Last month, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) asked the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to finalize its 2001 guidance on voluntary labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The senators advertised their request as a move intended to benefit consumers. But in fact, a federal voluntary labeling plan plays right into the hands of Monsanto and big food. Sometimes it's appropriate to contact a senator who doesn't directly represent you, because his or her actions could result in a federal law that could affect all Americans, not just the citizens in one state. This is one of those times. Please tell Senators Warren and Udall that FDA guidance on voluntary GMO labeling would be great for Monsanto and big food, but bad for consumers. How would finalizing the FDA's 2001 guidance hurt consumers? Worst-case scenario, the biotech and food industries could use the FDA guidance to preempt state laws requiring mandatory labeling of GMOs. Currently, states have the right to enact GMO labeling laws precisely because the FDA has not formally ruled on GMO labeling. Second, the FDA’s guidance on voluntary GMO labeling could be used to put an end to existing, legitimate voluntary non-GMO labeling efforts. By allowing the FDA, which has previously (and controversially) ruled that GMO and non-GMO foods are “substantially equivalent,” the FDA could rule against non-GMO or GMO-free labels on the basis that they mislead consumers by implying that there’s a difference between GMO and non-GMO foods. Monsanto and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, two of the biggest funders of campaigns to defeat state GMO labeling laws, support the FDA’s guidance on voluntary labeling of GMOs. Consumers don't because we know who will benefit from the FDA's rule - big corporations, not us. We need to get Senators Warren and Udall back on our side.

GUNS ARE MADE FOR ONE THING - TO KILL! THEY ARE "VEHICLES" OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. All other "vehicles" are registered and owners must pass tests to be licensed to use them. Why not guns also? Gun registration and training and testing with rules and regulations do not hamper your Second Amendment rights if you are safe and sane and responsible as an American citizen. But with guns, there is another added problem: the possibility of gun-running for profit from states with loose laws to supply the crazed demands for firearms in inner city ghetto areas where being armed is like living in Wyatt Earp's times of the Wild West. Years ago, the U.S. Congress passed a Uniform Commercial Code to standardize paperwork for much of interstate commerce. Today's need for up-to-date gun laws requires us to develop a modern registration system, administered nationwide by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). COME ON AND WAKE UP AMERICA - STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS!

My friends and I are concerned about the Bureau of Reclamation's plan to raise Shasta Dam. The raising of Shasta Dam will flood sacred native sites, demolish existing habitat for endangered species, destroy existing resorts and marinas, dislocate the town of Lakehead, CA and impact our local economy in a negative manner.

My friends and I are concerned about the Bureau of Reclamation (Mid-Pacific Region) plan to raise Shasta Dam. The raising of Shasta Dam will flood sacred native sites, destroy existing resorts and marinas, dislocate the town of Lakehead, CA and impact our local economy in a negative manner.

Thanks to the Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, abused immigrant women are losing their drivers' licenses. Under her new policy they won't even have the ability to get into a car and escape their abusers. Brewer's order to block immigrants from getting drivers' licenses at first only included DREAMers, the recipients of deferred action under President Obama's 2012 program. But rather than do away with her discriminatory practice after faced with public outcry, Brewer vindictively included all immigrants who have received deferred action. This will now include battered immigrant women in Arizona, who can receive deferred action under the Violence Against Women Act. The state of Arizona has already issued tens of thousands of drivers' licenses to immigrants who qualified for deferred action in the past. But because she doesn't want to be seen as "giving in" to Obama or DREAMers, she'd rather take drivers' licenses away from all immigrants, period. Brewer's actions are not only a direct attack on young people, but they are devastating for women in her state. Many undocumented immigrant women already don't report domestic abuse to law enforcement out of fear of deportation. It’s time to put an end to Gov. Brewer’s anti-immigrant campaign. As the signer of the nation's most extreme anti-immigrant law, Brewer has carved out her entire political career at the expense of the most vulnerable of our society. Arizona deserves better!

Congress has 5 days scheduled before the Sep. 30 budget deadline to avoid a government shutdown. But some Republicans won't even negotiate unless Obamacare is defunded — and they're using the deadline to gain leverage. We need Rep. Latham to prioritize expanding the middle class during the budget debate. Unless we act quickly, he may join with Republicans like Rep. Paul Ryan and support more cuts to education, healthcare, and other vital services.

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.