Just weeks ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech. But even as we look back on the achievements of the civil rights movement, our fundamental right to vote is under attack. A recent Supreme Court decision dismantled a key part of the Voting Rights Act, giving many states the green light to enact discriminatory voting restrictions designed to suppress the votes of people of color and low-income citizens. With this recent ruling, the Department of Justice lost its power to deny restrictions some states would make on who can vote where, when and with what ID. Already, states such as Texas and North Carolina have started implementing voter ID laws that will make it harder for many people to vote in future elections. It's bad enough that this decision rolls back decades of civil rights progress, but it's also an early Christmas present to politicians in the pockets of Big Oil and other polluters. Our elections need to be as fair and accessible as possible so all of us can vote for candidates who will fight for clear air, water and energy. Luckily, Attorney General Eric Holder has the power to sue states that enact voter suppression laws. We're calling on him to promise to challenge any state that tries to pass one of these voter suppression laws. Lend us your voice below by telling Attorney General Holder to stand up to any state and protect our voting rights.

The office of the Secretary of State makes a random sampling of drivers and requests copies of insurance policies to ensure that motorists are in compliance with the Illinois mandatory insurance law. However, this requires the burden of proof, without cause, on Illinois taxpayers. Penalties for not responding can include plate suspension and a $100 fine. Additionally, most DMV offices cannot assist or accept proof of insurance to satisfy the sampling requirements. Motorists have reported having to resend documentation multiple times because of office inefficiencies. This random questionnaire sampling process should be stopped and replaced with a less intrusive means of determining if Illinois motorists are complying with the law.

We started this petition to advocate for more effective behavioral and mental health services on college campuses. In 2011, the Association of University and College Counseling Center did a survey that found the ratio of counselors to students to be 1 to 1,879, when the recommended ratio is 1 to 1,000 for accreditation.

Kent Lambert went on a Christian internet radio show and said that legalizing civil unions is "....a mind control experiment by the majority party." He is spreading lies and fear among the radical wing of the Republican party in Colorado.

We are asking Kelly's Pub in Clarksville, TN to remove their heavily promoted drink "Date Grape" from their list of drinks. This drink trivializes rape and we are asking that the bar listen to the concerns of the people and fix this issue immediately.

I am a nurse at Northside Medical Center. As a nurse, I care deeply for my profession and for my patients. I take pride in the care I give patients and am proud of the reputation Northside has because of the work I do as a nurse. We’ve been working without a contract for 15 months. Northside and Community Health Systems, the for-profit corporate owner of the hospital, have proposed terms that could undermine my ability as a nurse to speak out in the future about issues including safety and patient care. And I’m very concerned that CHS proposals could lead to rationing of nursing care at the hospital. Nurses deserve a fair contract, fair pay and the right to advocate for the safety of patients and their caregivers. We went on a one-day strike yesterday because negotiations were not moving along and we needed to bring attention to our concerns. But today, when we returned, we were locked out. They have paid strikebreaking nurses taking our place in the hospital. We provide our patients with award-winning, quality care: How can out-of-town nurses match our record? Northside management is keeping me and my colleagues out while letting in nurses who have 24hrs of experience at Northside: who would you rather have caring for you and your family? If we have enough people speak up and sign this petition, Northisde will have to listen. Nurses deserve a fair contract, fair pay and the right to advocate for the safety of patients and their caregivers.

Because the New York State Legislature failed to pass comprehensive campaign finance reform during its 2013 legislative session, Governor Cuomo created the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption with a charge to investigate the "show me the money" culture so pervasive at the Capitol, and to make recommendations in their initial report due on December 1st. The fact is that New York is in the grip of a political crime wave. Over the past few years, dozens of New York State elected officials have been arrested, indicted, convicted, or resigned in disgrace. But what's worse is the *legal* bribery that's happening every day in Albany. CEO campaign contributors are donating millions in return for public policy that ensures they continue to rake in huge profits - at the expense of ordinary New Yorkers like us. We must change this culture of corruption by changing the system. We need a system that put the needs of our communities first, encourages politicians to listen to their constituents, and lets everyday New Yorkers decide who represents them in government. We can have a system like that by passing comprehensive campaign finance reform that includes publicly financed elections. UPDATE (10/8) - According to news reports, the Commission might be negotiating a weak deal with the legislature that would prematurely end their investigation and put off real reform indefinitely. The members of the Commission need to hear from New Yorkers right now. Be sure to share this petition after you sign it!

My daughter Khrysti (7yrs old at the time) was viciously assaulted, both physically and sexually on her school bus by another student for 17mins, while two adult staff members were present on her mini bus. Khrysti is blind and cognitively delayed. She cannot communicate her feelings or thoughts and therefore it is impossible to show evidence that proves she is emotionally affected by this incident. The punitive damages suggested by the bus company are only a fraction of what a typical child capable of communicating would be awarded. The crimes committed against my little girl should not be punishable under the same standard that would apply in the case of a typical child, since we cannot evaluate the psychological effects of her trauma.

My Homeowners association, Courtyards at Avalon, filed foreclosure proceedings for .47 cents, and now the HOA's attorney is claiming attorney's fees exceeding $8400 from February of 2013. HOA can foreclose faster, has more rights over your property than you and your lenders. The HOA and their attorney's can file defective liens with the intent to steal your property and the legislators allow this due to the vague and ambiguous language of the Florida Statute governing Condominiums and HOA (720). There needs to be a change to the Statute to protect homeowners.

As families have lost their ability to put food on the table or send their child to Head Start, Congress has time and time again refused to pass a bill that supports the middle class. With a Federal Government shutdown looming, we need to let Virginia Congress members know that Virginians should be their first priority, not corporate interest. By closing corporate tax loopholes we could generate enough revenue to keep programs like SNAP and Head Start well funded and get the American economy back on track.

In an interview published on Monday Sept. 23 in the Wall Street Journal, AIG CEO Robert Benmosche claimed that the criticism aimed at AIG for awarding its employees bonuses after it and other Wall Street firms crashed the economy and were rewarded with bailouts was "intended to stir public anger, to get everybody out there with their pitch forks and their hangman nooses, and all that–sort of like what we did in the Deep South [decades ago]. And I think it was just as bad and just as wrong." Aside from its shocking insensitivity, this statement reveals the insularity, arrogance, and breathtaking entitlement that pervades Wall Street institutions. These attitudes, when combined with their economic and political power, led to the Wall Street bankers’ criminal behavior that destroyed our economy and stole our homes. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) put Benmosche’s words in stark context on Tuesday Sept 24 saying, “[A]s the son of sharecroppers who actually experienced lynchings in their communities—I find it unbelievably appalling that Mr. Benmosche equates the violent repression of the African American people with congressional efforts to prevent the waste of taxpayer dollars. If these statements are true, I believe he has demonstrated a fundamental inability to lead this modern global company in a responsible manner—a company that exists today only because it was rescued by the American taxpayers—and that he should resign his position as CEO immediately.” We could not agree more. We call on AIG CEO Robert Benmosche to apologize clearly and unequivocally, especially to African Americans and members of communities that have been targets of racial violence, and to resign his position as CEO of a firm that only exists today thanks to an $85 billion bailout. (For more information on the extent of lynchings in American history, the Charles Chestnutt Digital Archive at Berea College is a good source of statistics. http://faculty.berea.edu/browners/chesnutt/classroom/lynchingstat.html)

As someone with an "invisible" handicap, I know the importance of the Guest Assistance Program when visiting Disney. This change will make visits less magical and more difficult to guests with handicaps and their families. Many people will not be able to enjoy going or even be able to go to the parks because of this change Disney has decided to make.