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Gerald Craffey raped and brutally murdered Corinne Comperchio Flynn by stabbing her 6 times. Corinne was a single mother who suffered from multiple sclerosis and weighed no more than 90 lbs. On the night of August 25,1991 Craffey, a family friend, used a ruse saying he needed to use the telephone in order to make his way into Corinnes home in Hyde Park.

For four years after that heinous act Craffey helped Corinne’s family search for the murderer. He watched as the family was torn apart going to fundraisers; even helping hang signs for any tips about Corinne’s murder. Craffey frequently visited the family at their home in Roslindale where she grew up. He watched as the family suffered not knowing why or who took their beautiful young daughter, sister and mother from them. Before being caught for Corinne’s murder Craffey was a suspect in an attempted kidnapping as well as 2 separate sexual assaults all taking place in the Parkway area.

In 1995 After relentlessly investigating the Boston Police cold case squad were able to link Craffey to the crime. A year later Craffey agreed to a plea bargain of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years offered by the District Attorney. Corinne’s mother reluctantly agreed to the plea deal because she did not want to put her family, especially Courtney now being 14 years old through a long drawn out trial which would relive all the pain and anguish. She believed there was no way anyone would grant parole for such a horrific crime.

To release a monster like this into the public where he would be free to stalk his next victim would be a mistake that only hurts the public. Craffey is not just threat but he is a predator, his prey are small frail women who cannot defend themselves.

Corinne’s family will never get to see her again, her grandchildren will never get the opportunity to meet her. What Craffey did not only destroyed a family but his acts have and will affect that family for generations. This nightmare will never end for the Comperchio/Flynn family. They repeatedly go before the parole board every few years and relive all the heart breaking details in order to keep this monster behind bars.

Please sign this petition and help make sure this animal never walks a public street again. Help prevent another family from having to live through a nightmare that never ends.

Ware needs a skatepark!! It’s illegal to ride a skateboard on town property and is a ticket-able offense. There’s nowhere to ride in town and there’s a large volume of people associated in action sports in/around the town of Ware, Ma who would benefit from having a designated spot. The closest Skatepark is In Belchertown which is 20 minutes away by vehicle. Having a skatepark would draw in more people which would increase local business revenue and decrease surrounding property damage from riding the only spots in town which are illegal. Let the kids have fun outdoors like the old days and give the Ware PD a break! They have better things to worry about. Community gardens can be added to outside sections as well. Let’s do this together as a whole!!!

The MIAA Tournament Management Committee recently voted to schedule only regional playoffs for the upcoming Spring 2021 High School Sports Season. In other words, the MIAA currently has no plans to organize a Massachusetts State Semi-Final or State Final Championship Competition for each sport, which would involve merely scheduling three more games at the end of the season. The purpose of this petition is to provide a shared platform for spring athletes, and other community members, to raise a common voice against the MIAA’s decision, while also urging the Tournament Management Committee to reconsider its decision, which we believe was made prematurely.

During last year’s Spring Sports Season, my fellow student-athletes and I shared in the heartbreak of the Class 2020. We watched helplessly as a pandemic out of anyone’s control took hold, slowly taking away our season in the process. Our only solace was the hope that we would see the fruits of our continued dedication realized this year during the competition for a Massachusetts State Title. Now, we are once again faced with the prospect of being denied the chance to compete; however, now it is clear that this situation is within the control of the MIAA.

Throughout this past school year, the MIAA has worked to maximize the competition opportunities for Massachusetts student-athletes. Yet now, with new Covid-19 cases declining and effective safety protocols for sports already established, they have prematurely decided against the possibility of a State Semi-final and Final, citing other summer activities or sporting events as a barrier for finishing the season. We are totally certain that the overwhelming majority of spring athletes would elect to stay and compete for a State Championship should one of our teams make it that far in the playoffs. To demonstrate that widespread support exists for a State Playoff among student-athletes, I am asking you to sign this petition and share the link online so it can be presented to the MIAA Tournament Management Committee.



Owen Fanning,

Captain

Needham Boys’ Volleyball Team

Massachusetts State Senate Bill 2305 proposes imposing a fine of at least $1,000 per landing at a MA airport by any general aviation, charter, or corporate aircraft to "mitigate the climate impact of private and corporate air travel". This fine will result in a great financial hardship to not only the current pilots in the skies today, but also to the student pilots, flight schools, commercial airline operations, and small aviation related businesses in MA and the surrounding regions. Not only will this bill deter the growth of the aviation industry in the state of Massachusetts, it will also drive businesses and economic opportunities out.

Flying is already an expensive endeavor. Whether it is a corporate plane transporting cargo and goods or a student pilot just starting to get their wings, finances are already one of the most prominent factors on one's mind when taking to the skies. To add an unnecessary fine such as this for simply touching down on MA runways puts stress on the industry and will only serve to deter pilots and corporations from landing in MA and consequently, jobs and the economy will suffer. The bill has the potential to deter aircraft of all types and backgrounds from landing anywhere in the commonwealth.

To impose this fine on non-profit flights is beyond insanity. Nonprofits such as Angel Flight provide an essential service that only serves to better the community and help those in need. By fining them, you create a situation where they will not be able to provide medical service for those in dire need of care.

The bill fails to describe exactly how these funds will prevent an impact to the climate. Vague descriptions are given in the bill, however specifics are neglected. For a minimum fine of $1,000 you would think specific uses and the benefits of the bill would be apparent, however these elements are severely lacking.

