Recently, I was sent a picture via Facebook of a pickup loaded with various articles, a boy who appeared to be about 12 years old was riding back there with saw horses, etc. I found out later, there was a car seat in the bed of the truck also with a toddler in it. Several years ago there was a death in Stephen County when a toddler bounced out of a pickup as it crossed over a railroad track at too fast speed. The baby was killed. I cannot believe there is still no law in this county to prevent something so horrible.

The Ugandan government is just days away from adopting a draconian law criminalizing homosexuality. Gay and lesbian Ugandans could face life in prison or even the death penalty. Evangelical mega-church pastor Rick Warren has traveled to Uganda and preached against homosexuality and one of the Ugandan pastors who's led the fight for this horrific bill has spoken at Warren's conferences in the United States. So the last time the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" was introduced in Uganda, human-rights activists successfully pressured Rick Warren into taking a public stand against the law. Faced with mounting international criticism, the Uganda government backed down -- until now. But this time around, Rick Warren is remaining conspicuously silent about the situation in Uganda, despite giving a number of high-profile interviews on other subjects. At a time when his voice could help save the lives of LGBT Ugandans, he's on CNN comparing being gay to giving in to a temptation to "punch a guy in the nose."

Dear President Obama, I request that, during the swearing-in ceremony for your second term, you consider laying your hand upon a copy of the Constitution instead of upon the Bible and that you eliminate all trappings of religious faith from the ceremony. The reasons for this request are as follows: -Having the Chief Executive sworn in with a Bible is an obvious violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment as it clearly represents a preferential acknowledgement of one religious belief (Judeo-Christianity) over all others. -The Constitution represents the set of rules that applies to all Americans regardless of race, sex or creed, whereas religious texts only apply to the adherents of their particular faith. -The Constitution is the document that you swear to defend in your oath of office. -The Bible contains passages that are supportive of mysogyny, homophobia and genocide. It also offers advice on how to properly treat slaves without once stating that owning other human beings is morally wrong. -None of the governments described in the Bible are democratic. -The words "so help me God" are not a part of the official oath as stated in the Constitution and when said by a member of the government being sworn into office represent another violation of the Establishment Clause. Obviously the choice to remove all forms of faith from a presidential inaugural will be controversial and cause outrage among your political foes as well as many of your supporters. But in the interest of obtaining true religious liberty in our country, this outrage will be well worth facing and the ensuing debate healthy and well worth having.

Use this form to sign Senator Harkin’s petition to President Obama urging him to stand strong and protect the middle class in the fiscal "cliff" negotiations. If we all stand together, we can strengthen President Obama’s hand without tying his hands.

a minority of senators have been holding up bills that are favored by a majority of senators. bills should be voted up or down by a simple majority, rather than requiring 60 votes to be acted upon. time is short. phone your senators today.

Go to link: http://wh.gov/IYtl to sign petition at WhiteHouse.gov. Promote an Amendment to the U. S. Constitution to guarantee unbiased tax-payer funded Elections for all of our Citizens. Promote an Amendment to the Constitution to rectify, guarantee and create a Unbiased Tax-payer funded (a minimun fee) Federal Elections and Polling Commission (similar to the Federal Reserve). All other moneys would be illegal with a minimum fine of 100 times the amount of the contribution/gift (including to Incubents and Challengers). All Elections and Polling (Federal, State and Local) would a month long and would be done on-line based on a combined data-base of the States, IRS, Social Security, Medicare ,Medicade and Re-election Committees. There would be a Federal Holiday on the final day once a year. The State/Local Election Commissions would be become part of the new Federal Commission. Influence of Lobbists would be marginal-ized and Citizens-United made mute. A real Legacy!!

Congress and President are making noises about cutting Social Security in the bogus name of changing the meaning of inflation. It would mean cat food for meany seniors. Don't let them do it!

It is only fair that this proposal be legislated and enforced in order to (1) make it clear to all educational authorities that placing and/or keeping a person of any age who is capable of learning at his/her full potential without special education in special education in even the slightest degree will not be tolerated, even if a parent and/or guardian of the person wants and/or has ever wanted the person to be in special education and (2) undo the pain, shame, suffering, and embarrassment caused as a result of one's having been a student in special education in even the slightest degree!

Medicare, alone, loses an estimated $110 billion every year to fraud, waste and abuse. Claims paid for people who don't exist, or have never been treated. Massive over treatment and unnecessary hospitalization by health care providers for the sake of revenue. This affects all of us in the form of higher taxes and premiums, with reduced services, threatening the entire U.S. economy and society.

Question on job applications ask "if ever convicted of felony?" with disclaimer that answering yes will not hinder consideration for employment when in fact it does. However, if it doesn't why ask? Maybe the question should be followed by "how long ago was the conviction?" Employers cannot ask a persons age on an application and a person has the option to answer the question about race. Omitting these questions help to curtail discrimination against age and race. Ex offenders like my significant other, who has been released from prison and has had no other issues with the law since 1996, can't get pass this issue. If an offender has paid their debt to society and have had no other run ins with the law in almost 17 years, shouldn't they be given a second chance? By not giving these people another chance to change their lives could result in desperation acts of trying to provide for themselves or a family.

Pledge to boycott Walmart & Sam's Club stores until they afford their workers respect and a livable wage.

During the presidential campaign, the difference between President Obama and Mitt Romney on dealing with the "fiscal cliff" could not have been clearer, and now that the American people have spoken, it is equally clear whose position they favored. As negotiations proceed in Congress, our representatives should hold the line on letting the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% expire and protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.