Take The Initiative

THIS EFFORT IS IN HONOR OF

Keisha Jenkins

TO READ HER STORY CLICK HERE

__________________________________

Hello.

My name is John Mateer. Six years ago I was visiting my friend at her school, Penn State University, when something happened that ended up changing the course of my life entirely.



When standing alone outside of a fraternity party that my friend had brought me to, I overheard an argument as the brothers were ejecting (whom I thought at the time to be) another fraternity brother. The overwhelming and repetitive use of the homophobic term—‘f****t’— led to my brief interjection in an attempt to get them to stop yelling it, and I explained to them that I myself am gay and it’s harsh to hear it used over and over and over like that so viciously.

I was then asked to leave as well.

I had no problem with this, and began to leave the property when I felt and heard as the other guy ejected was following uncomfortably close behind me. When I turned to question him on it he blatantly told me he hates gay people and began assaulting me— eventually leaving me bloody and unconscious in the street.

My assailant—proven guilty— was not charged with a hate crime, even though his only motive was proven to be hate towards gay people. It was not considered a hate crime because LGBTQIA citizens are not protected under hate crime laws in the state of Pennsylvania. Six years later, this remains true. This petition seeks to change this. We deserve better.

PA officials who you should reach out to and demand protection from (click their name to go to contact form):

!! BRYAN CUTLER !!

AG Josh Shapiro

Gov Tom Wolf

Lt Gov John K. Fetterman

Senator Sharif Street

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE PENNSYLVANIA STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES & THEIR CONTACT INFO

&

CLICK HERE FOR PENNSYLVANIA STATE SENATE AND CONTACT INFO

PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK AFTER YOU SIGN! (CHANGE.ORG/LGBTHATECRIME)

URGE YOUR LOCAL MEDIA TO REPORT ON OUR PETITION! CLICK HERE for a huge list of contacts for media around the country.

PLEASE! Consider chipping in! The money goes to change.org to promote our petition and get more signatures.

The more signatures, the more milestones we hit and that means the more that The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will be urged to respond to us!

WE NEED TO GET THIS DONE. AS A COMMUNITY, WE SIMPLY CANNOT JUST SIT IDLY BY AS OUR OWN ARE HURT— MURDERED— AND NOTHING IS DONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HATRED INVOLVED IN THE CRIME. WE HAVE TO BE LOUD. WE HAVE TO DEMAND THAT THEY LISTEN TO US OTHERWISE WE DON’T STAND A CHANCE.

I KNOW WE CAN AND WILL SAVE LIVES! BUT WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART.

ALLIES: WE NEED YOU NOW MORE THAN EVER! SHARE! DONATE! SPREAD THE WORD EVERYWHERE!

IF WE ALL COME TOGETHER...

WE. WILL. WIN.

In America, attorneys and judges are governed by codes called "Rules of Professional Conduct." Illinois is one of the only states in America whose rules permit judges and attorneys to discriminate on the basis of gender identity and expression, which allows judges and attorneys to deadname, misgender, harass, and ridicule transgender and non-binary attorneys and litigants during court proceedings, or to rule on cases based on the gender identity or expression of a litigant or attorney.

Most states and the American Bar Association have already prohibited this type of discrimination, but the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission ("ARDC"), which regulates lawyers and judges in Illinois, refuses to change the rules to protect transgender and gender nonconforming litigants and attorneys in Illinois. As a result, transgender and gender nonconforming people in Illinois are not guaranteed, and often do not receive, fair and equitable treatment in Illinois courts.

It's time for that to change. Tell the ARDC and Illinois Supreme Court that Illinois should join states like California, Pennsylvania, Washington, Maryland, Oregon, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia, and ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression in the Illinois legal system.

Christian Joseph Hall (19 years old) was suicidal. When police received a call about a distressed man on Route 33, they responded with troopers and shot Hall. Although he had a gun in his hand, he eventually dropped it and complied with the police. However, when the police reported the case, they said he was aiming the gun at them and was about to shoot, so they "responded."

Hall was shot several times on Dec 30th at 1:40 PM and was later pronounced dead in Lehigh Valley Hospital.

New evidence shows that Hall was nonviolent and the police LIED in their release statement. These people need to be held accountable!! No police should be able to get away with murder. This is NOT how police should respond to a mental health crisis.

Get the Chief of Police in Pennsylvania to reopen this case and reinvestigate the murder of Christian Hall!!

Petition organized by W.E.E.D. LLC. With all the surrounding states legalized, what is PA waiting for? Let's get this petition signed before they come back from recess. Lt Gov Fetterman is on our side so let help him persuade the others to follow his lead! I want this on his desk and all the Nay sayers when session resumes!