Aviation should not be restricted to only the very wealthy. The skies belong to us all and this proposed bill only serves to hurt the industry as a whole and the people who call the skies their home. Thank you.

There has been so little talk about community theatres, and they should not be classified in the same category as Broadway. If indoor dining without masks and close contact activities are allowed to still be happening, then indoor theatre should be allowed to be open too. Viewing and performing with masks, and audience social distancing, is even safer then some of the entertainment that is open. If you want theaters to re-open please sign this petition. Restaurants are open to 25% capacity, movie theaters are open, malls are open, why can’t community theaters be open too. What I’m asking is if Governor Cuomo can reevaluate community theaters because I think that we need a chance to re-open too. I hope you will be able to take a minute out of your day to sign. Thank you.

Please consider signing.

We need your help. Ariel Harrison is a disabled black mother who is facing prison time.

Officer Gavin Steiger transported her to the jail after other officers accused her of drinking and driving - no breathalyzer or field sobriety tests were performed at the scene, during arrest or detainment.

Once at the McDonough County Jail, they proceeded to hold Ariel down and appeared to have been tased, at least 3-5 times until she was unconscious. Based on video evidence, Officer Steiger appeared to have put his knee on Ariel's head, neck and back. (Video) They left her unconscious body in a cold cell and sought no medical attention for her extensive injuries.

When Ariel regained consciousness (after an undetermined length of time), she discovered that she was only in a tank top and her underwear. She was shaking, cold and scared. She looked down at her legs in that moment, and she said they were green. She thought she was dying. She called out for help, and it took hours for someone to even acknowledge her existence.

Ariel was charged with a DUI and Assault of an Officer - for grabbing an officer's collar while she was being tased and fell unconscious - something entirely out of her control. Now Ariel is facing prison time.

You can donate to Ms. Harrison’s legal defense fund here. All funds raised will go to support Ms. Harrison's Appeal.

Ariel's life matters.

This is not the only injustice at the hands of Officer Steiger. We demand that all charges against Ariel Harrison be dropped immediately, a FULL investigation of Officer Steiger and that he be taken off of the streets of Macomb immediately, and fired.

Macomb Officer Gavin Steiger has been targeting Black women and their families for racial profiling, false arrest, police BRUTALITY, while putting lives needlessly at risk. He must be FIRED & investigated for domestic terrorism. (Sign the Petition)

#Justice4Ariel #TakeSteigerOffTheStreets #BlackLivesMatter #BlackDisabledLivesMatter

UPDATE:

SA Matt Kwacala excluded all the evidence of what happened in the jail, saying nothing to the public defender. Upon realizing the public defender hadn't reviewed the evidence, a new FOIA was filed, and the missing/excluded evidence was located. It shows a female jailor and two male staffers FORCIBLY STRIPPING A BLACK WOMAN NAKED. When the Public Defender was asked about why he hadn't received it, he wrote in an email that the SA claimed it had no bearing on the case.

The Public Defender received the evidence (finally) 18 months later after having already brought plea deals to the victim. She filed the new FOIA, and got the excluded evidence herself, which also appears exculpatory to the remaining charge (the arresting charges were dismissed for lack of evidence.)

The SA appears to have failed to inform the county board, Law and Legal Committee, nor any governing body about the egregious rights violations at the jail, despite having had, and suppressed, the evidence, thereby thwarting anyone else from seeing it, either. The fact that he ignored evidence of likely crimes against her must be investigated.

The SA holds tremendous power over a defendant in this community, as does the sheriff. Yet the County Board is told by both these conservative wh*te men the Board is to ignore it all and just turn over the budget to the sheriff and that they are not entitled to any more involvement.

The online petition to Investigate and Fire Macomb Police Officer Gavin Steiger is approaching 4,000 signatures.

BACKGROUND:

"If the sheriff’s department were to face legal action, Erlandson told The Voice after the February meeting that he believes the state’s attorney – not the Law & Legal Committee – would have the responsibility to respond.

McMeekan told The Voice in January that she had clarified to Erlandson that her request was not for a criminal investigation, but to put a discussion about concerns and questions on the functioning and administration of the Sheriff’s office and jail on the committee agenda in order to inform county officials and the public of concerns her organization was receiving. The Voice on Friday confirmed the exchange with Erlandson and asked why, after the clarification, he described McMeekan’s request to be put on the agenda as a request for a criminal investigation during the February meeting.

“I just felt it was the same topic,” he said, and reiterated that the committee doesn’t have oversight over operations or elected officials, just the resources."

Sources:

Law & Legal Committee discusses oversight, responsibility
Board Member Mike Kirby discussing the silencing by Republicans on the County Board.

Our attempt to get on the agenda for the Law and Legal Committee. https://www.democratic-women.org/mcdonough-countys-law-legal-committee/

Racial Justice Coalition visits the Law and Legal Committee "McMeekan said the group had received no response to its request last year for an investigation into procedures at the McDonough County Jail. She said the request was based on 'a possible case of police brutality.' The racial justice advocate related the case of a young woman whom she said had been tased, arrested, and left unconscious in a jail cell. McMeekan said, "A qualified medical professional should have been called in."

