Born and raised in New Orleans, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox have been held in solitary confinement by the State of Louisiana longer than any inmates on record in the United States. For over 41 years Wallace and Woodfox have been kept in six-foot-by-nine-foot cells a minimum of 23 hours a day (for more information about their case see http://www.angola3.org). These types of conditions are notorious throughout US prisons, where isolation units have become common practice rather than being used under the most extreme of cases. As of today, about 80,000 prisoners throughout the United States are kept in solitary confinement. A movement with international support calls for Louisiana authorities to end the deplorable prison conditions experienced by these men for over 4 decades (see http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-the-angola-3). Recognizing that Wallace and Woodfox are not alone, United States House Representatives Cedric Richmond, Jerrold Nadler, Scott Lead, and John Conyers, drafted a letter to the Department of Justice calling for investigations into the alarming conditions of several Louisiana state prison facilities. In their letter, the Representatives condemn the patterned use of long-term solitary confinement as a violation of the US Constitution's Eighth and Fourteenth Ammendments (protection against cruel and unusual punishment and due process) and also call for an independent investigation of its widespread practice in Louisiana, in particular solitary confinement in Angola Prison. (http://democrats.judiciary.house.gov/press-release/reps-richmond-conyers-nadler-and-scott-lead-letter-calling-investigation-several) Herman and Albert are at the forefront of a campaign that affects hundreds of Louisiana inmates CURRENTLY being held in long-term solitary confinement units with no meaningful opportunity to be returned to general population. Many of these inmates have been held in solitary confinement for years, while still others have been held for decades. Over 70% of those held in solitary confinement will leave prison, and reenter our communities far physically, emotionally and psychologically more damaged than when they were admitted to prison. The practice of solitary confinement has been universally condemned by many organizations including Amnesty International, the Center for Constitutional Rights, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Furthermore, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, Juan E. Méndez, recently urged the US Government to abolish the use of prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement. Méndez stresses that “even if solitary confinement is applied for short periods of time, it often causes mental and physical suffering or humiliation, amounting to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and if the resulting pain or sufferings are severe, solitary confinement even amounts to torture.” Considering that Louisiana has lagged behind as other states join in the growing movement to end mass incarceration and the use of solitary confinement, the TIME HAS ARRIVED to review how this inhumane prison practice is being used in Louisiana prisons and jails. Please join this call to demand that the Louisiana Legislature's Administration of Criminal Justice Committee host a public hearing on the use of long-term solitary confinement before the beginning of the 2014 legislative session. For more information, resources and dialogue about the use of long-term solitary confinement in US prisons please visit: http://ccrjustice.org/solitary-factsheet http://www.nyclu.org/files/publications/nyclu_boxedin_FINAL.pdf https://afsc.org/resource/solitary-confinement-facts http://www.nrcat.org/torture-in-us-prisons/statement http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/08/03/what-its-like-to-spend-8-years-in-solitary-confinement/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=solitary-confinement-cruel-ineffective-unusual http://www.motherjones.com/special-reports/2012/10/solitary-confinement-shane-bauer http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/solitary-confinement-cruel-but-not-unusual/2013/08/03/9c9b6992-f0b0-11e2-bed3-b9b6fe264871_story.html http://www.solitarywatch.com

My cousin, a Swedish national, is stranded in Germany! The US of A will not let her back into the country to be with her husband ( A United States Naval Vet) and children after she went to Sweden to get medical treatment! She did not burden the American system, she did not break any laws, she is not a terrorist, yet my country is treating her as if she were an outlaw. If you are married to an American citizen, you should have every right to be be with that person, irregardless of your VISA status. Every American, with the exception of native Indians, was once an immigrant. I understand that there have to be rules, but there also has to be an exception to every rule. Shame on us for depriving a 9 year old of his mother for the next three years. Every country in Europe recognizes marriage and would not separate a mother from her son, a wife from her husband. And to top it off, the American consulate tells her, they are not here to answer questions. If anyone has any idea about what one should do in a situation like this, please post your comment. I love my cousin dearly, she is always welcome to stay with me in Germany, but I would be so much happier if I knew she was at home in the US with her family, where she belongs. Today, I am not proud to be an American

IF WE DON'T WANT THE USE OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WHY ARE WE STILL ALLOWING THEM TO BE MADE AND THEN SOLD?