Legalization is necessary for numerous reasons. Most importantly, home grow, educating patients and physicians, and ending the stigma about medicating naturally!

We deserve freedom to medicate freely and without guilt, at home or at work. If you are a mmj patient, signing should be a given. Help me help us!!! Sign and share please!

Parents in Pennsylvania want our kids mask-free when they play outside at recess.

We request that the Pennsylvania Department of Health modify the state mask order immediately to allow our kids to be mask free when they are outside at school recess.

Parents and school administrators are working together to request this immediate modification. Please take action now and let our kids have Mask Free Recess today!

Please sign and share this petition now.

Summary:

Itʻs Now or Never: Help Save the Kiwikiu

Please help support the efforts to bring awareness and provide assistance to the plight of Hawaiʻi's most imperiled bird, the kiwikiu. Kiwikiu is an incredible honeycreeper that is endemic to the island of Maui. At one point their populations flourished and they could be seen all throughout the island (and even on Molokaʻi). However, in the early 1800s when new diseases and mosquitoes were introduced, kiwikiu were forced into their strongholds deep in the rainforests of Haleakalā. The kiwikiu is currently at the greatest risk of extinction out of all 33 Hawaiian bird species currently listed as endangered, and is likely the most threatened bird in the world. Their population is estimated at JUST 157 individuals and they have been predicted to go extinct as soon as 2026. Hawaiʻi is the endangered species and extinction capital of the WORLD and has lost over 77 species of birds. The most recent species to have fallen victim to extinction was in 2004. This bird, the Po’ouli, was also a Maui native, and its last known specimen died in captivity.

Recently, The Maui Forest Bird working group has proposed to place a significant portion (~ 20% of their entire population) of remaining kiwikiu into captivity and relocate them to the continental U.S.

As a Kanaka (Native Hawaiian) who grew up in the mainland, finding my cultural identity was a tremendous challenge. Taking the kiwikiu from their home and shipping them off to the mainland will essentially be placing them in this same dilemma. Just as Kānaka disconnected from our ʻāina-- an integral part of our identity and culture as a people,-- will struggle to find themselves, captive Hawai‘i birds have been known to lose their natural behaviors, their culture, and even their songs. As a direct result of this the birds can no longer survive in a Hawaiian forest when returned, because the skills and behaviors that they have honed for millennia are lost to them.

As Kānaka, as a community, and as scientists we must raise our voices to fight this action as it does not uphold the traditional values and principles of respect held by our kūpuna toward our native manu (birds). Nor does placing these specialized honeycreepers in captivity on the U.S. continent, in spite the shortcomings and difficulties observed in the past, represent a strong scientifically supported decision. Captivity in general should be the last course of action taken given its history in the islands and even then, it should be the responsibility of those who have had decades of experience caring for these types of birds rather than a program that has never supported a Hawaiian forest bird. In the same breath however, we must come together to support the conservation of the kiwikiu and be both a voice of reason as well as a part of the solution going forward. Extinction is forever, and only as a united community can we stop it.

Full petition:

Recently, The Maui Forest Bird working group has proposed to take unprecedented actions to place a significant portion of critically endangered kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill) into captivity and relocate them to the U.S. continent. They will be dispersed among three separate facilities located in Utah, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This action will remove these critically endangered birds from their homes on the slopes of Haleakalā by a distance of up to 5,000 miles. A 6 to 10 hour flight away from their native environments and food sources, and most importantly remove them from their home. Please join me in opposing this action and let those who make these decisions know that there is another option to save these birds from extinction.

As a Native Hawaiian, birder, and conservationist, I can't even begin to express the deep sadness that I feel in response to this proposal. Sending our native birds to the continent is simply not the answer. Captivity as a method of conservation has not been an answer here in Hawaiʻi. I truly wish that it were, but the historical failures of this method speak for itself.

Placing endemic birds in captivity in an effort to preserve them has a long-standing history in Hawaiʻi. This practice first started with the nēnē in the early 1900s and has continued throughout much of the 20th and 21st centuries. Birds such as the ʻalalā have been saved because of these programs. However, while the species is still in existence, these birds are still limited entirely to captivity. While holding and breeding birds in captivity does serve some use as a last-ditch effort to conserve endangered species, its implementation for the conservation of Hawaiian forest birds has proven futile.