Source: https://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/story/news/local/2021/01/05/racial-justice-coalition-appeals-mcdonough-county-committee/6551220002/
The Department of Justice must investigate. In this one case, we have:

racial profiling
assumption of danger/assumption of criminality
abuse of power/brutality
false arrest/false pretext (initial charges were dropped)
repeated tasing in the back - head injury sustained while being
detained but NO DOCUMENTATION, NO MEDICAL CARE
brutally, forcefully stripped naked (under threat of more tasering) in jail by one female and two male employees - NOT DOCUMENTED AT ALL
medical care denied
mental health evaluation denied
falsification of records
withholding of evidence from the defense by the State's Attorney
FOIA'd emails from Chief Barker to City Officials misrepresenting facts
failure to act (SA Kwacala suppressed the brutality/medical neglect
evidence from the press and did not report it to the authorities)
defense process/procedural irregularities (not receiving evidence)
human, civil, and constitutional rights violations
Woman alleges excessive force after being tased, losing consciousness in McDonough Co. Jail | June 3, 2021

A Black woman who was tased multiple times at the McDonough County Jail alleges law enforcement officers used excessive force and did not offer medical treatment after she lost consciousness and sustained injuries.

Ariel Harrison, now 31, was detained at the jail after being pulled over in October 2019.

Harrison faces four charges in the case, including felony aggravated fleeing, felony aggravated battery of a peace officer, resisting arrest and driving under the influence of alcohol.

She believes the incident was racially motivated and the actions of law enforcement officers constitute brutality.

“I see racism in it because they didn’t treat me as a human,” Harrison said.

McDonough County Sheriff Alleges that Activists took advantage of Black woman who now faces prison time | June 7, 2021

Sheriff Nicholas Petitgout said a Black woman found guilty on multiple charges in a 2019 case was taken advantage of by local activists and now faces prison time when she could have taken a plea deal.

Structural Racism in Macomb | June 10, 2021

From The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to Black Lives Matter and the American Civil Liberties Union, there is today wide acknowledgment of the fact that the plea deal works to disenfranchise people of color, as well as poor people in general. While accepting a plea may allow a defendant to suffer a lesser criminal penalty, there is often permanent damage done, including the loss of the ability to find suitable employment, the loss of custody of children, and the loss of the right to vote.

The plea deal is an instrument of white supremacy, one of many instruments that disguises its racist character behind a veneer of neutrality. In this context, we can call out as racist Sheriff Nick Petitgout’s claim that local activists took advantage of Ariel Harrison, rather than the local establishment that refused to let Harrison present video evidence and attempted to railroad her into a plea deal.

Petitgout not only dismisses the work of anti-racist organizations like the Democratic Women of McDonough County and the Racial Justice Coalition. He also projects his own culpability for Harrison’s treatment onto the very people trying to help her. He places activists in the role of outside instigators, a move which assumes Harrison's incapacity to make her own intelligent decisions.

What’s more, Petitgout’s accusations represent open retaliation, which should be investigated as possible obstruction of justice.

And then there’s the general silence from the Macomb community, including many of its so-called liberals, some of whom seem happier to vilify Democratic Women of McDonough County President, Heather McMeekan, than to support racial justice in our community, which she has tirelessly and bravely pursued for years.

Vapid yard signs, photo-ops, and touchy-feely “education” sessions cannot replace standing up and speaking out when injustice occurs. Ariel Harrison matters.

Merrill Cole

******************************************

Help other victims of racial injustice in McDonough County, Illinois: Demand an investigation into rights abuses: https://www.change.org/p/us-attorney-general-merrick-garland-doj-investigate-rights-abuses-in-mcdonough-county

Names have meaning and the names given to public property have significance in how we choose to reflect the character and values of who we are as a nation and people. This is a proposition to change the name of Donald J. Trump Park to Sojourner Truth Park. The 465 acre parcel of land is located on the eastern bounds of the Taconic State Parkway spanning Westchester and Putnam Counties.

There have been three previous attempts to rename the 465 acre parcel currently bearing the name Donald J. Trump Park. Public record will show that Trump and his associated development company paid $2 million for this property. After being unable to develop the property, the land was donated to the State of New York which he and his firm used as a tax write-off. This was not a charitable gift derived out of generosity but an equitable exchange of real property for a financial incentive.


Several previous proposed names have all been admirable choices but perhaps have not met the benchmark through which most public lands have been rededicated in our State, to honor individuals rather than perhaps individuals who have donated land. The naming of a park should be that of a historic New Yorker who has made an outstanding contribution to the history and development of our state and one who evokes the values of patriotism, inclusiveness and equity under the law. There are few individuals who embodied the spirit and diversity of New York like Sojourner Truth. It seems only fitting that a park stripped of the name of a man who incited insurrection should be replaced with that of a woman who fought against and helped defeat insurrectionists.


Sojourner Truth was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree near Kingston, NY in 1797. She was sold at least twice during her early life and was not freed until mandated under State Law in 1827. Truth successfully sued for the return and freedom of her son from the State of Alabama in 1828. As a free person she became active both within her church as well as the abolition and suffrage movements. She gained national notoriety for her speech “Ain’t I a Woman” and would actively participate in the causes of emancipation, enfranchisement and equal protection under the law. Her ardent activism to help her neighbors and fellow Americans was tirelessly carried out all the while supporting and raising a family on her own. Truth passed away at Battle Creek, Michigan in 1883. Shortly after her death Frederick Douglass said she was “Venerable for age, distinguished for insight into human nature, remarkable for independence and courageous self-assertion, devoted to the welfare of her race, she has been for the last forty years an object of respect and admiration to social reformers everywhere."

