Jesse Folsom - ForceChange

Make Apple and its Collaborators Stop Book Price Fixing

Apple, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble have collaborated to fix prices, raising the cost of books for everyone. The Department of Justice has taken notice, and will soon bring an antitrust lawsuit against them. These giant corporations must stop abusing their intellectual property rights and market domination, and quit their anti-competitive price fixing collusion.

Stop Feds from Imprisoning Man for “Obscenity”

Ira Isaacs has already suffered two federal prosecutions, both ending in mistrial, under the utterly subjective and Constitution-violating ‘Obscenity’ laws. He is likely to face a third unless the Department of Justice is stopped in their relentless witch-hunt. The President has to step forward and stop this agency from abusing Isaacs any further.

Stop Using Civilian-Murdering Drones In Afghanistan and Pakistan

The US has begun, in recent years, assassinating militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan with drone strikes, but at least a third of those killed are believed to be innocent civilians, including many children. This atrocious number, combined with the rising anger of Pakistan, a nuclear power and supposedly an ally, at the deaths of its citizens, makes the continued use of drones untenable.

Stop Bill that Would Make Protesting Anywhere a Potential Federal Crime

The US Congress just passed a bill that would make it illegal to protest anywhere near a politician with Secret Service protection is visiting. This includes the President but also some presidential candidates and foreign dignitaries. This is a gross infringement on our First Amendment rights and the President must veto the bill immediately.

Stop Paypal From Censoring the Internet

PayPal has begun using its market dominance to bully independent booksellers into censoring erotic literature. We don’t have to put up with corporate censorship, and PayPal must cease these efforts immediately.

Save Brilliant Florida High School Student from Deportation

Daniela Pelaez is the brilliant valedictorian of her high school, an aspiring heart surgeon who has lived in the US since the age of four. But Daniela is not here legally, and now the federal government is attempting to deport her. President Obama must step forward and prevent this travesty from occurring.

Prosecute Cop Who Left Handcuffed Woman Braindead

Danielle Maudsley, a 20-year-old woman weighing 100 pounds, was left braindead after being Tasered by Daniel Cole, a 267-pound Florida state trooper, from less than a meter away. Despite being handcuffed and no threat to Cole, his department has cleared him of wrongdoing. The Governor must step forward and protect the people of Florida by removing Cole from duty and prosecuting him to the full extent of the law.

End Federal Grants for Unhealthy Potato Chip Marketing

The US Department of Agriculture just awarded a marketing grant to a potato chip company, in direct opposition to the health of Americans and other agencies promoting a more healthy lifestyle. Clearly this agency and others like it need more oversight. Congress must act to stop grants and other subsidies to the junk food industry.

End the FDA’s Ban on Interstate Raw Milk Sales

Raw milk has, unlike spinach and many other products commonly sold across state lines, caused no deaths in at least 20 years. Yet the FDA has shut down a Pennsylvania farmer for selling raw milk to willing and informed customers across state lines. The President must step in and end the policy of this wayward agency, and allow us the freedom of choice in what foods we choose to consume.

LAPD Covers Up a Possible Murder by One of Their Own

Reginald Doucet was unarmed on January 14, 2011, when he was shot and killed by an LAPD officer. The facts of this case are highly suspect, and the LAPD, which has already exonerated the officers involved, should not be trusted as the final word on the matter. The Governor of California must begin a separate, outside criminal investigation into the suspicious events surrounding the death or Mr. Doucet.

Stop Unnecessary Taser Deaths In California

Over 500 people have been killed by police Tasers, including 92 in California alone. This death toll is unacceptable for a device used so casually by police agencies. California Legislators must act immediately to restrict the use of tasers to situations where lethal force would otherwise be necessary.

Identify and Punish Cops Who Viciously Beat a Man in Diabetic Shock

While he was suffering from diabetic shock, Nevada police viciously beat Adam Greene, leaving him with broken ribs, a black eye, and facial lacerations. Now, the police departments involved refuse to give the names of those responsible, and there is no indication that they suffered any penalty for their crimes. Help get the governor of Nevada to step forward and protect the public from these out-of-control cops.