Nearly every captive reared bird that has been reintroduced to the wild has either died, gone missing, or has been recaptured within about two years of their release. Including the 7 kiwikiu in the reintroduction efforts in 2019. All but one bird from 2019 is now deceased, and even he is once again living in captivity. For more information on captive releases please see these links: Palila, Palila 2, ʻAlawī/ʻĀkepa, Kiwikiu, ʻŌmaʻo, Puaiohi At the time many of these projects were deemed a success. Yet as it stands, none of the released birds have survived more than a few years past initial reintroduction, and none of these releases have resulted in bird populations that exist freely in the wild to this day

A recent Informational Briefing highlights several critical problems with this direction:

1. The birds will have to travel extremely far and will be exposed to greater stressors.

2. The birds will not have access to native plants or forage species that are part of their natural diets.

3. Since 1997, when Kiwikiu were first brought into captivity, there has never been a successful parent reared chick.

4. Hand reared Kiwikiu lost substantial wild behaviors and exhibited a detrimental affinity for humans.

Rather than once again investing a substantial amount of our limited resources into a costly and ineffective captive breeding strategy, every effort should be made to hold the line on Maui, and if this is not feasibly possible the fourth action item that has been identified in the informational briefing should be prioritized: Translocation.

If it has been deemed reasonable to move birds into captivity more than 3,000 miles from their home by 2022, then why not look to Hawaiʻi Island less than 30 miles away? Protected high elevation forests on Hawai‘i island hold the only stable or increasing populations of endangered forest birds across all of Hawaiʻi. Extensive restoration and ungulate removal efforts (most notably those at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge) have begotten much more promising results for our bird populations. Especially for the kiwikiu's closest living cousin, the ʻākiapōlāʻau.

While the very real possibility of interspecies conflict does exist, the kiwikiu have coexisted with nukupuʻu (a very similar species to the ʻākiapōlāʻau), Maui ʻākepa, and continues to survive with the Maui ʻalauahio. These three species are extremely similar to the Hawaiʻi island species and this indicates that the possibility for conflict to arise between these bird species is extremely low. Furthermore, RCL Perkins (an early Naturalist in Hawaiʻi) documented the occurrence of mixed foraging flocks that included both kiwikiu and nukupuʻu on Maui. This shows a historical compatibility between the species. On Hawaiʻi Island, even species which seemingly compete for resources such as the ʻākiapōlāʻau and the ʻalawī continue to forage in proximity with little to no violent interactions. In fact, a female ʻākiapōlāʻau was observed caring for a juvenile ʻalawī in the summer of 2020. Predation by ʻIo could possibly present a challenge to the kiwikiu on Hawaiʻi Island, but translocated wild birds in Nakula were also subject to high densities of pueo. And even when the Kiwikiu were sick with malaria they were still able to avoid falling victim to these natural avian predators, in stark contrast to released captive palila in that same year.

Even when given the opportunity to forage in koa (the preferred foraging tree of ʻalawī and ʻākiapōlāʻau) the translocated wild kiwikiu stuck primarily to understory vegetation and ʻōhiʻa. Hakalau and other areas of windward Maunakea have high densities of ʻākala (a preferred foraging plant for the kiwikiu) underneath a predominately koa-ʻōhiʻa overstory allowing for a natural partitioning of resources for these species. The small grubs that live in ʻākala stems and other similar insects that are part of the kiwikiu’s native diet can also be found in abundance in these regions on Hawai‘i island, providing the natural diet that the continental facilities cannot. Additionally, because these key areas are active restoration sites, the habitat is continually improving allowing for even higher densities of birds in the future which will likely provide openings in the landscape for translocated kiwikiu.

Proponents of captivity Have also brought up the unknown distribution and abundance of disease on Hawai'i Island, but recent surveys in the Pua 'Ākala unit of Hakalau that were conducted from Sept - Dec of 2020 from 4200-5000 ft in elevation did not capture a single mosquito. Breeding endangered birds including the ʻākiapōlāʻau have also been observed down to 4200ft in elevation as recently as March 2021, indicating that the mosquito line is still far below the level that it is on Maui.

In my time working in Hawaiʻi I have spent hundreds of hours with ʻākiapōlāʻau and dozens of hours with kiwikiu. While similar, both species exhibit notable differences in foraging pattern and habitat. Given the level of tolerance that Hawaiian species exhibit towards one another and recent extinctions there are also voids left in the avian assemblage that I believe can be filled by neighbor island species.

Thanks to the 2019 translocation efforts it has already been established that kiwikiu are capable of being translocated AND can assimilate well into their new habitat (as long as risk of avian diseases can be ruled out). Both of these pieces of evidence have been hard won on the lives of kiwikiu. Simply disregarding this is only dooming us to keep repeating the same mistakes that have been made in Hawaiian bird conservation over the last 30 years.