Dear Senators Kaminsky and Stec, Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and Assemblymen Englebright and Smullen, Chair and Ranking Member of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation,

We write to ask that you support the advancement from Committee of Senate Bill S4028 (A4213 in the Assembly), also known as “The Kelp Bill,” sponsored by Senator Anthony H. Palumbo and Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr.

The bill adds "and seaweed" to an existing statute that allows shellfish farming in the Peconic and Gardiners' Bays. This would open a valuable economic opportunity for further developing the 'blue economy' in this time of recession. Passage of this bill will have immediate benefits for local kelp farmers, who planted a crop for a three-year Stony Brook University feasibility study but are presently unable to harvest and sell their kelp without a legal framework applicable to their industry.

Exploratory kelp farming projects in the area have already made steady and promising advances. The Stony Brook University study mentioned above was conducted with input from GreenWave, a Connecticut-based organization and international leader in the regenerative ocean farming industry. This study established the potential for seaweed farming to bring a broad spectrum of benefits to the people, the economy and the coastal ecosystems of the East End, while also contributing to climate change mitigation through the absorption of excess carbon. This work lays the foundation for a regenerative industry to emerge around kelp as a new crop in eastern Suffolk County.

Notably, this is a non-partisan issue: the bill received unanimous support from the Department of Environment’s Marine Resources Advisory Council in 2018 – an unusual rallying point for a group that rarely votes 10-0.

In light of the wide range of benefits that kelp farming will provide, and the bi-partisan support, we urge you to advance The Kelp Bill and to support its passage in the Senate and Assembly. Thank you for your leadership and consideration.

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Founder and CEO, Ocean Collectiv

Scott Bluedorn
East Hampton Energy Sustainability Committee

Kate Rossi-Snook
Environmental Advocate, Concerned Citizens of Montauk

Mary Morgan
Cofounder, Drawdown East End

Diane Shapiro
Ambassador, Drawdown East End

Sean Barrett
Cofounder, Dock to Dish Montauk

Jenny Willis
Climate Activist, Eat More Kelp

Chef Trevor Swope
Climate Activist

Kim Knoll
Concerned Citizen

Cassia Patel
Cofounder, Oceanic Global

Lea d'Auriol
Cofounder, Oceanic Global

Peter Strugatz
Concerned Citizen

Chef Kerry Heffernan
Grand Banks, Pilot Brooklyn, Island Oyster, Drift In Restaurants, NYC

The student-athletes of New York were promised a spring season where sports designated by the New York Board of Health as "High Risk" would be played. Football/Volleyball/Cheer were safely and successfully played in approximately 35 states or 70% of the country in the fall and it appears "High Risk" Winter Sports (Basketball/Hockey/Wrestling with Lacrosse in the Spring) in NY will suffer the same fate with little to no guidance or information on what classifies them as high risk or what would make them safe again.

Neighboring states like NJ/PA/CT have all been given the opportunity to play and the student-athletes of NY are looking for Sports Equality. Why is it safe to play in NJ/PA/CT and NOT in NY? The NY State Student-athletes need your help. They are suffering from increased stress, anxiety and in some cases depression. They have patiently waited 10-months for an opportunity to play. The NYS Coaches can provide a safe environment and a better alternative than continuing to have our student-athletes playing sports in unsupervised environments.

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Honorable Senator Todd Kaminski's petition to label Swastika as a hate symbol is misguided and unconstitutional as it attempts to mis-label a significant Hindu Symbol and fails to consider the symbol's Hindu religious and cultural significance. It is akin to labeling the symbol of cross or Star of David as a hate symbol.

What does the word 'swastika' mean?

In Sanskrit, the word swastika is a combination of ‘su’ (meaning ‘good’) and ‘asti’ (meaning ‘to exist’) — often getting translated as ‘all is well.’ The swastika is thus understood to be a symbol of auspiciousness and good fortune. It is used as a positive symbol by 1.8 billion Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.

Though the Nazi symbol was originally called the hakenkreuz (meaning ‘hooked cross)’, early translations of Adolf Hilter’s “Mein Kampf” into English substituted swastika for hakenkreuz, thereby popularizing the notion of a “Nazi swastika”.

What is the symbolism of the swastika?

Though many Hindus displaying the swastika do so in the spirit of auspiciousness, its meaning is much deeper and ancient. The four limbs can be interpreted as representing:

The four Vedas (foundational scriptures of Hinduism), the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, and the Atharva Veda.
The four traditional stages of life: Brahmacharya (youth/student), Grihasta (adult/family), Vanaprastha (elder); Sannyasa (old age/renunciation of the world).
The four goals of life: Dharma (right conduct), Artha (prosperity), Kama (pleasure), Moksha (spiritual liberation).
The four yugas (cyclical world ages): Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, Kali Yuga. We are currently in the shortest yuga, and the last before the cycle begins again, the Kali Yuga.
The four seasons: Though not everyplace on Earth experiences the seasons in the same way and some places translate the procession of the year’s natural phenomena in different terms, the four limbs of the swastika can also be taken to represent winter, spring, summer, fall. The procession of the seasons mirroring the procession of the stages of life.
The four cardinal directions.
The swastika is one of humanity’s oldest and most consistently used symbols across nearly every human culture. It has more than 10,000 years of positive associations behind it.

