for many years there have been rocks that were illegally captured and put into unnatural homes and cages. these rocks have been abused and tortured by being thrown into lakes, thrown at people, and run over by cars. Parents try to give these poor things to unhappy children as "pets". Rocks are NOT pets they are a legitimate resourceful object that must be set free and left to the wild for nature.

Have you seen the INSANE things that opponents of US-Iran diplomacy have been saying? Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) - a sitting member of the House Armed Services committee - said today that the U.S. SHOULD NUKE IRAN. (View the video here: http://bit.ly/1aAbBYn) At a time when the U.S. and Iran have entered historic talks to achieve a peaceful resolution to PREVENT the threat of more nuclear weapons, Hunter opposes the talks and instead wants to start a nuclear war. Hunter says the nuclear military option must be on the table and should include a “massive aerial bombardment campaign” utilizing “tactical nuclear devices” to set Iran “back a decade or two or three.” The American people do not want war, we want our leaders to utilize the power of diplomacy to peacefully resolve the standoff with Iran. We cannot be silent when our elected leaders condone the use of nuclear weapons and the killing of thousands of innocent Iranians. Take a moment to send a strong message to Rep. Hunter that will resonate with all our elected officials.

Michigan politicians have invoked a rarely-used legislative maneuver to try to ban private insurance coverage for abortion. The goal is to make coverage for abortion only available through an impractical “rider” system, and eventually decrease women’s access to this particular form of care. The proposed measure has no exception for survivors of rape, incest or health of the woman and is out-of-step with Michigan voters. Michigan women would be harmed if this passes. Jenni Lane of Ann Arbor is thankful for insurance coverage that allowed her to make the "incredibly difficult" decision to end a pregnancy that would not survive. Having the health coverage she needed allowed her to choose the safest procedure. Nearly two out of three Michigan voters do not want to see this harmful measure become law. In fact, this proposal is so extreme that it was vetoed by two separate Republican governors. The Detroit Free Press “believe[s] that this measure isn’t fair, that it is cruel and intrusive. […] To allow hundreds of thousands to subvert the law of the land by larding a legal medical process with special requirements is contrary to the spirit of democracy. If you think voters, not politicians, should decide if insurance coverage should exclude abortion, let your voice be heard!

Because i care and i believe you should too.

The children will suffer so much without Cile Precetaj's presence. Let's not create broken homes unnecessarily. Allow and aid her to go through the proper channels on the road to citizenship.

I am a grand parent that has helped raise my grand daughter since the day she cried into this world, and I am now not allow to see her and she was ribbed out of my home because the mother and I don't get along. This is not right because of the emotional distress that it plays on the child and the grand parent. Let's change the laws to say that the grand parent has a right to have visitation as well. There are many of us that are raising our grands now with no laws that will side with us should this happen to you. Don't you want to fight back?

Women in Sudan are being flogged for reasons such as not covering their hair or choosing to wear pants. Article 152 is a vague Sudanese law that disproportionately affects women. Here is the Article in full: "(1) Whoever commits, in a public space, an act, or conducts himself in an indecent manner, or a manner contrary to public morality, or wears an indecent or immoral dress, which causes annoyance to public feelings, shall be punished, with whipping, not exceeding forty lashes, or with a fine, or with both (2) The act shall be contrary to public morals if it is regarded as such according to the standard of the person's religion or the custom of the country where the act takes place." In solidarity with Amnesty International's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, please sign this petition to end this barbaric practice and help women in Sudan freely choose what they wear.

Marijuana has been legalized in 20 States. It's proven to be a good, if not "great" medication to those in need. Several studies have been shown that Marijuana can treat everything from eye diseases, to restless leg syndrome, all the way to something as simple as insomnia. So, some people of Virginia are actually commiting crimes by having to illegally buy MEDICATION, to function and live a happy, ordinary life. When, in reality, the people of Virginia, should look into this drug and see how this could potentially un-crowd our jails and prisons as well as help some live a happy life in this great State. We should also look at the employment benefits, as well as how this could pontentially help our Government and debt by taxing the drug.

I am an 8 and a half year old girl and I don't think that Russia should have the privilege to host the 2014 Olympics because of their anti-homosexual law. We need to take a stand because we need to show Russia what they're doing is wrong.

