47 GOP Senators signed an open letter to the government of Iran in apparent violation of the Logan Act which makes it a crime for any citizen to engage in "“any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government . . . with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government . . . in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States.” This action endangers delicate negotiations that could result in an Iranian nuclear weapon.

Amazon.com is a powerhouse in the sale a distribution of goods and information in the United States and has the authority to dictate what is and what is not available for purchase on its website. Further, Amazon.com should be held accountable for any profits it has obtained in contributing to the commercial sexual exploitation of children through the sale of Mickey Royal’s titles through Amazon.com. The books written by Mickey Royal clearly detail the exact steps child sex abusers should take to successfully lure, manipulate, enslave, and sell our children for sex and profit. Here is an excerpt from the book The Pimp Game: Instructional Guide: “You’ll start to dress her, think for her, own her. If you and your victim are sexually active, slow it down. After sex, take her shopping for one item. Hair and/or nails is fine. She’ll develop a feeling of accomplishment. The shopping after a month will be replaced with cash. The love making turns into raw sex. She’ll start to crave the intimacy and be willing to get back into your good graces. After you have broken her spirit, she has no sense of self value. Now pimp, put a price tag on the item you have manufactured.” (Smith et al. 2009) And this is no lie. This is precisely how vulnerable children are lured away every day to be raped, abused, and commercially sexually exploited right here in the United States (Mitchell, et al 2010). The pimps and exploiters of the world would have you believe the children for sale on the streets are willing participants. This book is proof otherwise. This book is proof of the twisted abuse tactics used by exploiters to meet their own needs for power and money. The issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children is a complex one which I invite you to look deeper into. To be a successful exploiter one must prey on the individuals with the least amount of power seeking the most amount of belonging. Children are not only a desirable commodity for sex from buyers, they are also ideal candidates to be manipulated and controlled (Gibbs et al., 2012). The average age of children being targeted by exploiters, commonly known as pimps, is between the ages of 11-14 years old (Hammer et al., 2002). That’s right, children, from all walks of life, between the ages of 11 and 14 years old are the most vulnerable targets to be lured by exploiters who use means of force, fraud, and coercion including rape, torture, and kidnapping to bring these children under their control and sell their bodies for sex and profit. More devastatingly, the children most at risk to be targeted by exploiters are among our most vulnerable; those who have been involved in the child welfare system due to abuse and neglect in their homes (Colby, 2011). Don’t be fooled by the idea that any exploiter is in the business of only enslaving ‘consenting adults’. The issue of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the United States is overwhelming. As a nation we are scrambling to merely begin to get a grasp on just how many children are being commercially sexually exploited each day (Nixon et al., 2002). Andrew Oosterbaan, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, U.S. Department of Justice, says, “The stark reality is that the supply is never-ending … I mean, that little girl who started as a runaway on the streets in Washington State and ended up on the streets of Miami Beach as a prostitute is way too typical … There is an endless supply — and it is almost surreal to have these words leave my mouth — endless supply of victims. But that’s the stark reality.” (Smith et al. 2009) Tina Frundt, Founder of Courtney’s House, and Survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking, explains, “I was 14 years old, and the way the pimp came at me was that at first I didn’t even know he was a pimp. He came at me like a boyfriend. Yes, he was an older boyfriend but he cared about me.... Six months later he told me ‘Let’s run away together. We can have a beautiful house and family.’ And I did believe him, and we ran away, and then the story changed and I met the other girls that he had in his stable. And I had to go out every night and work the streets — the alternative was being gangraped by a group of pimps while everyone watched.” (Smith et al. 2009) Say what you will about free speech; the right to pen an instructional guide and other like material on the topic of identifying, coercing, and enslaving human beings for the purposes of selling their bodies for sex is not in question. What is in question is the culpability of a worldwide leading retailer in promoting and profiting from the commercial sexual exploitation of children by allowing these materials to be sold through their online storefront. Tell Amazon.com how you feel and sign the petition to ask Jeff Bezos, Founder, Chairman, & CEO of Amazon.com, to take responsibility for protecting our most vulnerable children. Tell Amazon.com to stop promoting and profiting from the instructional guide and other materials on pimping written by Mickey Royal. References: Colby, I. (2011). Runaway and throwaway youth: Time for policy changes and public responsibility. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 2(1), 1-11. Gibbs, K., & Kendoll, S. (2012). Child welfare practices for cases with child sex abuse (Oregon, Department of Human Services, Office of Safety and Permanency for Children). Salem, OR: Oregon DHS-CAF Division-CPS Program. Retrieved from http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/publications/child-welfare-practices-abuse.pdf Hammer, H., Finkelhor, D., & Sedlak, A. J. (2002). Runaway/thrownaway children: National estimates and characteristics. National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART)., pp. 1-12. Washington, DC: USDOJ. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffilesl/ojjdp/196469.pdf Mitchell, K. J., Finkelhor, D., & Wolak, J. (2010). Conceptualizing juvenile prostitution as child maltreatment: F...

The Republicans in the U.S. Senate have overreached the scope of their authority and are attempting to undermine the U.S. President's power to negotiate foreign policy in violation of The Logan Act. If this action is allowed to go unpunished, it will have dramatically negative consequences, not only for President Obama, but for any future U.S. president and will seriously undermine the United States of America's ability to be the leading country of the free world.