In that context and to educate people about this ancient symbol in proper context, we propose that the language of the bill be amended.

Actual text of the bill can be found at: https://www.billtrack50.com/BillDetail/1284279

We propose the bill to be amended as follows:

Purpose of the Bill:

To require New York school children be educated regarding the meaning of hakenkreuzs (often incorrectly referred to as swastikas) and nooses as symbols of hatred and intolerance.

Justification:

As incidents of hate crimes have skyrocketed across New York State and the nation as a whole, it is imperative that the Legislature mandate compulsory education for school children on the meaning and significance of hateful symbols used to instill fear in communities across our State. In particular, it is vital for students to be aware of the meanings of the Hakenkreuz (often incorrectly referred to as a Swastika) commonly exhibited as the emblem of Nazi Germany - as well as the noose - commonly exhibited as a symbol of racism and intimidation. This measure will do just that, by mandating schools educate students regarding these two symbols of hate, with an eye towards stamp-ing out hate, bigotry, and intolerance from our great State.

The Proposed Amended Bill with Swastika’s history and tradition in proper perspective

Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds the recent spike in hate crimes across our state and nation as a whole to be highly disturbing and a societal epidemic in need of remedy. As many of our youth are not aware of the hateful connotations behind Hakenkreuzs (often incorrectly referred to as Swastikas) and nooses, it is necessary for the legislature to mandate compulsory education in all schools across our great state in regard to the meanings of these two symbols of hate. Requiring students be educated in the significance of these displays of bigotry will go a long way toward fostering a more inclusive and tolerant society for all.

Section. 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 801-b to read as follows:

§ 801-B. INSTRUCTION REGARDING SYMBOLS OF HATE. THE REGENTS SHALL ENSURE THAT THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH TWELVE INCLUDES A COMPONENT ON THE MEANING OF THE HAKENKREUZ (A SYMBOL THAT IS INCORRECTLY REFERRED TO AS THE SWASTIKA) AS THE EMBLEM OF NAZI GERMANY, AS WELL AS THE NOOSE AS A SYMBOL OF RACISM AND INTIMIDATION. THE REGENTS SHALL DETERMINE HOW TO INCORPORATE SUCH COMPONENTS INTO EXISTING CURRICULA, AND THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE ANY REGULATIONS NEEDED TO CARRY OUT SUCH DETERMINATION OF THE REGENTS.

(1) THE REGENTS SHALL ENSURE THAT THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH TWELVE INCLUDES A COMPONENT ON THE MEANING OF THE SWASTIKA AS A SYMBOL OF PEACE, WELL-BEING AND PROSPERITY FOR DOZENS OF CULTURES AND NEARLY TWO BILLION PEOPLE CURRENTLY LIVING, IS THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD, AND WHICH PRE-DATES NAZI GERMANY AND BEARS NO RELATION IN MEANING OR PURPOSE TO THE HAKENKREUZ (THE EMBLEM OF NAZI GERMANY).

(2) THE REGENTS SHALL ENSURE THAT THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH TWELVE WILL DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TERM SWASTIKA (A SANSKRIT WORD AND A SYMBOL WHICH MEANS PEACE, WELL-BEING, AND PROSPERITY) AND THE HAKENKREUZ WHEN REFERRING TO THE GEOMETRICALLY SIMILAR YET DISTINCT EMBLEM OF NAZI GERMANY.

Signatories:

Asamai Hindu Temple & Community Center, Hicksville, NY

DEADLINE FOR RECALL SIGNATURES IS JUST DAYS AWAY. If you haven't yet signed, you need to get the official 2021 petition at RecallChesaBoudin.org and print, sign and mail it in asap. We need every signature to count.

Join the diverse coalition of San Franciscans across the city who want safety. We demanded Chesa Boudin resign, but he refused. We now lead his recall.

ADVISORY: Paper petitions are the only valid manner to sign a recall petition. No online signatures will be counted by the SF Department of Elections. We want your signature to count, so please go to our website RecallChesaBoudin.org to get the petition and support the committee.

Dismal Crime Statistics

Crime statistics for the year ending December 2020: Burglaries are up 47% , Car thefts are up 34% , Arson 39% and Homicides over 10% . Drug overdose deaths surpassed 620 in 2020 due in part to Mr Boudin's hands-off-drug-dealers approach. Car break-ins are now so prevalent, car owners have simply stopped reporting them.

Every resident and every visitor to San Francisco is a potential target. Our homes, our property and our lives are at risk.

We have witnessed outrageous incidents during 2020, where Mr Boudin failed to act. Every incident appears increasingly heinous, and just this New Years Eve, a paroled criminal fleeing in a stolen car hit and killed 2 pedestrians in downtown San Francisco. SF Chronicle story link Each last straw becomes another in a line of last straws. The time has finally come for a mass call to action. Residents and business owners are fleeing. People are literally dying.

Go to RecallChesaBoudin.org for more information and to support.

DISCLAIMER: We'd like to clarify to those signing that when you are donating to this petition the money is going towards change.org's network to keep amplifying these petitions. The money will not be donated to us to filter to charities (sadly we just figured this out as this is our first time making a petition). Please be mindful of that before donating! Thank you.

