More than 130,000 horses are transported from the USA to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for human consumption to Asia and Europe. The tranportation of the horses is crowded and unsafe and slaughter process is inhumane. There are healthy, trained horses (sometimes pregant) of all ages that are slaughtered. 80% of Americans do not support horse slaughter. Horse slaughter was recently legislated approval to return to the USA. Please contact your local, state and federal government officials to tell them you support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 and that we do NOT wish to support horses being slaughtered in the USA and don't want them shipped outside of th USA for slaughter.

I am a stateless person seeking entry into the United States to ensure that I can be present for the reopening and rehearing of my asylum case. I was born in the former U.S.S.R. and have resided in the United States for about 16 years after entering on December 12, 1995 on a B1/B2 visa as citizen of ex Soviet Union. In February 1996, I applied for asylum on basis of ethnicity (Armenian) and religion (Christianity) during the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia caused in part by anti-Armenian sentiment by muslim populated Azerbaijan along with significant persecution and discrimination towards Armenians, Russians and openly practice gay population in Muslim populated Turkmenistan (part of former Soviet Republic). I never brought the issue of being gay during my asylum hearing in 1996 as I was not aware about gay situation in US and was scared to open myself, was afraid of being humiliated or worth hated. My applications for asylum and withholding of removal were denied on October 17, 1996. I was granted voluntary departure and told to leave by November 18, 1996. I could not leave United States due to circumstances beyond my control as I found myself stateless without country.    I tried to get travel documents on numerous occasions from former republics of U.S.S.R. including Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan but received denials each time. The Consulate of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles in written denied my request for travel document and citizenship and I.C.E. in Los Angeles has the copy of that letter.  The Department of Homeland Security later released me under Order of Supervision in 2003 ( I continued reporting for supervision through my last report in October 2011) after their efforts to secure travel documents for me also failed.  When U.S.S.R. dissolved, I considered a citizen be neither Russia or other former republics of Soviet block due to their newly adopted citizenship law after gaining independency from Soviet Union. The UNHCR, learning of my situation, identified me as a person of concern to them because of my stateless status.   I applied for and received visitor permit to enter American Samoa and entered on December 29, 2011 for a New Year holiday vacation. I believed that I could travel to American Samoa without being considered departing the United States after being told by immigration authorities in Los Angeles that it was not a problem getting to American Samoa as long as I could obtain travel permission from American Samoa Government since American Samoa considered a territory not a state, which I did. During my visit to American Samoa I also traveled for one day to Western Samoa. I had no idea that Western Samoa was independent state until I arrived there, I thought that Eastern and Western Samoa was part of United States territory of American Samoa. I was denied trying to board my flight from American Samoa to Los Angeles via Honolulu on January 2, 2012. This is when I first was made aware that I could not return.   During my trip, my pro bono attorney, Ms. Lauren Gibson, Esq. was contacted by Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Chief Counsel that they wanted to initiate a motion to reopen my asylum case. I would be able to bring new evidence, especially in light of the fact that I am gay without country and face severe persecution if ever able to be forced to return to any country of the former U.S.S.R.   The UNHCR and U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified me as part of a vulnerable population because I am stateless. I must return to the United States so I am present for my reopened immigration court proceedings. I must make sure I have a chance to give new evidence about why I must receive asylum.   As a stateless with no papers to enter another country as refugee or asylum seeker I am like a bird with nowhere to rest on the ground, but which can't spend his whole life in the sky. Only the oceans, the skies over my head. I cannot legally enter another state where I face the same illegalities which I face in the deporting state. United States was my home for 16 years, my life, my education, my carrier where I  strongly established ties to the community in Houston, TX where I lived before and in Los Angeles, CA where I lived before my short vacation trip to the U.S. territory in South Pacific.   My asylum claim was viewed as important enough to reopen by ICE. They initiated the desire to reopen my case. It would be counter to the opinion of a Department of Homeland Security agency to allow me to receive humanitarian parole so I can be present for my case.   American Samoa has no immigration or refugee system. I am stuck in limbo unless I can return to the United States and present my case before the immigration courts.

Wisconsin's recall elections are in the closing days. The Republicans are spending 25 to 1 against the Democrats. This election brings together issues vital to workers, fairness, truth versus lies and Citizen United. President Obama needs to take sides because this election sets the stage for November for all of voters. We are calling on him to step up and make a difference.

Illegal semi-truck traffic on Marietta Road endangers the safety and quality of life in our neighborhood. The excessive truck traffic through our neighborhood creates diesel exhaust pollution, noise issues, potholes and makes it dangerous to walk or drive. We are calling on the City of Atlanta to take action to eliminate this problem and protect our families and community.

horses built this country and won our freedom. they have fed our families, built our cites, carry our children. they are NOT food.

Any new congress person will serve no more than 2 terms for senators or 6 terms for representatives with no extra retirement benefits for either House. Current members of Congress will be Grandfathered in until they retire or are voted out of office.

Catholic bishops are concerned about the government's requirement that birth control pills be a part of an employee's medical coverage even if that institution receives federal money for their services. The bishops are concerned about the woman losing her reproductive ability and that is contrary to their religious beliefs for any reason. This should also include any treatment for any medical condition or medication that could reduce or render a male employee, priest or bishop sterile.

All renters in the city of Pasadena, California, should be able to recycle their trash on the premises of the apartments they rent, whether by sorted recycling bins or by using trash collection services that properly sort refuse. Landlords should be required by the city to make these services available to their tenants.

Enough is enough. The use of cell phones during movies is disrespectful and rude. It is corroding public life. New York should lead the way in banning cell phone use during movies.

It will take an act of Congress to pass a law that Prohibits cellular phone companies from charging Excessive fees and penalties.

Despite the growing desire for "organic" foods in America we find ourselves more reliant on chemicals to produce our food than ever. Part of the problem is the extremely flawed organic labeling system in place. The organic label is inadequate at resolving the multiplicity of standards that create consumer confusion and undermine certification integrity while preserving the ability for labeling methods to target a wide range of environmental and public health issues. Our solution is to divide and sub-categorize this process into more specific narrowly defined certifications designed for consumer clarity and the realistic ability to regulate and enforce, under this model “pesticide free” would be only one of many new labels put into practice.

Social Security payments should be made on a date certain (like they used to be) rather than a certain day of a certain week of the month. Recipients now must wait five weeks several months in the year before receiving their payment, which throws off the recipient's payment of other monthly obligations, thereby making those payments overdue. Social Security Administration is an entity unto itself much like the Internal Revenue Service, and the people of the United States have no recourse. They will not even respond to individual correspondence.