Saturday, April 30, 2022

Change.org Petition: Religious freedom - Declare "Eid Festivals"(Eid-Al-Fitr & Eid-Al- Adha) as a Federal Statutory Holidays

Next week, Muslims all over the world will celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. Eid is traditionally a day of celebration. America’s 3.4 million Muslims are often forced to take unpaid days off to spend time with their families. Alaa started a petition urging President Biden to consider naming Eid a federal holiday. Add your name if you believe all families deserve religious freedom.

Declare "Eid Festivals"(Eid-Al-Fitr & Eid-Al- Adha) as a Federal Statutory Holidays

26,845 have signed Alaa Kergaye’s petition. Let’s get to 35,000!

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Dear Mr. President Joe Biden, 

Hope you are doing well.

Eid is a term denoting Holiday or Festival, and Muslims worldwide celebrate two major Holidays, Eid-Al-Fitr and Eid-Al-Adha.

Eid-Al-Fitr it marks the end of the month-long (dawn-to-sunset) fasting of Ramadan. And Eid-Al-Adha it honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah’s command. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, God provided him with a lamb which he was supposed to kill in his son’s place.

The Muslim population here in America is about 3.4 million. It’s really important for all Muslims to celebrate those Two days with their families and friends, without missing on school/work day because there is so much work to make up.

We kindly request you to take the necessary steps to Declare these two Festivals as a  Federal Statutory Holidays.

 

Sincerely,

Muslims in America.

 

Signed and created by

Alaa Kamla Kergaye

alaakergaye@gmail.com

  

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Change.org Petition: JUSTICE FOR 4 FERRETS - ANIMAL CRUELTY, DULUTH, MN.

JUSTICE FOR 4 FERRETS - ANIMAL CRUELTY, DULUTH, MN.

Barbara Clay started this petition to The Honorable Dale O. Harris, Anthony Mark Rubin, Kimberly J. Maki, The Honorable Theresa Neo, and it now has 10,135 signatures

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TRIGGER WARNING. At the very end are quotes that give graphic details.

To Your Honors, Judge Dale O. Harris, Theresa Neo

Levi James Arneberg (LJA) has repeatedly appeared before this court for crimes that threatened the welfare of the citizens of St. Louis County, Minnesota.  Included in his court appearances was a request to have him committed.  Had he been on adequate supervised probation that included psychological and medical treatment, the heinous crimes he put upon his victims on January 18, 2022, by torturing and killing Maurice Guski’s 4 pet ferrets, perhaps would never have happened.

LJA’s victim, Maurice Guski, is a U.S. Army veteran, and it was through his PTSD counseling and support these precious 4 ferrets were professionally recommended and registered as Emotional Support Animals.  The victim has suffered a horrific loss and setback.  This is what nightmares are made of, except this is real, it happened!

We The Undersignedcitizens from far and wide, feel that the court failed LJA, and in so doing, failed to protect us.  At this time;  We pray for appropriate justice, as only you can deliver through your authority, outrage and compassion for the victim of LJA’s murderous tirade, and threat to others.  This time it was 4 defenseless ferrets and the man that cherished them.  Its factual that mutilating and torturing animals is a stepping stone for accomplished murderers.

Quotes made byLevi James Arnebergto police at the crime scene:

"I swear the thing was laughing and breathing, laughing and breathing, and I just kept shooting it in it’s fucking head."  "The big one was hard to kill."

 

 

 

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Change.org Petition: Dollar General Employees walk out May 2nd Time for a change

Dollar General manager Mary Gundel was fired after posting a series of TikTok videos exposing the company’s poor working conditions, wages, and alleged abuse. After her videos earned hundreds of thousands of views, the top-performing manager was fired at her 6 am shift. Mary points out that while CEO Todd Vasos recently got a 38% pay increase, bringing his salary to $16 million, his employees make just $8 an hour. Mary is staging a nationwide walkout on May 2nd and needs all the support she can get. Add your name to help Mary demand fair working conditions for all.

Dollar General Employees walk out May 2nd Time for a change

1,396 have signed Mary Gundel’s petition. Let’s get to 1,500!

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this began when a Dollar General Store Manager was fired for speaking out for poor working conditions and the abuse the company gives to their employees. Time to stand up and fight back..No More of this with DG

 

We are now fighting for fair wages as Dollar General retailer is still the lowest paying wage job out there to date!!!  Their average starting wage is $8.00 per hour right above the federal minimum wage.  Can you imagine working only 30 hours a week, yes, what most are part timers, get and to try and raise a family.

They also have a policy that you cannot work a 2nd job and if you do you must get clearance from the Divisional Vice President to do so.  This is stated in the employee handbook and standards of operating procedures.We are only asked for fair pay, better hours, no more 90 hour weeks on a salary while we do the main associates work with no overtime pay, barely any time off but 1 day a week and most stores are so understaffed due to the wage they offer anyway and store managers are required to fill any empty shifts!!  

Ceo, Todd Vasos got a 38% pay increase this year while most got 3% if that at all!!! he got paid $16,000,000 last year, 16 MILLION!!! but his employees are making $8.00 its time we spread that pay around to the people who ACTUALLY Make a difference every day to the customers and shareholders. the store associates!!!!!

Isnt this why Unions were first started because of back breaking policies. slave wages and slave conditions!! IN 2018 Dollar General paid $13,500 a day to a union busting company to go into the Connecticut store that employees were afraid to talk, speak or move and completely interfered with all work and yet they can pay this but cannot pay a decent wage to their employees!! When they lost and the wage was required to be recognized by a judge Dollar General shut the store down in less than a month!!!!

Walk out is being held by Dollar General employees on May 2nd, 2022.. Please sign this petition in your support of our fair practices!!!  