This campaign is urging San Francisco Mayor London Breed, District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin & the Board of Supervisors to create a Chinatown Community Benefits District (CBD) to protect Chinatown residents. At its bare minimum, we respectfully request the CBD to train, hire & employ Safety Ambassadors as a reassuring presence; particularly as a response to the Pandemic's (1) increased violence against the elderly Asian Americans, (2) decreased tourist foot traffic that may have previously shielded them, and (3) increased racism, poverty and desperation that may be motivating assault and burglaries.

THE PROBLEM

In March of 2020, NBC reported 650 acts of racism, xenophobia and anti-Asian hate crimes across the country over the [ week of 3/19/2020 - 3/26/2020 : LINK]. In response, volunteers began patrolling SF Chinatown (LINK). Almost a year later, in February 2021, we continue to see a week full of anti-Asian American Hate Crimes, little media coverage, and impunity:

Feb 2, an 84 years old Thai man was killed after being pushed in San Francisco (link)
Feb 4, an elderly Chinese man is shoved and thrown to the ground in Oakland's Chinatown (link)
Feb 4, In New York City, a Filipino Man is slashed across the face (link)
Feb 5, In San Jose a Vietnamese grandmother is robbed and assaulted (link)
Feb 2, A Chinese Man is robbed at gunpoint in front of his home in Oakland (link)
And in that same week, I lost a family member in LA Chinatown. After missing for 6 days (with no media coverage) she was found robbed and near dead. This has gone on long enough.

A SOLUTION

Volunteer patrols are thoughtful -- but they take on their own risks, may not be trained/experienced, and do not have any accountability to the city or its stakeholders. Some businesses have already resorted to paying for security and protection. This petition is calling for an organized and funded team of SAFETY AMBASSADORS as a reassuring presence and safety escorts for tenants, residents, and visitors.

This is happening in other parts of the city; WHY NOT IN CHINATOWN?

Through their Community Benefits District, Yerba Buena property owners have their own bike patrol officer (14 hours/day on weekdays + 12 hours/day on weekends) in addition to existing police services. (LINK). Similarly, Downtown Oakland Community Benefit District has 30 full-time, highly visible Ambassadors circulating throughout downtown, devoting extraordinary care to the public rights of way, and providing safety, hospitality, and maintenance. (LINK).

Mayor London Breed herself says “Community Benefit Districts keep our communities, clean, safe, and vibrant... These organizations create and implement effective, equity-based solutions and make it possible for everyone to benefit from cleaner and safer streets.” (2019 LINK)

As some people may not be familiar, COMMUNITY BENEFIT DISTRICTS ARE

voted upon, established, and funded by property owners in the area
a partnership between the City and local communities
administered by a non-profit organization established by the neighborhood
This means property owners in Chinatown would pay a special assessment to fund improvements in their neighborhood and establish a non-profit organization to manage those funds and improvements like the Safety Ambassador Program

Currently, San Francisco has 17 CBDs that raise between $500,0000- $6 million a year (LINK):

Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District ($818,991)
Civic Center Community Benefit District ($3,178,521)
Discover Polk Community Benefit District ($635,238)
Downtown Community Benefit District ($4,005,975)
The East Cut Community Benefit District ($4,316,673)
Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District ($1,218,900)
Japantown Community Benefit District ($393,750)
Lower Polk Community Benefit District ($897,553)
Mid Market Community Benefit District ($1,694,614)
Moscone Expansion District
Noe Valley Community Benefit District ($248,541)
Ocean Avenue Community Benefit District ($339,580)
SoMa West Community Benefit District ($3,859,195)
North of Market/Tenderloin Community Benefit District ($2,043,877)
Tourism Improvement District
Union Square Business Improvement District ($6,019,719)
Yerba Buena Community Benefit District ($3,151,268)
Conclusion

We are calling for Mayor London Breed, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, and the entire Board of Supervisors to create a Chinatown Community Benefits District to train and fund an Ambassador Program aimed at reassuring safety -- or put it on the ballot for the area to enact. We truly believe attacks are less likely to take place when people are around -- it is not our intention to increase police presence. We hope to keep Chinatown a safe space for the non-English speaking, the elderly, and the low-income residents. Thank you to the volunteers who have already done what they can!

Please also sign this petition: Get Mainstream News Coverage Of National Elderly Asian American Assaults

Edit: an earlier version referenced a February 11, 2020 attack on an Oakland man in his home. Sadly, there was another similar incident in 2021.

Photo by Ron Koeberer/Getty Images

Update: Please be advised any money donated to change.org for this petition goes directly to change.org and not Mr. Vicha family. My Vicha family has a fundraiser on GoFundMe.

At 8:30 am on Thursday Jan. 28, 2021, an 84-year-old man Vicha Ratanapakdee, who moved to San Francisco from Thailand to take care of his grandkids, went out for a walk just like any other day. No one would think he would be murdered and never came home to his family again. Mr. Ratanapakdee was killed in a seemingly unprovoked attack last week in San Francisco by a 19-year-old named Antoine Watson with his partner, 20 year old Maylasia Goo who acted as the runaway driver. Racism has once again proven deadly. Anti-Asian racism has become a very serious danger to all Asian Americans around the US.

It's time the authorities took serious action to combat it.

We demand Mayor London Breed and Cheda Boudin take responsibility in murders of Asians in S.F. and we demand action in this despicable case. The perpetrator has been identified, and is in jail awaiting court process. Mr.Vicha Ratanapakdee died from his injuries, so we demand that prosecution for this murderous hate crime be sought as the only path to secure justice and ensure community safety.