Third Time’s a Charm? Don’t Force Regime Change in Syria

Some members of Congress are calling for the US to send humanitarian aid, weapons, and even direct military intervention on behalf of the Syrian rebellion. But with the recent track record of the US, we can’t afford the billions of dollars, thousands of lives, and diminished international esteem it would cost to install a new regime in Syria, especially when recent history shows it may well be worse than the one they already have.

End Police Tyranny in Houston, Texas

Houston police assaulted partygoers Derrick Broze and Micah Jackson without justification, and subsequently threatened a peaceful crowd with a shotgun. This behavior is completely unacceptable for public servants we’ve armed and invested with tremendous authority. The Mayor of Houston must step in and make sure the officers responsible don’t get away with this betrayal of the public trust.

Stealing Genes – Stop Washington State From Taking DNA On Arrest

The Washington State Legislature is considering bills which would force people arrested for serious crimes to give a DNA sample to be tracked in a national database. This violation of rights goes against one of the most important aspects of our justice system, that the accused are innocent until proven guilty. The ends do not justify the means, and so Washington’s legislators must vote against these heavy handed bills.

A Death Sentence for Illegal Immigration?

UCSF’s medical center is condemning a man to death for being an illegal immigrant. Jesus Navarro, a husband and father with his own health insurance and willing donor, is being denied a transplant because he is an illegal immigrant. This is a shameful moment in the history of the UC system, and the Board of Regents must step in to correct it before it is too late.

Illinois Shields Police Brutality

Illinois has the most restrictive anti-recording law in the nation, including a penalty of up to 15 years for recording a police officer without their permission, even in public. With the importance that electronic recording devices have had in exposing police brutality in the last few years, this law works directly against public safety and government accountability. The Illinois Legislature must act immediately to reform this terrible law.

Mandatory Minimum Injustice – Repeal California’s Three Strikes Law

California’s Three Strikes Law has resulted in some people receiving worse sentences for shoplifting than others do for murder. The courts have proven unwilling to do anything to help those victimized by this law. California’s legislature must repeal this law to free those unjustly imprisoned, and prevent such injustices from happening again.

Life In Prison for Cheating On a Driving Test – Free Santos Reyes

Santos Reyes has been locked in Folsom State Prison for the last 14 years for putting a false name on a driver’s license application. The victim of California’s Three Strikes law, Reyes’ has exhausted almost every appeal available to him. The Governor of California must step forward and pardon Santos Reyes.

Ignorance Among Scholars – Repeal the Electronic Cigarette Ban at University of California Campuses

The University of California’s recent announcement of a broad ban on tobacco products on UC campuses goes to far. It includes e-cigarettes, a product no more harmful than the permitted nicotine gums and patches. These devices can actually aid in smoking cessation, and the UC Board of Regents must remove this counterproductive part of the ban.

Legalize Hemp Cultivation in California: An Herb of Many Virtues

Industrial hemp is an incredibly useful plant which is useless as a recreational drug, yet the United States federal government treats it as if it were the same as marijuana. The ban on its cultivation is completely irrational, and California, which has previously defied the federal ban on medical marijuana, should once again step forward and allow the farming of this sustainable and versatile crop.

Signed Up for Slavery – It’s Time for the Selective Service Requirement to End

Selective Service registration for a potential military draft is a relic of the past, a pointless demand that we are better off leaving behind. Conscription is merely enslavement to the military, and we must stop forcing our young men to sign up to be tracked in case the politician of the day decides to use it again.

Immoral Occupation – Get US Bases Off Okinawa

The large US military presence on the island of Okinawa puts an undue and expressly unwelcome burden on its people. The US military uses up 18% of Okinawan land and constitutes 4% of its residents. The President and Congress should withdraw our troops from a peaceful territory where 85% of the citizens want the US military out.

End the Bloodshed in Mexico – Stop Pressuring Mexico to Fight Our Drug War for Us

The US drug war has cost the Mexican people dearly in lives and stability. They bear this price with barely any benefit, and both polling and protests shows the people of Mexico are against it. The US government must end its pressure on Mexico to fight our drug war for us.

Justice for Our Victims – Compensate Those Wrongfully Imprisoned at Guantanamo

Hundreds of prisoners have been held and tortured for years by the U.S. at Guantanamo without charge. Many of them have eventually been released because it was determined that they had no terrorist involvement. Congress must compensate those innocent prisoners affected by this gross injustice.

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Articles By: Jesse Folsom