Driving home eastward from Los Angeles, I was shocked to see highway signs indicating that the Grand Canyon National Park was closed to visitors. I imagined the dire effect this single closure was having on those who had planned for months and years for this vacation and the impact on the service industry--the hotel owners and their employees, shop keepers, restaurant owners and waitpersons.

Time to end this political nonsense and get a house of representatives that truly wants to represent the people. Closing the government down and then reopening selective parts of it is unacceptable. This kind of political grandstanding is totally dysfunctional.

I work at a food bank in Phoenix, AZ. Due to the shutdown, welfare assistance to low-income families has been suddenly stopped. This will place additional stress on our abilities to provide food to families.

The "Warren Buffet" email has been circulating on the internet. And while it's origins are false, the content is spot-on. Let's enact it.

All incumbents in the Congress are responsible for the budget/debt ceiling crisis, and it currently seems that the American people, their employer, has absolutely no leverage in this matter. They need to be held accountable, and the only way to do so is to pledge to vote them out of office if they fail to resolve these crises in the near future.

After applying for a position as a Police Dispatcher, I was informed that I was disqualified due to having tattoos that would be visible in a short sleeved uniform. I consider myself more than qualified for the position based on my experience and abilities. My tattoos should not stop me from saving lives and helping protect people.

This petition has been updated and moved! Please sign new petition at http://tinyurl.com/soutbaysol

Republican extremism has impacted me. I have been unemployed for over a year, without any health insurance. There are no jobs available for me, and the ones I apply for are only offering part time jobs for the applicants they do hire.

Monday night, nine Congressional Democrats showed solidarity -- with John Boehner. They sided with Boehner and the Tea Party Republicans in their attempt to delay the Affordable Care Act -- which of course they can't actually do. But what they can do -- and did -- was shut down the government. We want better government, not no government at all. Tell these nine Representatives that they've made a big mistake. Join us in telling Reps. Kyrsten Sinema, Ron Barber, John Barrow, Steven Horsford, Dan Maffei, Sean Patrick Maloney, Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre and Raul Ruiz that it's wrong to side with the Tea Party bullies trying to stop Obamacare. The government shutdown has already closed HeadStart programs, furloughed workers and even closed medical trials for young cancer patients. And that's just the beginning -- the longer this shutdown continues, the worse it will get, for all of us. Politicians on Capitol Hill need to remember they work for us. Tell these nine Democrats that we didn't send them to Washington, DC to vote with the Tea Party to shut down the government. Please add your name and we'll deliver the petition to these nine members of Congress.

Republican extremism has impacted me: I am unable to apply for my Social Security benefits and I've been waiting since my birthday in February. My son was laid off in August and although he qualifies for unemployment, has not received any benefits to date 10/5/13, 5 weeks!

There is no trust in Idaho in how the Republicans run this state. Children starve, there's no medical care for poor people. Nothing but thugs in our state, taking from families that are poor!

Republican extremism has impacted me in this way: