Restore the rights for voters

This week alone, January 12 th to the 18th, there have been two school shootings in our nation. We can easily implement lockdown drills, which are proven to save children's lives when an active shooter is on campus. I was sickened by Sandy Hook, and continue to be sickened by the increase in school shootings.

Do something you will be proud to tell your children you helped pass it.

The Supreme Court last year created the problem, by taking the teeth out of key civil rights legislation that protected our core right to vote. Only Congress can fix this problem.

The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation Congress has ever passed. Last year's Supreme Court decision weakened critical provisions of it. Right now Rep. Sherman should support this effort by co-sponsoring this bill.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation Congress has ever passed. Last year's Supreme Court decision weakened critical provisions of it. Right now, Congress can restore those protections by passing the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014. We ask that Rep. Howard Coble and Sen. Kay Hagan agree to co-sponsor this bill. Should the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014 become law, it will insure that federal authority supports all North Carolinians and all U.S. citizens in exercising their constitutional right to vote with simplicity and ease.

The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation Congress has ever passed. Last year's Supreme Court decision gutted the act by weakening critical provisions of it. Right now, Congress can restore those protections by passing this important bill. Rep. Dingell should support this effort by co-sponsoring this bill.

It is important to legalize medical marijuana. Bill HR1818, which would legalize marijuana has bipartisan support but Governor Dayton is expected to veto it. It is expected there will not be enough 'yes' votes to override a veto. It is also important to free prisoners whose only charge is marijuana and to expunge all records with marijuana offenses.

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To bring this to the attention of my congressman in Ilinois.

We appreciate that President Obama has opened the door part way for travel to Cuba. His remarks in Miami in November suggest he is preparing to take the next step: “we have to be creative. And we have to be thoughtful. And we have to continue to update our policies” Ten days later Secretary of State Kerry, speaking to the Inter-American Dialog at the hall of the Organization of American States, added specificity: “We are committed to this human interchange, and in the United States we believe that our people are actually our best ambassadors. They are ambassadors of our ideals, of our values, of our beliefs.” One year ago Cuba gave greater freedom of travel to it citizens than Americans possess when it abolished rules requiring government authorization to come to the US. The President has the power by granting general licenses to enable non-tourist purposeful travel (with no application required) for every organization, travel agent and tour operator, as well as for individual Americans who cannot afford or do not like group tours or who wish to make additional trips independently for professional or personal reasons. This is the same freedom he has already given to Cuban Americans, universities and religious organizations. By extending it to the rest of us, President Obama will embrace the convictions of two-thirds of Americans, including a majority of Cuban Americans, and liberate US policy from control by a diminishing minority. [for further background: http://thehavananote.com/2013/12/maximizing_potential_travel ]

Voting is a basic right of all citizens, won with much effort & blood over the ages. Political gesturing to cripple this right is evil.