on an anti-union campaign to scare employees away from voting in favor of union representation. In his letter he directly said "The answer is that UWW does not believe that a Union would provide added value for the vast majority of our Associates." "First, we do not believe that having a Union will add anything significant to your wages, benefits and working conditions and that anything achieved will be more than offset by Union dues." We need to tell Joe Haggerty to stop disrespecting workers's unions that have helped create and sustain United Way Worldwide.

One reason why democracy is the best form of government is because in a democracy more than one person gets to make decisions, which leads to better informed decisions. And one reason why monarchy is not as good because only one person can make decisions.

This is an important issue that needs to be addressed before we lose any more sisters and daughters to preventable violence.

Stop violent persons from obtaining or possessing guns in Rhode Island. We need to save women's lives!