Additionally, I worry that while the working group has a great deal of experience and expertise the tragedy of 2019 is clouding their judgment and feeding into a paranoia that disease prevalence is increasing at alarming and unprecedented rates. However, there is no evidence of rapidly increasing mosquito inundation in key forest bird strongholds on Hawai'i island. The incident at Nakula was a surprise but some key factors such as the absence of ʻiʻiwi, even though the area is suitable habitat, should have been a red flag for the 2019 project. In the protected Hawaiʻi Island forests, all threatened and endangered birds are present, this could not be the case if disease was prevalent on these landscapes. So, while specific data on the disease itself is lacking, we can rely on the bird distribution to inform that lack of knowledge.

Based on my recent relevant experience in the field, historical information of bird assemblages, and the most recent information we have on the status of disease; I wholeheartedly believe translocation is the best option for preserving the native Kiwikiu. Especially given that the only alternative to this is captivity in facilities on the continent for an indefinite amount of time. With the low reproductive rate and mellow temperament of the kiwikiu in conjunction with the imminent threat of their extinction, translocation and the exploration of this strategy should be the prioritized course of action.

I truly wish that captivity will be able to prove successful, but these types of programs have failed to adequately meet birds needs for survival and produce release ready individuals. If we were unable to meet their needs in captive settings in Hawaiʻi, in their own native habitats, what are the chances that facilities on the continent will be able to accommodate these birds? Their capabilities to provide the proper diets, handling, climate, and environment for endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers pale in comparison and will almost certainly pose a greater risk than attempting an extralimital translocation. Captivity is the most expensive conservation action and has yielded no promising results thus far. Captivity has quite literally led to the deaths of our native forest birds.

As a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiin) who was separated from the islands for most of my life, being on the continent away from our home brings a deep despondence that too many of us have felt and continue to experience. It won't be any different for our birds. Captive birds have been known to lose their unique behaviors, their learned culture, and even their songs. It breaks my heart to imagine these birds being put through this, and it destroys my confidence in our systems to actually serve to protect our native species when we continue to move forward with tired and tried actions that have never actually fulfilled their intended purpose in the islands. It is time to try something new and embrace techniques that have been met with success elsewhere in the Pacific and even here in Hawaiʻi with the ulūlu translocation from Nihoa to Kauō. Arguably one of the most successful conservation actions undertaken to date in Hawaiʻi.

Major policies within the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, particularly in funding allocation, and actions taken by both state and federal agencies dramatically harm our Hawaiian species and serve as yet another way that the colonization of this place continues to subjugate, oppress, and destroy our culture and ʻāina. I respect and value the people that I disagree with on this topic, but I know in my naʻau that they are wrong and that captivity on the mainland will ultimately cause more harm than good. I am urging the Maui Forest Bird Working Group, The Board of Land and Natural Resources, Chairperson Suzanne Case, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to please take alternative action to captivity and try instead for translocation. The governor of Hawaiʻi has signed executive action in the past to move translocation of nēnē forward in a timely manner. Please support similar steps for the kiwikiu so that this species can be saved from extinction rather than hastened toward it.

Ultimately, I realize that the Land Board will likely proceed with the recommendations put forward by the working group, but let this petition stand as a voice for the Native Hawaiians, the community, and other scientists who fought to keep the kiwikiu in their home.

*Bret Nainoa Mossman is a Native Hawaiian ornithologist who has dedicated his life to the conservation and preservation of Hawaiian birds. He has a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management from Utah State University and in July of 2021 will have a M.S. in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Bret works as a forest bird technician and as the project lead working on Maunakea in order to locate remnant populations of ʻUaʻu. He has been working and attending school for the last five years in Hawaiʻi, operates popular social media pages dedicated to the conservation of Hawaiian birds and their outreach (Birds Hawaiʻi Past Present), and serves on the executive board of multiple long standing conservation organizations in Hawaiʻi. All opinions expressed above are his and his alone and do not reflect the position of organizations that he is associated with.

More information:

Board of land and Natural Resources meeting: Minutes 0:27 to 1:10

Maui Now Article

We want to end unfair and illegal sentencing of people to life without parole/death by incarceration in Pennsylvania. This sentence is not supported by legal statute, which means that the state has no right to enact it upon people. Yet, over 5,400 people are currently condemned to this sentence in PA. Half are from Philadelphia alone. 70 percent are people of color. We want the sentence of LWOP/DBI to be replaced by a sentencing scheme that represents equal justice and second chances.

