The Big Ideas Project

Immigration: make it easier for US Citizens with foreign national spouses to bring them into the US to complete their family without having to wait up to six years and being charged outrageous fees (I know many who have paid over $5,000 for additional fees and to re-file paperwork/forms submitted that the government lost). Stop the INS rush to deport spouses because THEY are taking years to process immigrant applications and applications for green cards.

Submitted by Anthony in Civil Rights Dec. 10, 2014, 6:40 p.m.

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#809

210 votes

Useful public services should be created to provide jobs to ex-felons who will always have difficulties finding employment. Tax incentives for hiring ex-cons should be dramatically expanded. Community services to help re-introduce and integrate ex-cons into communities should be developed and expanded.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Civil Rights Dec. 16, 2014, 3:56 p.m.

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#812

208 votes

Colorado Senator Gary Hart, in 1984, proposed a National Service program modeled after the GI Bill, that would give all college students a government-funded higher education in exchange for the pledge to spend four years after college in community service (not only the military, but infrastructure, education, etc.) IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS. This would have multiple benefits: eliminating student debt, giving our college grads real-life work experience, and repairing our infrastructure.

Submitted by Lyrakanthos in Civil Rights Jan. 13, 2015, 11:59 p.m.

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#812

208 votes

A truth and reconciliation commission (modeled after South Africa when apartheid ended) to lead the country in a mourning process for the deep scars of slavery and successive racism: Jim Crow, lynching, voter suppression, funneling of racial minorities into prisons, the death of black men at the hands of police, etc

Submitted by no in Civil Rights Dec. 10, 2014, 1:18 p.m.

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#820

206 votes

Adopt a federal Criminal Justice Civil Rights Act aimed at changing police behavior and methods of punishment as fundamentally as the 1964 Civil Rights Act changed the Jim Crow practices it addressed. This new act should broadly address policing and arrest practices, incentivising arrests, use of excessive force, privatization of prisons and jails, plea bargaining, mandatory minimum sentences,and other similar issues.

Submitted by James Keeney in Civil Rights Dec. 21, 2014, 4:59 p.m.

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#826

204 votes

PROTECT RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIVE AMERICANs Require any person receiving financial benefits or other rights and opportunities reserved for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians present DNA evidence that at least 50% of their ancestry is actually Native American or Native Hawaiian.

Submitted by john w. from MA in Civil Rights Dec. 10, 2014, 6:44 p.m.

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#830

203 votes

Make public defenders a very high paying job, on par with attorneys working at high profile defense firms. This is the only way to ensure all U.S. citizens have access to the kind of representation that guarantees a fair trial. Right now a fair trial is only available to those who can afford a very good lawyer.

Submitted by courtdmc in Civil Rights Dec. 19, 2014, 10:13 a.m.

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#841

199 votes

Require that all prisoners are paid minimum wage or more for work performed in prison. Allow them invest savings in low-risk mutual funds. Provide classes in small business start-up and operation...

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Civil Rights Dec. 26, 2014, 1:43 p.m.

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#844

198 votes

Privacy Laws like Iceland's. Invalidate Facebook's legal claim to "own" its users personal data. Require all services to require user permission for any form of sharing to third parties, even to the government...

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Civil Rights Dec. 16, 2014, 4:07 p.m.

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#871

191 votes

Change the racist judicial system which lets police get away with murder. We need real justice for all those hundreds of people killed at the hands of cops.

Submitted by Leticia in Civil Rights Jan. 8, 2015, 7:42 p.m.

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#906

181 votes

Narrow the income gap, instead of increasing it.

Submitted by alvin a. from MI in Civil Rights Dec. 26, 2014, 12:31 p.m.

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#906

181 votes

Zero tolerance program for prison rape and assault. Every state should have one or more publicly elected panels equally representing both political parties, women and minorities, to supervise independent, on site prison monitors with full access to facilities, staff, inmates, and records, and review all "cases."

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Civil Rights Dec. 16, 2014, 3:41 p.m.

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#909

180 votes

Implement a requirement that all law enforcement candidates must undergo sensitivity testing. If they exhibit a strong bias against a particular people group, then they cannot be hired.

Submitted by Pat S. from GA in Civil Rights Dec. 14, 2014, 7:11 p.m.

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#920

178 votes

Illegal immigration happens because we have cheap labor jobs for these illegals. If Fortune 500 companies didn't hire illegal immigrants, we wouldn't need a fence. Think of all the money saved. We need to hold those CEOs accountable and prosecute them for hiring illegal immigrants. GOP Politicians, with the help of these CEOs, have created their own legislation that grants immunity to these CEOs for hiring illegals. This needs to be reversed and is the most important part of immigration reform.

Submitted by Gary B in Civil Rights Dec. 10, 2014, 8:52 p.m.

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#927

176 votes

Reduce total prison populations by 2% every year over the next 20 years. By 2034, one generation, Total prison population numbers will be 40% lower than now. This can be done by capitalizing on the many other great ideas found throughout this site including: education, drug-laws enforcement, mental health care, minimum wage increases and so on.

Submitted by 20 in 20 in Civil Rights Dec. 10, 2014, 10:03 p.m. 1

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#935

175 votes

In the Declaration Of Independence.We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all MEN are created equal.I propose to take out the word men and replace it with Citizens.If you want equality for women you must reexamine the wordings of our laws.

Submitted by stephen eric serati in Civil Rights Dec. 21, 2014, 2:44 p.m.

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#935

175 votes

Force a "privacy bubble" option in all manufactured technology and vehicles for people who are willing to give up GPS and other services in favor of not being constantly tracked and marketed to.

Submitted by J C. from NY in Civil Rights Dec. 6, 2014, 11:39 a.m.

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#944

173 votes

Make illegal drugs - marijuana, LSD, MMDA, and cocaine - legal for adults. Tax them like alcohol and cigarettes are taxed. This will neuter drug lords and corruption, raise state revenues to historic levels (look at Colorado) and reduce the prison population to a point where private prisons will go out of business. It will also stop politicians from crying poverty whenever they don't like funding important state projects like infrastructure and drug rehab programs etc...

Submitted by Charles L. in Civil Rights Dec. 12, 2014, 12:23 a.m.

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#975

166 votes

Mandate body and vehicle cameras for law enforcement. Put a policeman who fails to keep his cameras on on probation for one year. If he breaks the law again, give him a three-month suspension without pay. On the third strike, dismiss him & bar him from law enforcement anywhere. If ANY failure to wear/operate a camera occurs in conjunction with the injury or killing of an unarmed person, independent prosecutor must fully investigate. No Grand Juries.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Civil Rights Jan. 12, 2015, 11:08 a.m.

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#991

161 votes

Make civil rights less employee against employee and more employer liability. Stop pitting poor against poor and make employers more accountable

Submitted by noone in Civil Rights Dec. 29, 2014, 11:48 p.m.

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#1025

154 votes

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