Every year a large number of Ethiopians migrate to Saudi Arabia for domestic work through a visa system called Kafala. In this system the visa is obtained through the employer. The migrants are not allowed to change employer or move around without the permission of the employer. Because of the inherent flaw of the system many are abused specially women. The abuse surfaced in recent days as the government of Saudi Arabia implemented a new law that required migrants either to leave the country or upgrade their immigration status. Essentially the new law automatically made those who came through the Kafala system illegal. It is impossible for a detainee to prove that he or she is in the country legally because most people come to Saudi Arabia under contract with an employer, the employers take away their passports until they complete a contract. Since the beginning of November thousands of Ethiopians are now in detention centers, so far over 90000 people have been deported. Still thousands more are rounded and hunted by security forces and vigilantes and being prepared for deportation. The detention centers are spread throughout Saudi Arabia and a large number of detainees are being damped on the Yemen side of the border. Because of deliberate media campaigns, there is a huge report of abuse, torture and rape. I demand justice on behalf of my fellow Ethiopians. With the help of world leaders this modern day slavery will stop. I am appealing to you to consult the Saudi Government to restrain its brutal treatment of Ethiopians, and help to return the Ethiopians to their people. The situation is desperate. The violence against Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia has now approaching the scale of genocide. People are being killed and tortured everywhere and young people are commuting suicide. In a detention center there are several prisons. Each 300-person prison is packed with 500 people. Some prisoners report that the place is cold and they are hungry. Children are being born, many pregnant women are having miscarriages. It is impossible for any decent human being to be on the sidelines and to watch this happen. We have every imaginable document to prove this suffering. It is difficult to share images of horror. Please help 1) Communicate our concerns with Saudi authorities, community leaders and also request hearings in countries where rule of law and human rights are respected. 2) Demand the safe return of all Ethiopians in the detention centers 4) Demand the return of Ethiopians sentenced to jail terms to be handed over to Ethiopian to finish their sentences in Ethiopia 3) Demand the safe return of all Ethiopians in detention centers. Finally I believe that the situation of Ethiopians in Saudi Arabia is getting worse by the day. This is silent human tragedy deliberately fanned by hatred and religious fanaticism. It is extremely dangerous and it parallels the Nazi brutal treatment of Jews. It is my wish that the United States Government pays attention to this matter. Sincerely

In a last ditch attempt to undermine the Affordable Care Act -- a.k.a. Obamacare -- California Republicans have launched a fake website (CoveringHealthcareCA.com) designed to capture those interested in the state's real Obamacare site: CoveredCA.com. California Republicans have promoted the fake site with tens of thousands of taxpayer-funded mailers to constituents. It sows fear and confusion by promoting misleading or outright false information and avoiding basic facts and benefits of the law. It's a politically motivated, unconscionable attempt to prevent sick people from getting the care they need. Disagreeing on a matter of public policy is one thing, but actively working to mislead voters and prevent them from accessing healthcare is unacceptable.

As an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College since the fall of 2010, I have helped countless Westchester residents realize their dream of a better life, better job, and better education. Although I am not well paid, I love my job. I love planning lessons, and I love watching my students develop marketable skill sets. However, when submitting my teaching preferences for the 2014 spring semester, I was shocked to discover that Westchester Community College has implemented a new policy: adjuncts may no longer teach more than 10 class hours per week. As most classes are 3 or 6 hours a week, this means that I am only allowed one 6-hour class and one 3-hour class per semester, shrinking my already paltry semester paycheck. If Dr. Jill Biden believes that community colleges are “one of America’s best-kept secrets,” why is Westchester Community College allowed to treat those of us on the front lines so poorly? There was outcry when John Macky, the CEO of Whole Foods, forecasted that Obamacare might force his company to reduce the maximum number of hours a part-time employee could work per week. Macky’s remarks were predictions, not plans. Westchester Community College – part of the SUNY system, and thus part of New York State – has already begun to implement a benefit limit, yet there has been little to no outcry despite the fact that the 10 hours a week, considered by the government to be on par with 30 work hours, keeps adjunct professors below that same mandatory benefit level Macky discussed. I voted for Obamacare. I supported Obamacare. I wrote to representatives and fought to keep Obamacare. And now New York, a “blue” state, is crippling me in order to avoid Obamacare. Please encourage SUNY and Westchester Community College to reconsider their policy on adjunct hours. Otherwise, we are likely to lose the best of our teachers and effectively cripple affordable higher education.