Follow our struggle on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tv/CATk1tHB_iB/?igshid=9la1dmro6p7b

We, the people, ask that United States House Representative George Joseph "Mike" Kelly resign his office immediately. If he is unwilling to do so, then we ask that Congress take the appropriate steps to remove him from office by "expulsion," or because he is incompatible with his public office. His contribution to the attempted coup and insurrection at our national Capitol and the desecration of our most sacred institutions is not tolerable. He has shown a wanton disrespect for the rule of law and civility in our state and our country. Because of his baseless accusations and lies to the public, a U.S. veteren is dead, the Capitol building has been vandalized, and the people responsible need to be held accountable by the law. As a way to start this process, I ask that everyone sign this petition in order for us to change the course of our future to a brighter one. One where science, facts, and civility are the things we strive for. We are stronger together than we are divided. The United States can overcome this, if all of us do our part and use the pathways that have been created for change. Our founding fathers designed this great experiment to be able to change. That's what we need now. Thank you for your time.

The famed Hotel Pennsylvania at 401 Seventh Avenue in Midtown South, New York, which opened in 1919 was designed by the preeminent firm of McKim, Mead & White for the Pennsylvania Terminal Real Estate Company. Directly spurred by the erection of Penn Station, developers began to capitalize on Midtown South as a new location to live and work through a Grand Central-like terminal city plan. Located directly across from the station, the hotel offered easy accessibility for travelers by rail. When built, it was the largest hotel in the world with 2,200 rooms and the world’s first high-rise elevators to service 22 stories.

McKim, Mead & White’s chief designer for the hotel was also involved in the design of the original Penn Station. William Symmes Richardson had joined the firm of McKim, Mead & White in 1906, and remained a working architect until about 1925. The base of the building was clad in Indiana Limestone matching the height of Pennsylvania Station. Its portico was designed to complement the station's grand colonnade across the street. The rusticated stone façade is punctuated by a series of pilasters, the predominant number of these having scrolled capitals. The building forms four individual towers partially conjoined at the building’s center which were constructed to maximize the exposure to sunlight and airflow.

The business was operated by hotel magnate Ellsworth Statler, famous for bringing the notion of luxury hospitality to the masses. Statler was the first to introduce novel services pioneered by mass manufacturers into the hotel industry. Often called palaces of the people, Statler's hotels delivered on the populist ideal of providing the same excellent level of service to each guest regardless of their status or wealth. Guest amenities included a dentist, hospital, barber shop, drug store, coffee shop, library, carpentry shop, florist, shoemaker, and rooftop restaurant.

The Hotel Pennsylvania was also a cultural icon for hosting many important events of New York society. Its grand ballroom was a big-band hotspot for great performers of the day like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller. In fact, the hotel was made famous by the song "PEnnsylvania 6-5000," a phone number that still rings at the Hotel Pennsylvania switchboard. The hotel was connected to the NBC Red Network which brought live music to audiences across the country.

While admittedly tired in the current state, McKim, Mead & White's design still shines through. Of all the resources threatened by the Empire Station project, the hotel is probably the best-known and beloved. If its embodied history were not enough, the iconic Café Rouge could easily be restored to its original condition. It was most recently an event space before the hotel closed. Under the layers of white paint is a wealth of ornamentation waiting to be rediscovered. Its original fountain is also still intact.

While there is much focus on the exciting new improvements, there is very little discussion of what will be lost. Estimates from the project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement state that 500 businesses and over 200 residents would be eventually displaced. Furthermore, as part of the multiple blocks of wholesale demolition, six National Register-eligible buildings and three potential New York City landmarks are at direct risk of being lost. Among the others immediately slated to be lost are the St. John the Baptist Church (211 West 30th Street), Stewart Hotel (371 7th Avenue), Gimbels Department Store (100 West 33rd Street), Holmes Building (370 7th Avenue), and the Gimbels Traverse bridge (33rd Street). The Penn Station Service Building at 242 West 31st Street, one of the most important remnants of the original station, will also be demolished.

As a part of this plan, all of this history would be washed aside to create 20-million square feet of commercial office space, effectively the area of the central business district of a mid-sized American city. Ironically, New York City's landmarks law was created in response to the demolition of Penn Station and yet, the hotel and the original station's service building from that complex, are slated to be lost. The situation we face today is ironically analogous to the struggles of the 1960's.

Penn Station, even with this project, will look and feel much the same, with some minor cosmetic changes. While renderings have been released for an expansion of the station, those improvements are not included in this project. Barring a plan to claim the above-ground Madison Square Garden space to expand the terminal, the underlying physical constraints of the cramped subterranean space are not subject to meaningful change. The focus of the project at this time is the area around Penn Station, and not at all Penn Station itself.