My beloved mother passed away last year due to the poor standards of the nursing home system.

STATISTICS: Sex Offender Statistics Total number of registered sex offenders nationwide in the U.S. 747,408 Total number of sex offenders under supervision of a corrections agencies 265,000 Percent of sex offenders that will commit another sex crime after being released from jail 2.7 % Percent of sex offenders that will commit a crime (non-sexual) after release from jail 70 % Percent of sexually molested boys who are molested by someone they knew 93 % Percent of sexually molested girls who are molested by someone they knew 80 % Percent of second offenses that occur while living in a supervised community 60 % Average re-conviction rate for a child molester 20 % Average re-conviction rate for rapists 19% Percent of children who are sexually abused that will become sexually abusive later in life 30% Average annual cost to incarcerate a sex offender $22,000 Percent of sexual assaults that occur between 6:00pm and 12:00am 43% Average number of years a sex offender serves of an 8 year sentence 3.5 years States with highest rate of sex offenders Rate / 100,000 Delaware 517 Oregon 473 Vermont 468 Michigan 403 Arkansas 396 Wisconsin 391 Minnesota 316 Florida 311 States with lowest rate of sex offenders Rate / 100,000 Pennsylvania 94 Maryland 136 New Mexico 140 Rhode Island 146 North Carolina 149 Connecticut 152 Washington D.C. 160 New Jersey 164 Myths about Child Sexual Abuse Myth #1:Child sexual abuse occurs only among strangers. If children stay away from strangers, they will not be sexually abused.Fact:National statistics indicate that in approximately 88 percent of the cases, the offender is known to the victim. He/she is usually a relative, family member, family friend, baby-sitter or older friend of the child. Myth #2:Children provoke sexual abuse by their seductive behavior.Fact:Seductive behavior is not the cause. Responsibility for the act lies with the offender. Sexual abuse sexually exploits a child not developmentally capable of understanding or resisting and/or who may be psychologically or socially dependent on the offender. Myth #3:The majority of child sexual abuse victims tell someone about the abuse.Fact:According to a study by Dr. David Finkelhor, close to 2/3 of all child victims may not tell their parents or anyone else because they fear being blamed, punished or not believed. Myth#4:Men and women sexually abuse children equally.Fact:Men are offenders 94 percent of the time in cases of child sexual abuse. Men sexually abuse both male and female children. Seventy-five percent of male offenders are married or have consenting sexual relationships. Only about 4 percent of same-sex abuse involves homosexual perpetrators; 96 percent of the perpetrators are heterosexual. Myth #5:If the children did not want it, they could say, "Stop!"Fact:Children generally do not question the behavior of adults, having been taught to obey them. They are coerced by bribes, threats and use of a position of authority.Myth #6:All sexual abuse victims are girls.Fact:Studies on child sexual abuse indicate one in three females under the age of 18 and one in four males under the age of 18 are child sexual abuse victims. Myth #7:Family sexual abuse is an isolated, one-time incident.Fact:Studies indicate that most child sexual abuse continues for at least two years before it is reported. And in most cases, it doesn't stop until it's reported. Myth #8:In family sexual abuse, the "non-offending" parent always knows.Fact:While some "non-offending" parents know and even support the offender's actions, many, because of their lack of awareness, may suspect something is wrong, but are unclear as to what it is or what to do. Myth #9:Family sexual abuse only happens in low-income families.Fact:Family sexual abuse crosses all classes of society. There is no race, social, or economic class that is immune to family sexual abuse. Incest is estimated to occur in 14 percent of all families. Up to 25 percent of American children are incest victims. Myth #10:Non-violent sexual behavior between a child and adult is not damaging to the child.Fact:Nearly all victims will experience confusion, shame, guilt, anger, and a poor self-image. Child sexual abuse can result in long-term relationship problems and be perpetuated from generation to generation. Dr. Nicholas Groth, who has worked extensively with sexual offenders, reports that 60 percent of convicted sexual offenders have reported histories of child sexual abuse victimization. Information provided by Red Flag Green Flag Resources, Rape and Crisis Abuse Center of Fargo/Moorhead.