Do Not Shop dollar general on May 2nd either to support the employees, their families and against corporate Greed!!!  

 

 

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Today in the Mission Yearbook - Where do we look for security?

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Where do we look f...: Webinar from PC(USA) Militarism Working Group challenges presumptions about security April 30, 2022 “Non Violence” by Carl Fredrik Reuterswä...

More Light Presbyterians - Thank you, Susan Robertson!


Please join us in appreciating and celebrating the service of Susan Robertson. She will be retiring from her role as Operations Assistant on May 31, 2022. The Board of Directors is  grateful for the inspiration, dedication, and commitment Susan brought to this role.

Susan has served More Light Presbyterians for almost 20 years. Throughout that time, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) marked the milestones of ordination and marriage in the LGBTQAI+ community after years of struggle and organizing. Many of you may not have had the privilege of meeting Susan because so much of her work is behind the scenes. She has been the backbone to the ministry and witness of More Light Presbyterians by ensuring our systems are running as smoothly as possible. Her role includes engagement with new MLP congregations and campus ministries, encouraging various ways to equip and empower those in their midst, and involvement in the movement of the larger organization. Her financial acumen and long history with the organization enhanced various fundraising efforts to expand MLP’s witness in the larger Church.

We invite you to celebrate Susan’s service with More Light Presbyterians and to the LGBTQAI+ movement in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by sharing words of encouragement, thanksgiving, and gratitude. Click here to submit a brief video. Videos should be submitted by Friday, May 13, 2022.


With gratitude,

Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks and Adrian White

Co-Moderators of the MLP Board of Directors

 

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More Light Presbyterians
hello@mlp.org

Friday, April 29, 2022

Change.org Petition: Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U​.​S.

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner has been held in a Russian jail cell for two months now. Russia says she was smuggling drugs, but experts say those charges could have been faked for political reasons. Supporters are fearful that Brittney could face up to five years in a Russian labor camp. Tamryn is a basketball journalist, and she says that the Biden administration needs to bring Brittney home safely. Sign Tamryn’s petition to demand Brittney’s swift return.

Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U​.​S.

78,476 have signed Tamryn Spruill’s petition. Let’s get to 150,000!

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WNBA superstar Brittney Griner was detained by Russia while attempting to move through a Moscow airport, the New York Times reported on Saturday March 5. League veteran Angel McCoughtry shared on social media that Griner had been detained for three weeks already by the time the Times’ story broke. 

Griner is a beloved global citizen who has used her platform since her entry into the WNBA to help others. She was detained while working in Russia -- playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg, where in 2021 she helped the team win its fifth EuroLeague Women championship.

Like many athletes competing in the WNBA, Griner plays abroad during the WNBA offseason because her salary is exponentially higher abroad. Professional athletes never know when their careers will come to an end. They must compete today with tomorrow’s financial security in mind. For WNBA players, that means moving abroad for several months of the year. NBA rookies who haven’t played a professional game, meanwhile, are handed salaries many-times higher than what title-winning, All-Star designated WNBA veterans could ever hope for.  

[WHY BRITTNEY GRINER AND OTHER WNBA PLAYERS COMPETE OVERSEAS]

[HOW A 2020 WNBA DRAFT PICK ENDED UP LIVING IN A CAMPGROUND IN HUNGARY]

These realities are not the fault of the players, who simply want to be paid their worth. The ramifications of year-round basketball have been many, starting with wear and tear on the body leading to serious injury. Now, we’re witnessing the culmination of pay inequities in the U.S., where women still are paid less than men, and Black women are paid less than anyone. It is these inequities that had her playing in Russia in the first place. And these inequities are the reason this petition is necessary. 

Black women, from missing persons cases to victims of crime, are not treated with the same urgency as white women and other groups. We demand that lawmakers hold Griner in the same regard as they would any other sports icon. If it was Tom Brady being held captive, as New York Magazine posited, would there be radio silence across sports media?  

Because of the delicate nature of these events, I reached out to the WNBA first, before creating the petition. I wanted to ensure that this effort to keep Brittney Griner front and center in the minds of U.S. government officials did not run afoul of either the league’s or officials’ efforts to secure her safety.

“As for if you’d like to urge folks to call on government officials for assistance I will leave that decision to you,” a WNBA spokesperson replied.

Thus, the petition was created after careful thought, inquiry and discussion out of an abundance of caution, and with the singular interest in, calling on U.S. officials to keep Brittney Griner a top priority in all of their decision-making during this grim, worldwide catastrophe. 

Contact information for U.S. government officials should you wish to express your concern directly:

U.S. Department of State

Contact Page

Arizona Senators                                                           

Kyrsten Sinema (202) 224-2235

Mark Kelly (202) 224-2235

Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s               

Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation 

Majority Members:

Shaheen, Jeanne (NH), Chairman
Cardin, Benjamin L. (MD)
Murphy, Christopher (CT)
Van Hollen, Chris (MD)
Coons, Christopher A. (DE)
Menendez, Robert (NJ), Ex Officio

Minority Members:

Johnson, Ron (WI), Ranking Member
Barrasso, John (WY)
Romney, Mitt (UT)
Portman, Rob (OH)
Young, Todd (IN)
Risch, James E. (ID), Ex Officio

House Foreign Affairs Committee

Gregory Meeks, Chairman

Phone: (202) 225-3461

Email: Melissa.Barosy@mail.house.gov

Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber Subcommittee

William Keating, Chair, (202) 225-3111

Brian Fitzpatrick, Ranking Member, (202) 225-4276

US Ambassador to Russia                                               

John J. Sullivan,+7 (495) 728-5000

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GreenFaith - Our Resistance is Joyful!

Double your impact for climate justice with our $50k matching grant! I’m Chelsea, a GreenFaith organizer living in New York City. I’ve been ...