Because I think someone has broken the law.

The 30-Day Readmission Rule states: Patients readmitted into a hospital/ medical institution within 30 days of discharge; the discharging hospital/ medical institution will be fined in the form of a reduction in reimbursement from the State for the patient's hospitalization. We DO NOT support the policy of penalizing hospitals who care for patients with sickle cell disease and the 30 day readmission penalty imposed on sickle cell disease. People suffering from this life long disease frequently have unplanned, unpredictable and recurring needs, such as controlling severe pain episodes that can only be managed in the hospital requiring multiple hospitalizations and readmissions in a 30 day period.

The African American AIDS Response Act Fund (AAARAF), created by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and passed by the General Assembly in 2006, puts scarce HIV prevention dollars in communities where they are most needed. However, as a result of an administrative error made last summer, $1.5 million that was appropriated to the African American AIDS Response Act Fund (AAARAF) simply disappeared. Such a critical mistake is unacceptable and must be rectified immediately. According to the latest available information, African Americans account for more than half of new HIV cases diagnosed in Illinois each year. Additionally, a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that 33% of African Americans between the ages of 18 and 65 years old have never been tested for HIV.

Four years and counting is too long for justice. Please be a voice for a little boy that didn't deserve to have his life taken from him!

Mr. Stumpf is one of the most talented and dedicated teachers at the Londonderry Middle School. He inspires our children and encourages and promotes their creativity. He boosts their confidence and is concerned about developing the whole child. Whether in the classroom or out on the field, Mr. Stumpf is a positive male role model. He has made a lasting impact on a generation of our children. It is essential that this community work hard to retain such a powerful force in our school rather than let him go in the district's planned "reduction in force."

Everyday we find the public officials are committing crimes and are sentenced like regualr citizens. Public officials must be held to a higher standard so we have better people in office!

In 2002, the South Miami-Dade community was promised Metro-Rail services. After over a decade of broken promises, we have decided to take action. With the fastest growing population in South Miami-Dade County, commuting by vehicle and bus has become an unbearable attack on our quality of life. South Miami-Dade County calls upon Miami-Dade County Transit, MDX, and the MPO, to deliver Metro Rail services to South Miami-Dade. As a result of broken promises made to the people of South Miami-Dade, the following situations have occurred: • A round trip from Florida City to Downtown Miami costs an estimated $15.28 in gas and tolls per vehicle. • For those working fulltime on minimum wage, the costs of driving can cost residents up to 24% of their yearly take home pay. • The drive from Florida City to Downtown Miami can frequently take up to two hours. • Florida City residents who commute to Downtown Miami spend an estimated 500 hours a year just commuting to work. • It takes a child four hours (round trip) to visit the Perez Art Museum from Florida City by bus. • It takes a Florida City resident up to six hours (round trip) to use Miami-Dade Transit/bus to reach the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). • It takes almost a three hour trip on Miami-Dade Transit/bus (one way) to reach FIU MMC Campus from Florida City. • Traffic congestion is persistent on US1 and with the expected growth in the South will only get worse. South Miami-Dade communities of Florida City, Homestead, Pinecrest, Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, & Unincorporated Dade, stand together in our resolve for equal access to all that Miami-Dade County has to offer its citizens.

Rhode Island is the only state in New England that doesn't allow any type of window tint on passenger vehicles. There are many functional benefits to having window tint. Better driving- Driving with the sun directly in your face isn't just an annoyance – it can be deadly. Car window tint shields your eyes and prevents glare from all sources of extreme light so you’ll never be caught driving badly due to no fault of your own. UV Blocking- Car window tinting blocks up to 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays. If you’re in the car for extended periods, car window tinting is important for protecting you and loved ones from cancer-causing UV rays. UV protection comes in various grades, and you don’t need to have windows significantly darkened to block UV. Heat Control- In addition to UV, the sun also tends to create uncomfortable heat inside your car. Since car window tinting also blocks up to 71% of solar energy, you can easily stay comfortable and prevent expensive overuse of the AC Safety-Tint helps to keep your car’s window from shattering upon impact with an object or in the event of an accident. This can go a long way to protecting the health and lives of your passengers if anything unexpected happens on the road. Theft Prevention- Car window tinting also protects from car theft. Security tint makes car windows more durable, and, since broken glass is held together, even a thief that succeeds in breaking a window is still faced with a solid panel of glass and film. hundreds of cars are broken into yearly because of visible objects in cars. As a Rhode Island resident I strongly believe window tint can help reduce the numbers of vehicles broken into yearly, number of accidents caused by sun glare in morning and evening commute, and bring in business and jobs to window tinting parlors.

Throughout President Obama's presidency the Republican Party has treated him with utter disrespect. They have pushed the limits of decorum on many occasions but this is an act of TREASON and everyone of them needs to be apprehended by Attorney General Eric Holder. If he does not, then our Constitution means nothing and the Republicans will continue to believe that they are above the law. Their letter indicates that they will not follow any agreement the President might make with Iran which in itself is another act that breaks International Law. These Senators are an embarrassment, as well as being traitors and need to be removed from office immediately.