UPDATED x1: OMG, Rec List!!! This is such an important issue but so many here have written about it so much more eloquently than I have that I never thought this would happen! Thank you to everyone who recommended this diary!
UPDATED x2: It has just been brought to my attention that this diary has fallen off the recommended list, I just wanted to thank everybody again for all the time that it spent there
UPDATED x3: Well, it looks like I spoke too soon! Thanks for banding together and making sure this diary got back on the rec list!!
ATTENTION!!!
Please recommend this diary and keep it on the rec list as long as possible so that the important issues raised here can receive the IMMEDIATE attention they deserve. (UPDATE x4 - As alluded to in the dailykos FAQ, it takes more and more recs to keep a diary on the recommended list after a certain amount of time has passed, so in order to keep this up top, please do not recommend any other diaries)
More below the fold...
UPDATED x5 - Please unrecommend this diary and then rerecommend it in order to double your impact.
UPDATED x6 - It has been brought to my attention in the comments section that some readers are having trouble rerecommending the diary. If you are having difficulty with this, people, please - TRY HARDER. All it takes is just a little bit of extra effort.
UPDATED x7 - Some comments have raised concerns about the fact that I have been forced to edit down the initial body of this diary to make room for all the updates, but keeping everyone informed with the very latest news takes priority. Please rec this up. Thanks.