Every year more and more people leave a federal courthouse with a felony conviction that they cannot have taken off their record. It affects their ability to obtain housing, work, and lead normal lives. After the debt has been paid to society by the convicted, there should be a path to having: rights restored, record sealed from the public, and/or record expungement

Next week the Senate is taking up the reauthorization of George Bush's warrantless wiretapping scheme. Opposition to it used to be in every Democrat's stump speech, but now It looks like Democrats and Republicans alike are lining up to support extending it for 5 more years -- without even having a meaningful debate about these invasive powers! Advocates -- and even many senators -- believe these powers are regularly abused to spy on Americans. But law enforcement agencies are refusing to provide meaningful data on how they use them and whom they're snooping on. This spying regime is likely even unconstitutional, with the Supreme Court about to take up a case in opposition to warrantless wiretapping. Tell the Senate to reject the extension of warrantless wiretapping, and, at the very least, to make sure that there's a serious debate.

In 1791 we passed the right to bear arms, but we need stronger controls and back round checks as well as a ban on automatic weapons. The NRA is wrong, support the Brady amendment allowing the right to own guns. Stop the killing of innocent children and adults.

Gun control and school shootings need to be dealt with. For someone to walk into an elementary school and shoot children is disgusting. We need to come together and show Washington that this is something we will not stand for in this country. Something must be done, NOW. Government has one true responsibility and that is to protect the people of this country from threats foreign and domestic, its time they start to focus on the domestic side.

America agrees that bullying is not acceptable on the school yard. Let's extend that to the Senate and the Cabinet Member confirmation process. Ambassador Rice had nothing to do with the attack in Benghazi. The withdrawal of her name for consideration as Secretary of State is the direct result of Republican bullying aimed at getting John Kerry to vacate his Senate seat to serve in Ambassador Rice's stead. Though Senator Kerry would be a brilliant Secretary of State, let's ensure that we have the right people in the best positions to help the USA navigate these perilous times. It's time to break the power of bullies, both here and abroad.

We have overpaid child support by 25 thousand dollars already and they claim that we owe another 11 thousand. Official payments were made to the court, but we were not ever given credit for them. The court says too bad because we did not get the legal advice nor help we needed in a "timely" manner according to the courts.

General Colin Powell and Senator Jeanne Shaheen want to protect the women in the military with their rights. Women need the right to care and make choices about their own bodies. Abortion is always an option for an unwanted pregnancy. Certainly it is a woman's decision, to choose where and when we want to have children.

Santa Ana, CA Judge Derek Johnson admonished a rape victim in court for "not putting up a fight" and said, if someone doesn't want sexual intercourse, the body "will not permit that to happen." People with these types of beliefs shouldn't be deciding cases of sexual violence.

Due to the severe pay inequalities of current day created by corporate greed, this act will again help level the playing field for the working class. In 1980 the average CEO pay was 42 x the average employee, but as of 2010 the Average CEO pay is 343 x the average employee all while the average workers wages have been stagnant since the 80s.

Governor Cuomo is misrepresenting the facts about Education funding and it could lay the legislative groundwork for another round of hurtful cuts in this year's upcoming budget cycle. We need to let our communities know the facts so the Governor's spin machine can not ultimately hurt our children again.

Bank of America agreed in 2008 to phase out loans to coal companies that fund Mountaintop Removal. However, they underwrote "loans to companies that are responsible for 40% of all the mountaintop removal coal that was mined in 2010” (iLoveMountains.org). Mountaintop Removal is dangerous to communities that live near mountains. Bank of America needs to make active measures to follow through and defund Mountaintop Removal!

This petition is intended to redirect our bloated military to address the greatest threats to our national security.