Recent news stories of children being torn away from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border are heartbreaking. One story described a mother whose baby girl was yanked from her arms while she was breastfeeding her. The mother cried out and tried to hang on to her child as government agents forcibly separated them. Hundreds of other families have been torn apart since the Trump administration enacted this brutal new policy. This shockingly cruel, traumatic, and inhumane practice has no place in our country. It must be stopped immediately, and without holding these children hostage to pass other anti-immigrant policies. We must speak loudly enough, and in large enough numbers, that the media stays focused on this story.

Josephine County Commissioners have proposed an unnecessary and ill-considered anti-gun control ordinance which, in its initial draft, would prohibit the Josephine County Sheriff's Office from "investigating, detecting, apprehending or incarcerating persons whose only violation of the law is to carry, manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell or transfer firearms or firearm-related items." This proposed ordinance is an effort to make an end run around possible passage of state Initiative Petition 43. IP 43 is a very reasonable petition which will ban the sale of certain semi-automatic weapons and high capacity magazines, and require anyone who currently owns such weapons to either register them with the state or get rid of them. We need to let our county commissioners know that the proposed county ordinance is an extreme measure that does not represent what is good for our county. It cuts off healthy discussion and discounts reasonable controls for keeping us and our children safe from gun violence.

-A Chinese international student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison enquired about adopting a ragdoll from Crescent Moon Cattery. After answering extensive personal questions and repeatedly expressing her genuine desire to adopt a kitten from the breeder, she was refused due to the following reason: the breeder does not sell to "Asia or Asian International Students. -Such discriminatory actions must be brought to light and addressed-- we urge you to conduct an investigation and deem Crescent Moon Ragdolls unfit to be a registered TICA member.

Our City Council vision states, "The City of Redmond will be a model for Northwest communities by being innovative in the creation of a high quality of life, ample family wage jobs and a safe environment in which to raise and educate families." In October of 2017, Redmond constituents emailed and met with City Councilors to share community experiences with racism and racial microaggression in Redmond. We attended Council meetings and asked Council to show commitment by joining a non-partisan, non-profit organization that has road-mapped how to successfully engage immigrants and refugees INTO the heart of a community. The Council said no, primarily because of 1) an up to $200/year membership fee and 2) fear of possible political ramifications. Further, in a recorded Council workshop that took place October 17, 2017, Council members including our Mayor, made dismissive commentary in consideration of this request, such as, "We do feel welcoming, but we don't need to belong to an organization to prove it." "I don't see the need for it." and "Are we going to do one for pets next, because I want all pets to feel welcome, too." They seemed distracted by language and lingo, as opposed to the heartfelt testimony of citizens who'd done their best to clarify their personal experiences and concerns. (Addendum: Instead of committing to actionable items to further engage diverse community members into city process, they passed a Proclamation of Redmond as "a community where all people feel welcome." This proclamation is visible on Page 3, Exhibit 5 at: https://docs.google.com/gview?url=https%3A%2F%2Fredmond-or.granicus.com%2FDocumentViewer.php%3Ffile%3Dredmond-or_f32f65ee-704b-4e41-9bcc-7b814287395f.pdf%26view%3D1&embedded=true) Community members continue to voice grave concerns about Redmond's spirit of equity. We do not desire dismissal and jokes; we desire actions of commitment to inclusion and equity for Redmond, Oregon residents who are vulnerable to discrimination every day. An advisory committee or board would ensure these concerns are not swept aside without dedicated response and actions to strengthen the spirit of equity in Redmond, Oregon.

Market Street is the most dangerous street in our neighborhood. Our streets should be safe for people of all ages and abilities. Also, Pink Triangle Park is an international tourist destination and a source of local LGBT pride and history. When I took my father, who travels by wheelchair to visit the park, I was shocked by the lack of access. With this tunnel project, now is the time to correct his poorly designed intersection at the heart of our neighborhood.