Since the pandemic, the office vacancy rate in the city has nearly doubled. While that can be attributed to temporary conditions, the market is not at all what it was; new trends will likely end up transforming the market for traditional office environments. With the sudden explosion of telecommuting, there is reasonable doubt that the pre-pandemic level of office space will be needed even under the best scenario.

As we are entering a new era of climate change, it is also disheartening to see the demolition of these structures--with all of their embodied energy--instead of reusing them to take advantage of historic tax credits. The owners of these buildings would probably save a bundle of money on their redevelopment through these tax incentives while also upholding sustainability best practices. There is a long tradition of reusing historic structures with great success. Adaptive reuse of historic structures is a proven part of what makes New York so great and unique.

The key to finding a way forward is to use the existing fabric of these remarkable buildings which are still full of life instead of obliterating them. While the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has declined to landmark the exterior or any part of the interior, there has been considerable community support for it. Sites like 405 Park Avenue, 430 Park Avenue, 522 Fifth Avenue, and 21 East 52nd Street are all former hotel or apartment buildings which have been specifically transformed from residential into coveted office space. It has been done, and can be done again.

While this is a very large-scale project with great ramifications, one thing is clear: The Hotel Pennsylvania, along with the other historic resources in the path of the Empire Station Complex, deserve to be protected and celebrated instead of unceremoniously destroyed. While maybe not as shiny or new as others, these buildings still have a role to play within the ecosystem of the city. As the forces of politics and money doomed the 52-year-old depot many years ago, we must remember the lessons of Penn Station, and strive to never see those mistakes repeated.


Questions or comments? Please email [email protected].

We respectfully request that you please maintain a MASK OPTIONAL policy for Warren County School District in Warren, PA for the 2021/2022 school year.

The signees of this petition are ONLY parents and guardians of students in Warren County School District.

We would like our Superintendent, Mrs. Amy Stewart, and all Board Members to recognize that a large number of WCSD parents/guardians support their decision as stated: “parents and staff will have a choice to wear a face covering at school. Said another way, masks are recommended, but not mandated at school.” We appreciate their decision and wish for it to remain unchanged.

Factory-Farmed Chickens Live Short, Sad Lives | H.O.P.E. The Project

Just imagine being being punched, jerked around, feeling pain, living in a cage where you can't even turn around, living in your own poop, and being cut open while feeling unbearable pain while being slaughtered. Well, that is the life of a factory farmed chicken. So here we will go over why factory farming for chickens is unacceptable and inhumane.

Did you know that factory farm chicken hatcheries inhumanely grind up the male chicks alive when they're only one day old because they're useless for the meat or egg industry?!

Next, if you're a hen, you will be sent to an inhumane factory farm where you will spend your whole entire life in a filthy, poopy cage or shed filled with hundreds of thousands of other chickens -- so crowded that they can't even spread their wings.

If you're an egg layer chicken, then you will live a dark, crammed life in a tiny cage or shed that can give you respiratory issues, filled with other hens. But if you're a broiler, then you would live in a crammed shed and be force fed non organic hormones that make you fat very quickly so you can be slaughtered at only a few months old. Most broilers suffer chemical burns from being forced to live in their own feces.

Did you know that chickens can live up to 10 years old? But if an egg laying chicken is factory farmed, they will be killed as soon as they're done laying eggs, which is around 2-4 years. Broilers are slaughtered at only 6-7 weeks old, before they can even cluck!

And in a factory farm, broiler chickens are kept in sheds that sometimes collapse under their own weight. Many of them have heart issues and may never walk because they can't get up!

You see, chickens are meant to free range and be taken care of instead of being left to die in filthy sheds or cages.

I am addressing this petition to Pennsylvania State Representative Tim Hennessy. By signing my petition, you will help us end this cruel treatment of chickens in Pennsylvania. We are asking Rep. Hennessy to introduce a bill to end factory farming practices for chickens in Pennsylvania. We want this cruelty to end and for chickens to be free and be given a better life.

For those of you that are worried about our food supply, we would only change the way we farm, to support local, humane, and clean food.

So please, sign my petition to End Factory Farming For Chickens in Pennsylvania. THE CHICKENS ARE COUNTING ON YOU AND THE CRUELTY MUST END NOW!

At age 17, Wallace "Wallo 267" Peeples was sentenced to a 20 year prison sentence for armed robbery, which he served at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. While he has turned his life around, not just for him, but to save the lives of others, he is still on probation until October 29, 2048!

Wallo is 41 and will be 68 years old when his probation ends.

Wallo is a national phenom, using his platform to empower others. He regularly feeds the homeless, financially supports families in need and mentors young men so they do not make bad choices that will land them in prison.