The Thai-American community therefore calls for justice for Mr. Wicharat Rattanapakdee.

*** หมายเหตุ : หลังจากที่เพื่อนๆได้ร่วมลงชื่อแล้ว ทาง CHANGE อาจถามถึงการ chip in (หรือการบริจาคเงิน) ให้กับองค์กร change.org ซึ่งการบริจาคตรงนี้ เพื่อไปช่วยโปรโมตให้การ petition นี้เปิดการมองเห็นและแชร์ออกไปได้มากขึ้น แต่เงินที่ chip in ตรงนี้ จะไม่ใช่เงินบริจาคเพื่อไปช่วยเหลือครอบครัวคุณลุงโดยตรง หากต้องการบริจาค ช่วยเหลือครอบครัวของคุณลุงวิชา ต้องไปที่นี่ค่ะ
https://www.gofundme.com/f/84yearold-killed-in-san-francisco

เช้าวันพฤหัสที่ 28 มกราคม .. เหมือนเช้าวันอื่นๆที่ คุณลุงวิชัยเดินออกกำลังกายแถวละแวกบ้านในซานฟรานซิสโก เช่นที่เคยทำ .. แต่ การเดินเล่นเช้าวันนั้น ไม่มีใครรู้ว่า.. คุณลุงจะไม่ได้กลับบ้าน มาหาครอบครัวอีกชั่วนิรันดร์

คุณลุงถูกทำร้ายโดยชายหนุ่มวัย 19 ปี และมีแฟนสาวที่สมรู้ร่วมคิดขับรถพาหนี

การเหยียดสีผิว และ เชื้อชาติ เป็นสาเหตุแห่งการตายของคุณลุงวิชัย และเป็นอันตรายอย่างใหญ่หลวงต่อชนชาวเอเชียในสหรัฐในปัจจุบัน

ถึงเวลาแล้ว ที่ทางการจะพิจารณาหามาตรการอย่างจริงจังที่จะต่อสู้กับการเหยียดผิว

เราเรียกร้องให้ นายกเทศมนตรี ของ นครซานฟรานซิสโก ลอนดอน บรีด และ อัยการเขต เชดา บูดิน รับผิดชอบในคดีฆาตกรรมชาวเอเชียใน S.F.

เราเรียกร้องให้ดำเนินการอย่างเด็ดขาดในกรณีที่ต่ำทรามเช่นนี้ ณ​ ตอนนี้ ได้จับกุมตัวผู้กระทำความผิดแล้ว และอยู่ระหว่างการจำคุกเพื่อรอกระบวนการของศาล และการที่นายวิชา รัตนภักดีเสียชีวิตจาก อาการบาดเจ็บการดำเนินคดีอย่างหนักสำหรับอาชญากรรมที่ก่อให้เกิดความเกลียดชังนี้ เป็นหนทางเดียวที่จะนำไปสู่ความยุติธรรมและความปลอดภัยของชุมชน

ชุมชนไทย-อเมริกันจึงขอเรียกร้องความเป็นธรรมเพื่อ นาย วิชา รัตนภักดี

Mayor London Breed

Please help me help my brother from being illegally deported.

“US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) is to carry out a final deportation flight of the Trump era on Tuesday, with a plane bound for Haiti whose passengers include a man who is not a Haitian citizen, and who has never been there.

Paul Pierrilus, a 40-year-old financial consultant from Rockland County, New York, was born in the French Caribbean territory of Saint Martin, according to a birth certificate supplied by his family, who said he came to the US with his parents when he was five. His sister and parents are US citizens.

He was picked up on 11 January, as part of what human rights advocates say is a last sweep of black migrants in the final days of the Trump administration. He has told his family he was being transferred to an Ice holding facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, which is a typical precursor to deportation.


According to his sister, Neomie, he was seized when he went to an immigration office on Federal Plaza in Manhattan on 11 January, for what he thought would be a routine visit.

“He went there for the appointment and while he was there, he was detained, and he was informed that they have documents stating that he’s a Haitian citizen,” Neomie Pierrilus said.

She said their parents were Haitian but never applied for Paul’s Haitian citizenship. “We don’t really understand how documents were obtained to say that my brother was a citizen of Haiti.


“My brother has never even been to Haiti,” she said. “He has the bare minimum of the language, he doesn’t know the culture, he doesn’t know anyone there. So my brother cannot go there.”

Neomie Pierrilus supplied copies of emails last year from the then Haitian ambassador, Hervé Denis, confirming that her brother was not a Haitian citizen. Nor did Paul’s birth in Saint Martin confer French citizenship, making him stateless.

Guerline Jozef, head of the community group Haitian Bridge Alliance, said that the intense level of political violence in Haiti represented a serious threat to Pierrilus’s life.

“Sending him to Haiti, first of all, is not legal,” Jozef said. “And with what’s going on in Haiti right now, there is no way they should be deporting people there period, especially him because he is not Haitian, has never been there and has no connections there. So they cannot just drop him at the airport.”

Ice has been running removal flights to Haiti every second Tuesday, and appears ready to press ahead with this week’s scheduled flight on the eve of Joe Biden’s inauguration. Biden has promised a 100-day suspension of deportations on taking office, while immigration and Ice procedures are reviewed.

