So many of our tax dollars go towards military spending, The Dept. of Defense, towards Education, The Dept. of Education, etc.; I would like to see some of my taxes go towards a Dept. of Peace. There are so many NGO's working for peace – breaking the cycle of domestic violence, aiding battered women, etc. I would like Congress to create a government agency dedicated to fostering peace in this country.

SignOn is testing some email targeting. If you get this petition emailed to you, please forward it to [email protected].

SignOn is testing some email targeting. If you get this petition emailed to you, please forward it to [email protected].

SignOn is testing some email targeting. If you get this petition emailed to you, please forward it to [email protected]. If I edit this it should reappear in the vetting. How does the mini-pileon appear?

SignOn is testing some email targeting. If you get this petition emailed to you, please forward it to [email protected].

SignOn is testing some email targeting. If you get this petition emailed to you, please forward it to [email protected].

SignOn is testing some email targeting. If you get this petition emailed to you, please forward it to [email protected].

Texas Republican legislators, and Gov. Rick Perry, are demanding state citizens show photo ID before they vote. This forces us to pay for the right to vote. Perry's shameless attack on the elderly, the poor and our disabled citizens, who can't afford to obtain ID, will cost them their right to vote.

Another example of corporations attacking our rights: This time, it is an attempt to squelch our ability to sue big corporations. The birth control pill Yasmin, or Yaz, has been shown to cause blood clots in blood vessels that can lead to death.1 According to recent studies, Yaz carries triple the risk over traditional birth control pills. 2 So what is the response of Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz? They are trying to prevent women from being able to sue for damages by changing the rules by which plaintiffs can pool their efforts to sue when there is a large number of claims of damages against a product. Cases like this are expensive to litigate, and unless working people can join together in what’s called “mass tort,” lawyers won’t be able to build a winnable case against corporations like Bayer with their untold billions of dollars in resources. There are already thousands of cases filed against Bayer, with many more to come. Bayer wants to change the rules, effectively separating the cases, requiring tens of thousands of individual trials in courts across the country. If Bayer wins, it will effectively end the possibility of a fair trial for women who are making claims that they were injured or killed by Yaz. And it will mean that other corporations will have a new way to avoid responsibility by manipulating our courts. 3 Tell Bayer to play fair. Sign our petition demanding that they stop their attempt to change the rules. 1 British Medical Journal http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7383/257.full 2 Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/22/idUS87382+22-Apr-2011+PRN20110422 3 While this is in Pennsylvania’s courts, this will have a national impact, since many of these cases are from out of state, and because it will embolden other big corporations to use this tactic.

Currently the Oneida County (WI) Board and its subcommittees meet during the daytime, sometimes as early as 9:30 a.m. and only on workdays. This not only severely restricts the opportunity for input but also limits or even eliminates the opportunity to hear directly from our elected leaders. Further, it limits opportunities for those who wish to run for County Board positions. Consequently the voice of the citizen is limited strictly to those available during daytime hours--those who happen to be retired, semi-retired, or who have flexible hours.

Over a three-year period ending in 2007, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, headed by self styled "Toughest Sheriff in America" Joe Arpaio“ ignored or inadequately investigated over 400 sex crimes, many including reported child molestation, with victims as young as two years old. In the small Arizona community of El Mirage alone, at least 50 - 75 sex abuse cases (including over 32 child molestation reports) were never resolved. Victims of abuse, especially vulnerable children, are entitled to the protection of local law enforcement and deserve to have their accusers brought to justice. It is unconscionable that Sheriff Arpaio has allowed such a gross miscarriage of justice to take place under his direction. Under Sheriff Joe Arpaio's watch, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has allowed hundreds of reported sexual abuse crimes, including dozens of alleged child molestations, to be mishandled, inadequately investigated, or outright ignored. Law enforcement officials are sworn to serve and protect the public and victims of abuse are entitled to justice under our legal system.

The Connecticut Supreme Court has called for the appointment of a "special master" to resolve the redistricting impasse for U.S. Congressional districts. Republicans want to gerrymander Bridgeport out of the 4th District (currently represented by Jim Himes) and lump it together with New Haven (currently represented by Rosa DeLauro). This politically motivated plan would quarantine southwestern Fairfield County into a non-competitive "safe" Republican district and silence the voices of Democratic and minority voters in cities like Norwalk, Stamford, and Danbury.