The title says it all, folks. It's high time (no pun intended) that we put an end this double standard in regards to those things that are much, much worse: ex. Alcohol, cigarettes.

We the family and friends of Debra-Ann Harris Thacker murdered in August, 2011 would like to see her murderer convicted. The murderer is giving a plea of self-defense which we all know is not the case for our beloved Debra who could not harm a flea. We have lost faith in the justice system and would like to see just how great our penal system is in the City of Greensboro. Don't neglect the full measure of law in this case because of race, gender or creed. We demand justice and a harsh penalty for the cowardliness murder of our family and friend.

The Senate has just passed a bill (S.B. 1813) that includes a provision (Section 31406) requiring 'black box' data recorders to be installed in all new automobiles and light trucks as of the 2015 model year. The law also provides for substantial civil penalties for any owner who disables the recording ability of their MAP-21 black boxes. The government can read the recorded data from these boxes simply by plugging into the vehicle, and use that data to determine where the car has been, how fast it's been going at what location, etc., and then prosecute the driver or owner based upon the information they recover. Now, you might ask, "What's the problem? The law, as written, requires either voluntary permission from the vehicle owner or a court order before data can be retrieved."The same requirements exist today in order for police to gather information from an indivual's cell phone, but police routinely ignore this and gather call logs and contact information from suspected criminals without obtaining permission. The excuse offered is that this information will not be used as evidence in court, but in fact the information is gathered and combined with other sources of information and used in police investigations, without the consent of the cell phone owner... and there is no way you can undo this information gathering and remove the data from the police once they have it. The ease of access to this data, without a reasonable way to protect it from unlawful retrieval, effectively removes any legal protection against abuse. What if the government decided to prosecute anyone who has driven by a certain intersection during a specific window of time, say 10pm to 2am, for drug possession, using their location/time information as evidence? And so, they randomly stop vehicles, and temporarily detain the driver and occupants while they access and download tracking data, then plot all of the 'tracks' in a mapping application. Do you want the police to have the ability to see exactly where you've been, so they can use that information against you? Where you've been, and when, is not the government's business, and being forced to gather this information violates your rights under the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 9th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. This bill has not yet passed the House of Representatives, so it's not too late to strip out these onerous, intrusive provisions into our privacy. Please sign the petition so that our representatives and our president can be reminded that the Constitution still applies, that we are still a free people, that it is no one's business but ours where we have gone, and tell the government to keep their hands off of our freedoms!

I think that more people would get involved in the political process if elections were held over weekends all across the United States. That is what House Resolution (H.R.) 4183 is about. It lays out rules about how we would hold congressional and presidential elections. Voting would take place on the first weekend of November rather than on a Tuesday. Let's work together to involve more people in our democracy!

About getting the money out of the political process.

The US Supreme Court has granted organizations the same rights as individuals while refusing to hold them responsible for the most heinous of crimes, torture, in the same manner it would hold a human person accountable for the same behavior.

The US Supreme Court has granted organizations the same rights as individuals while refusing to hold them responsible for the most heinous of crimes, torture, in the same manner it would hold a human person accountable for the same behavior.

If we can see at least one group of ex-CEO's get prosecuted for the frivilouus, toxic acts commited to this economy in the wake of the financial crisis, we can restore sanity in this country and send a message to the free-world; Irresponsible Behavior Will NOT be Rewarderd.

Like school systems across the state, the Waynesboro School System is facing a deficit for the 2012-2013 school year. With 22 positions lost two years ago and additional cuts made last year, the budget cannot be trimmed further without serious detriment to our students. Quality schools result in lowered crime rates, increased property values, employment, and many other factors that define vibrant communities. As citizens of Waynesboro, we believe investing in our schools is in our best interest.

We the students, faculty, and staff of San Francisco State University, reject the further corporatization of our campus. We see the possible corporate management of the campus bookstore as a further intrusion by private corporations into our public university. Furthermore, this attempt undermines our university’s values and its strong commitment to the SFSU community.

All elected officials are subject toterm limits (time spent in office not doing the people's work for the people) - it is way beyond time to bring the very same term limits to the Supreme Court and the political hacks that call themselves Supreme Court Justices today - people paid with government taxes to do our work for us, not to undo what the people have voted into law -

The localities of Greater Richmond share transportation needs, including the absorption of 300,000 more people by 2027. But, the region currently has no central transportation authority empowered to both plan and fund projects that would benefit the common good. This Richmond Transportation Authority can only be created by the Virginia General Assembly.