North Carolina Republicans are trying to ram through a constitutional amendment that would reinstate a racist voter ID law that was previously struck down by federal courts for disenfranchising Black people with “almost surgical precision. Amazon and Apple cannot stay quiet in the face of mounting attacks on our voting rights, not while both are considering North Carolina to build new headquarters. Building in North Carolina if this discriminatory policy is enacted would be an endorsement of and commitment to the disenfranchisement and disempowerment of Black people by Amazon and Apple. If this discriminatory voter ID law passes, over 100,000 Black women voters will be disenfranchised, which is more than enough to swing a local or statewide election in favor of the GOP. The past year and a half has shown us the power of Black women’s political activism and how their votes can turn the political machine on its head. Amazon and Apple must demonstrate a real commitment to their espoused values of diversity by making it clear that they won’t move their headquarters to a state that is rapidly sliding backward on racial oppression and voting rights. Demand that Apple and Amazon cancel any plans to build their headquarters in North Carolina if this racist voter ID law passes.

As both an American Citizen and mother of two, I am appalled that migrant families who are seeking asylum in the United States from the atrocities being committed within their own countries are having their children separated from them. These children are being placed into detention centers with no parental contact and their parents have no knowledge of where their children are being held, the conditions they are being held in or whether or not their children are alive and well. ICE officials and the Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen refuses to disclose this information to members of the U.S. Congress and Senate. The United States Government, under the Trump Administration, is in breach of US Citizenship and Immigration Service Policy which states: "To obtain asylum through the affirmative asylum process you must be physically present in the United States. You may apply for asylum status regardless of how you arrived in the United States or your current immigration status." https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/asylum/obtaining-asylum-united-states I implore the UN Security Council to investigate this cruel policy and demand the status of and conditions where these children are being held. Children should not be used as pawns against a Xenophobic immigration policy.

In light of his previous attempts to silence survivors at MSU Board meetings and his inappropriate remarks in private conversations reported by survivors, this latest revelation clearly establishes a pattern of Engler’s unacceptable conduct and utter contempt for the survivors and their allies. Mr. Engler’s abhorrent remarks are the last straw for many people who love MSU and want to see the university move forward with real institutional and cultural reforms that protect students and create a safe environment for learning. None of that can happen when the leader of the institution repeatedly demonstrates that he is unfit for the job due to his bullying demeanor and insulting remarks toward the survivors. The MSU Board of Trustees must replace Interim President John Engler immediate so this fine university can finally turn the page on this chapter of its history.

The Trump administration is considering handing over our oceans to industrial ocean fish farms. These massive operations are essentially floating factory farms that devastate our ocean ecosystem, public health, society and the economy. Now, the Gulf Fishery Management Council is considering whether to permit a farm in Gulf waters. So the Council needs to hear from you that it should be protecting our Gulf waters, not hand them over to mega-corporations and factory farms.

On June 20, 2018, pipeline opponents from across the state marched to DEQ in Richmond to deliver a set of nearly 800 signatures to this open letter (gathered in just five days). We will keep this petition open so that others may continue to sign. We plan to deliver updated versions on a rolling basis. Please note there is one factual error in the open letter. The lawsuit is Precision Pipeline v. Dominion, not the other way around.

Dress codes often unfairly target females more than males. For example, within the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs' Pre-Collegiate Summer Academic Institute the code of conduct states, "Items that should not be worn are: beachwear, sleeveless blouses or shirts, crop tops, clothing showing midriffs, and spaghetti straps" (UCCS, S.A.I 2018, program expectations). These clothing items are directly targeting female students. The program/ schools tell us that it is a distraction towards other student's education! In reality, our education is disrupted when they dress-code us and make us feel ashamed, which ultimately pulls us away from our education. It is for this reason that we feel that the program/ schools should reexamine the dress code and the enforcement of it.

The current CIAC rules on transgender youths eligibility are obsolete and compromise the fairness of the sports. It allows for some athletes to gain an unfair physical advantage over others while some transgender youths are forced to choose between their gender expression and participation in a high school sport which violates Title IX. It can also create a serious safety issue in contact sports. A transgender person feels or thinks different than their assigned gender and it makes no difference in academic setting but the body is competing in sports and not the mind. CIAC also says that they follow NCAA and USCO drug policies which consider testosterone an enhancement drug for a female athlete. As a result allowing a transgender female with a high level of testosterone compete as a female violates their own rule. On the other side a transgender male is forced to compete against boys with a biological girl body most likely forcing him out of sports all together. That is why CIAC needs to adopt a policy similar to NCAA transgender policy especially since it's the next natural step for many high school students that segregates genders based on biological make. Hormone enhancement or suppression is not something a youth should be considering at such a young age. Every one should be given the chance to compete against someone of the same biological gender. Inclusion and fairness should not be sacrificed one for another.