He is the ultimate role model for youth and a community resource, but he is living his life, everyday, with the fear that at any time he can be sent back to prison because he is still on probation.

Despite having served his sentence and proving to society that he is full rehabilitated and an exemplary citizen. He is still on probation for 27 more years. For 27 more years his life is limited.

His case shows how the criminal justice system is gravely flawed.

Mel Wells, President of One Day At A Time (ODAAT), is a thought leader and advocate on issues such as gun violence, the opioid epidemic, economic disenfranchisement and criminal justice reform. Mel has become a voice for those who have become marginalized by their circumstances and is standing with Wallo on this important issue.

Mel stated, "By ending Wallo's probation early, we have a chance to move the needle forward in Criminal Justice Reform. The Governor, Attorney General and District Attorney have the power to write a positive ending to this chapter of Wallo's life and in the lives of thousands of men and women that have served their time and are doing their best to live the rest of their lives doing right. They should not have to do that in constant fear of going back to prison."

Sign this petition to end Wallo's probation AND then continue to support ODAAT in continuing the fight to reform the criminal justice system.



Wallo's Story

As an adolescent, Wallace "Wallo 267" Peeples had spent time in and out of the juvenile system. He was eventually sentenced to a 20 year prison sentence for armed robbery, which he served at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. However, during his 20 year sentence, he became an avid reader in jail.

In less than two years after serving his 20 year prison sentence, Wallo quickly rose as a leader in his community crafting powerful viral content inspiring people across the world to step into their greatness and discover their purpose.

Currently, Wallo's social media platforms accumulate over 10 million+ impressions weekly and his followers have become evangelists, sharing his high-energy videos of inspiration, humor, and hard-earned lessons delivered with his signature unflinching honesty and humor. He has been able to leverage his social media brand to get into partnerships with the NFL Network, Global Citizen, Foot Locker, Puma, and Philly Union.

This petition was created by Mel Wells and One Day At A Time. Learn more about ODAAT at www.odaatphilly.org

Under current PA guidelines, teachers are part of the 1B vaccination group. As many schools return to in-person learning, this puts educators at increased risk for contracting COVID-19. Many educators are already at risk, as their schools have already gone back to in-person.

Other states have prioritized the health of their teachers, so Pennsylvania must follow suit. Teachers have gone above and beyond since March 2020 by teaching students online, in-person, and hybrid. They have provided high quality education regardless of the current situation and deserve to be treated with respect and consideration. Though teachers also want to return in person, they want to do so safely, and vaccinated.

The Pennsylvania Education Association has lobbied for teachers to be eligible for the vaccine but were denied. Please support teachers' right to safe working conditions and fair treatment. Teachers must be moved to the 1A category, or the entire 1B category should be allowed to begin getting vaccinated.

Other states have already done this, and have proved that they value their teachers. Let's make Pennsylvania do the same.

Fawn Marie Mountain went missing on or around November 25, 2012. She was just 25 at the time of her disappearance. She lived with her domestic partner at the time of her disappearance who has a long history of violence and abuse against her partners, a fact which the Greenfield Township Police were very well aware of because of repeated calls to the home. They lived in Claysburg, PA at the time of Fawn's disappearance which falls under Greenfield Township Police's jurisdiction. When Fawn's mom, Dorothy, became aware she was missing and was unable to reach her she contacted Greenfield Township Police Department to do a welfare check, at which point they were told by Fawn's domestic partner that Fawn no longer lived at the home they shared. Despite repeated calls to Greenfield Township Police from Dorothy stating Fawn did not leave and had not been in contact, they did nothing to help locate or verify Fawn's wellbeing.

Police departments need to take any person being reported by family as missing that are known to be in a domestic violence situation more seriously and actually CONFIRM the wellbeing and location of said victim. We have lost years in our search for Fawn and justice, because this police department ignored the pleas for help from Fawn's mom and they did the absolute bare minimum to find her. Witness statements were taken at the time from neighbors and friends; those statements were lost.

We are crying out for changes to how local police handle missing persons cases when the victim is known to be in a domestic violence situation. We are calling for an investigation into how Greenfield Township Police handled Fawn's case and why they didn't do their job, so this never happens to another victim or their family again.

Tragically, Christian Hall is not the only victim of police brutality. It is unfortunate that the system continues to fail those who are seeking help and support but end up becoming the victims of this form of modern-day lynching. Please sign this petition to demand justice for Christian Hall and his family.

Christian Hall was a 19 year old Chinese-American who was brutally shot by police officers while experiencing a mental health emergency on December 30th, 2020.