There have been calls for the agency to be dissolved for its role in enforcing Trump’s anti-immigration policies, including the separation of migrant children from their parents. Ice has also been accused of torturing African asylum-seekers to make them sign waivers allowing for their deportation, as part of a sweep particularly targeting African and Caribbean migrants.

Related: US Ice officers 'used torture to make Africans sign own deportation orders'

Another flight is due to leave Arizona on Tuesday, heading to Mauritania, carrying Black Mauritanian deportees, despite well-documented persecution and enslavement of their community there. Deportations of Black Mauritanians were rare before the Trump administration, under which they have increased more than tenfold.

An Ice spokeswoman said that she could not confirm any deportation flight until it had landed, for reasons of operational security.

“That being said, it’s not uncommon for removal flights to stop in multiple locations,” the spokeswoman said.

The Ice Twitter account celebrated Martin Luther King day on Monday saying that it honoured his “message of hope, justice and equality”.

Jozef said that the agency’s relentless deportation of Haitians and Africans – despite the endemic violence there and the risks of spreading coronavirus – made a mockery of that claim.

“They have been targeting black communities. They have been targeting black immigrants. So this is the last attempt of destroying lives,” she said. “As we celebrate the life of MLK who has been fighting for justice and on the eve of the inauguration, this cannot happen. This should not be happening.”

I made this petition to make sure that Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen realize the mistake they made when they discontinued the Cajun rice. This issue affects all drive thru chicken lovers and we need change now! Please sign and share with others!

Everyone know the best part of a Popeye's meal is the biscuit. But the second best part is a side of Cajun rice! Cajun rice is the best side of all the sides at all the restaurants in the world. And Popeye's has wronged every fan of fast food chicken by removing Cajun rice from the menu. This egregious mistake must be corrected! I think I speak for all drive thru chicken connoisseurs when I say a world without Popeye's Cajun rice is a world I don't want to live in. If a side must go let it be the macaroni and cheese(it's never good anyway), or even the mashed potatoes. Just please let us have the Cajun rice!

By signing this petition you join me in asking...nay BEGGING Popeye's to bring back Cajun rice.

This petition is being passed around to bring attention to Legislation that we as Louisiana residents want a governor recall. We are dissatisfied with the governor and want things changed to benefit Louisiana voices. Our governor is on a straight path with the Democratic Party in Washington and goes against everything we believe in and were taught and would like a governor with a more outgoing look at what the people of Louisiana want opposed to what he wants. We believe he is governing state according to wishes of Biden administration rather than the voices of the people. He was elected to get our voices out and is suppose to back the voices of the people. Money sent to state is going to be used for infrastructure instead of being used to help people in Louisiana instead of people in need. Many other states have passed this petition and their states are fully operating and people are being helped. We do not agree with some of the demands of what is taught in our schools and colleges. Louisiana is a Christian based state and want it run that way. We do not want a governor that tramples God’s laws. We need this petition passed so people in Louisiana can sign it. We are working on making Louisiana a safe place and want to keep the beauty in tact.

Louisiana State University has allowed many varsity NCAA sports to continue to practice and compete throughout the Fall of 2020 and into the Spring of 2021. In observance of our "safety", however, all club sports including Lacrosse, Rugby, and Ultimate Frisbee and many more are not allowed to compete or even scrimmage for that matter, as of this posting.

Many students find these club sports valuable for stress relief, personal development, and social experience while in college. LSU continues to boast on how many clubs there are to offer, but limits our ability to enjoy them. Many students have already invested into clubs with dues upwards of $2000 to participate.

Help us make change and fight for LSU Emergency Operations Center to allow club sports to compete! With your help, we can prevent LSU from discriminating against Club sports and bending the rules for varsity NCAA sports in order to maintain a flow of revenue.

Whereas Senator Bill Cassidy was elected by the people of Louisiana to represent them in the United States Senate and,

Whereas Senator Cassidy has expressed his support for so-called Red Flag laws (aka Gun Confiscation laws and Extreme Risk Protection Orders) thereby infringing upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms in conflict with the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Louisiana and,

Whereas Senator Cassidy voted, against the clear wishes and belief of the people of Louisiana, that impeachment of a private citizen of the United States is constitutional thereby extending Federal Government overreach never intended by the framers of the United States Constitution and,

Whereas Senator Cassidy voted, against the clear wishes and belief of the people of Louisiana, to convict former President Donald J. Trump of the charge of Incitement of Insurrection, and

Whereas Senator Cassidy has been Censured by the Republican Party of Louisiana for his vote to convict former President Trump,

Therefore we the signatories of this petition do hereby express our complete lack of confidence in Senator Cassidy to adequately continue to represent the people of Louisiana and,

Do hereby call for Senator Bill Cassidy’s immediate resignation.

We, the student body of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, would like to see the option of the emergency of pass / fail to be granted and made available to us. COVID-19 has been devastating to us all, even still, and we would like this option made available until we are back in-person and able to get back to the college education that we were suppose to have.

Sheriff Tommy Romero of Loreauville Louisiana has the power to arrest Janet Irvin and everyone involved in Quawan Charles death, yet he fails to do so! Sheriff Tommy Romero made a oath to protect and serve the people! Sheriff Tommy Romero has shown the community that he protect and serve murderers instead of the community! We need someone in office to serve and protect by action for all people! If you’re a registered voter of the Iberia Parish area and don’t agree with how Sheriff Romero is handling the actions of Quawan case! Please sign and share!