First things first: Egypt's military government plans to execute 528 people, so Avaaz helps you tell Egypt's Grand Mufti Halam to condemn the planned execution. The 528 folks in question supported former President Morsi, but you don't need to know that to oppose their murder. The 528 folks in question took part in a riot that killed one police officer shortly after police broke up two peaceful demonstrations in Cairo and left over 1,000 folks dead, but you don't need to know that to oppose their murder. Independent observers found the trial of the 528 to be rife with violations of due process, but you don't even need to know that to oppose their murder. Even in These Strange Times, we should recognize executing 528 people at once as an act of barbarism, which would be no less barbaric even if undertaken by a more sympathetic leadership. And we should not worry that Grand Mufti Allam will be unduly empowered -- or that the influence of religion in government would unduly increase -- because of any action he might undertake on the behalf of the Minya 528. No one said democracy in Egypt would be easy, but doing the right thing is still doing the right thing.
Meanwhile, the Community for Effective Government helps you tell our government to do more to secure and protect chemical facilities in America. (Deadline for comments on this matter, unfortunately, is today.) You recall the explosion in the West Fertilizers chemical plant in Texas last year, one which resulted in over a dozen deaths, over 200 injuries, and the destruction of a school and a nursing home? You recall that this same chemical plant failed to disclose to the Department of Homeland Security that it held over 1,300 times the amount of ammonium nitrate the law required them to disclose? Well, apparently our government can make chemical corporations use safer chemicals and store chemicals more safely (under authority already granted by Congress in 1991, AMURKIAN CAESAR!!!! fans), and our government can also force chemical corporations to disclose more information to the public and to first responders (many of whom did not know the West, TX facility even had ammonium nitrate). Folks who complain that these regulations will "kill jobs" might well want to appear more concerned with chemical plant explosions that kill people.
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