Following Christian's death, authorities released a report claiming Christian was in possession of a firearm. When the police officers ordered him to drop the weapon, he complied but allegedly became uncooperative. It was stated that Christian reached for the firearm on the ground and pointed it in the direction of the officers causing them to fire at him. However, newly surfaced videos show that Christian had his hands raised at the moment authorities shot him. Despite Christian's death and the body camera footage, the officers were still allowed to return back to work.

"He was looking for help, but instead of getting help, he was killed by those who were supposed to help him." (Quoted by Christian Hall's mother)

Christian's family and attorneys are demanding justice for Christian by...

Asking the Pennsylvania general attorney's office to hold a completely independent investigation on the case.
PROSECUTING the officers who murdered Christian Hall.
Source cited: Pennsylvania Teen Had Hands Up When Police Shot and Killed Him, New Video Shows

With his tyrannical actions during this pandemic of shutting down business and killing peoples livelihood and to now propose a ridiculous 46% income tax on the same people who’s lives he ruined, Tom Wolf is no longer fit to represent the people of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and should be removed from office immediately.

We believe in science. We believe in data. We believe in the advice and recommendations of our regional and national experts. We believe that universal masking in schools will help to maintain in-person learning, and decrease quarantines and virtual learning, which are also detrimental to the health and well-being of our students.

Currently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are recommending universal masking for all students and staff members 2 years of age and older in schools to combat the ongoing COVID pandemic.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html

Currently, our school district is not requiring universal masking for students and staff. We do not believe these measures to be adequate, and formally request that the Pennsylvania Department of Health intervene and mandate the universal use of masks for students and staff (with medical exceptions permitted) for the current academic year. We request that these changes be put into effect until regional and/or national recommendations change in response to COVID infection rates.

Our students deserve to be safe when in the hands of our public schools.

It’s been almost a year since contact visits were suspended. Covid cases are currently lowering in pennsylvania, and restrictions are easing up in our state. Please tell me why aren’t we able to have contact visits with our love ones or at least have an idea, as to when we the prisons will re-open to the public. It is nearly impossible for our incarcerated loved ones to rehabilitate and remain sane, with there current conditions. This is there only way of feeling they still have contact with the outside world. For the world they live in and may have chose to live in is very horrible. Please help us understand and give us the opportunity to prepare expeditiously for the safety of everyone and ourselves.

Thank you for checking out this petition.

This past 4th of July weekend was hell for many residents, pets, and wildlife in the York City Pennsylvania area. The amount of fireworks being let off illegally was astounding. A few nights prior, a home not too far outside the city limits was destroyed by a fire that killed an 8 year old boy. The fire was caused by improper discarded fireworks. A month before a few city row homes were destroyed where residents and pets had to be rescued due to fireworks.

This has been a problem for many, many years, but this past weekend was the worst we have ever lived through and the residents of York City are fed up. I heard stories of pets being frantic, running away, having seizures, and generally panic stricken by fireworks. There are residents who suffer from seizures, PTSD, anxiety, and other illnesses that fireworks can trigger episodes.

There must be a solution and if it means making fireworks illegal for sale in the state of Pennsylvania, then that's what needs to be done and we will work until this is achieved. Too many lives have been taken and shaken to allow this to continue. People are not heeding the warnings, they are not following the rules and innocent people are suffering. We are imploring that something be done.

We are reasonable folks. We have a few solutions. But we want these solutions given careful and serious consideration. What if we limit the amount of fireworks that can be purchased by an individual or household? What if we prohibit or restrict the sale of certain types of fireworks? Give the local municipalities a stronger hand to police these offenders? Our municipalities have their hands tied behind their backs when it comes to fireworks and this needs to be changed regardless. There are many more solutions but we are asking that SOMETHING be done ASAP. And i think many people agree.

The people of Pennsylvania including its governor Tom Wolfe have preached for the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state of Pennsylvania. We the people are asking for change now!


How much longer must we wait? Why must we risk ourselves, crossing state borders, just to get the medication we critically need? Why are we still arresting people over a plant?

The war on drugs has failed ladies and gentlemen! We are fighting a constant battle to get the medication we need, the actual medication we need; without the terrible withdrawals. Highly addictive drugs are being shoved down our throats when there are clear alternatives! The government knows this, so why are we the people being shunned from these remedies?

The United States is slowing moving towards a recreational stance in legislation, we have seen legalization work in countless countries and states.

Listen, Marijuana is more of a remedy for humans than any of the trash doctors are prescribing. Pennsylvania citizens with a permit to carry can not access medical marijuana, yet they can get drunk at a bar. Pennsylvania, these laws don’t make sense!
I am tired of seeing my friends get addicted to pills that doctors prescribed them for an ailment that shouldn’t be remedied by addictive pills.