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If only these online petitions actually meant anything. Every one I've seen them respond to has been along the lines of "Oh, yeah, that. We ain't doin' shit on that." It is quite pointless to even try anymore, sadly.
I think they can be effective if they are not considered as 'good enough'. The US should learn from Europe. 'Taking to the street's should be something that you just expect to do every once in a while. Somehow, we have allowed the media to define this as extreme behavior. However, in a democracy, it is not.
A petition can work as an FYI, but then it needs to be followed up with action. It should be a catalyst for action, not the action itself. We probably could work to improve on that. Maybe a site that not only hosted petitions, but also enabled coordination of gatherings and protests, and other actions that could be done to help the cause.
senatorson · 4586 days ago · link ·
An online petition is essentially pointless. Why would a politician pay attention to that? Unless they face reelection the next day, they realize that the American mind is fickle and will forget about whatever the cause de celebre is within a matter of days. The 24 hour news cycle will see to it.