I studied abroad this summer through Purdue University, and it was a Global Leadership Program in Costa Rica. We all learned about the tico's culture, and how to be more sustainable. Now, everyone who went to Costa Rica has to step up and be leader, and try to impact the world in their own unique way. My major is wildlife, and my passion is animals, so I wanted my project to focus on helping animals, and pet overpopulation seemed like the perfect idea. It seemed like a good idea, because not much is being done about this problem, and not many people are very educated about it. This problem does not just affect homeless animals, but it affects the entire environment. It is a problem, that if not fixed, it could grow into something much worse than just an abundant amount of homeless animals, like disrupt the environments food chain. According to my home town veterinarian, Dr. Komorowski, he does not think people understand how many truck loads of dead animals are hauled out of animal shelters every month. That is why I a starting this petition, and doing everything in my power to make an impact on our world. If i do not try, then who will?

During a virtual town hall meeting held on Monday, September 9, Rep. Rosa DeLauro said that she was leaning toward voting FOR authorizing military force in Syria. We believe that Rosa's constituents do not want her to vote for more war, especially when there are diplomatic options still available. Let's show her that her district wants her to vote NO. Sign and share this petition, which we'll deliver directly to Rosa's office in New Haven.

Thanks to outsourcing and corporate consolidation, and especially because of increasing technology, productivity per worker has increased dramatically over the past century, while (real) wages have stagnated for several decades. This is the primary reason why income inequality is increasing, unemployment has gotten so high, the rich have grown super rich, and the poor and middle class are hurting - when productivity is raised, the labor supply increases, and companies lay people off while keeping the same output. When jobs are scarce, companies can offer lower wages, because competition is high. We need to lower hours now for the same reason we needed to after the industrial revolution - and all the same excuses for why it wouldn't work were said then, and they all proved to be wrong. More here: http://biodieselhauling.blogspot.com/2011/10/dramatically-reduce-unemployment-by.html

no time limit on overturning a decleration of paterinityld that is not mine because law says you have two years to overturn the declaration of paternity from the day you sign it. why should someone pay for someone else's child?

In an outlandishly shameless case of adding insult to injury, the American defense contractor CACI is demanding that four Abu Ghraib inmates — who sued the company over allegations that its employees tortured them — pay its legal expenses. The lawsuit was recently dismissed over matters of jurisdiction, without addressing the issue of torture. The former prisoners — who were never charged with a crime — have appealed, but now CACI wants them to pay $15,580 of its legal costs. By the way, CACI’s 2012 revenue of $3.8 billion breaks down to $7,230 per minute. Whatever its true role at Abu Ghraib, how can CACI demand money from innocent torture victims when the company makes enough to cover those expenses — courtesy of the American taxpayers, no less — every two minutes? Tell CACI chairman J. P. London to let it go.

We have the right to use the land we pay taxes for.

Natural vanilla flavor comes from a vanilla bean, right? Maybe not for long -- a new genetically engineered ingredient, straight out of a petri dish, is about to enter our favorite foods, from ice cream to birthday cake. Synbio vanilla -- produced by a form of extreme genetic engineering called “synthetic biology” -- is stranger than science fiction, but regulators will still let food companies call it "natural". So we're asking major ice cream companies like Haagen Dazs, Edy’s, Baskin Robbins and others not to use this experimental genetically engineered vanilla in their products. The truth is, this new vanilla doesn’t even come from a plant. Instead, it is made in labs using synthetic DNA and genetically engineered yeast that exists nowhere in nature. What’s worse, the FDA hasn’t even bothered to test this laboratory creation as a new product. Instead the agency will likely approve it as “Generally Regarded as Safe”. As the first major use of synthetic biology in our food, synbio vanilla could set a dangerous precedent and open the floodgates to allow more synthetic, genetically engineered ingredients labeled as “natural”. And if all of this wasn’t bad enough, this new synbio vanilla could speed rainforest destruction, and harm sustainable farmers and poor communities that rely on rainforest-raised vanilla beans to survive. Ice cream companies are one of the biggest purchasers of vanilla flavoring and we need your help to send them a strong message: don't use this unnatural “synbio vanilla” in your ice cream.