petitions: effective or not?

are petitions useful or not?

  • Sign them and they will magically be effective despite the fact politicians couldnt care less

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • go out and do something useful instead

    Votes: 7 87.5%

  • Total voters
    8

hermanntrude

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jun 23, 2006
7,267
118
63
45
Newfoundland!
I am regularly asked to sign petitions and i never do, because if i were a politician and someone handed me a petition it wouldn't mean a damned thing to me. I wouldn't have time to look through it and therefore i'd know it could all be made up names and it wouldn't matter anyway cos like other politicians, i'd probably have my finger in the pie against which the petition was aimed.

this is also the reason I'm not a politician as well i suppose, or one of the many

what do u think?
 

annabattler

Electoral Member
Jun 3, 2005
264
2
18
Petitions (when properly worded) HAVE to be read into the public record,in your provincial assembly....and they HAVE to be read by your local politician,whether that person stands in agreement with the petition's sentiment or not.
Big businesses have their hired hacks to pressure politicians...the ordinary voters only have their voices,which when joined together,can make a difference.
 

MattUK

Electoral Member
Aug 11, 2006
119
0
16
UK
I agree that they can make a small difference. Sometimes a big difference. If enough people sign it and its about a big enough subject, then the media quickly pick it up as well. And media pressure can be invaluable when trying to pressure a government.

I dont think signing a pettition to make sure Gerry the three legged Girrafe stays at London Zoo or something will do much good though.
 

hermanntrude

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jun 23, 2006
7,267
118
63
45
Newfoundland!
Petitions (when properly worded) HAVE to be read into the public record,in your provincial assembly....and they HAVE to be read by your local politician,whether that person stands in agreement with the petition's sentiment or not.

but they don't HAVE to give a crap
 

Curiosity

Senate Member
Jul 30, 2005
7,326
138
63
California
Hermann

Petitions no doubt have their purpose - however that purpose is carefully outlined in the need for the petition itself.

It is born of a frustration or a need to put forth a complaint, or a need to know how the majority thinks or feels about a certain situation.

Obviouly the creator of a petition has the answer at the ready but petitioners aren't always granted their wish either.

Do they matter in our world? I guess so because we have to have a voice - even if it is a mass produced one.

I prefer to e-mail or write directly to the people involved in a matter I wish to see changed or modified, because petitions are transferred into stats (which can be manipulated) and they lose the 'personality' or individuality of real people asking real questions or wanting real answers.

Some people just don't have time and settle for their opinion to "count" through petition.

Petitions have been badly abused in our modern world and I doubt many people give them the credibility desired by the originator.
 

feronia

Time Out
Jul 19, 2006
252
0
16
I don't do polls or petitions. I write letters and attend rallies. On line petitions never get read and paper petitions just kill trees.
 

Sassylassie

House Member
Jan 31, 2006
2,976
7
38
Hermnantrude wrote: i'm not happy with three votes. get voting people or i'll sulk

Alright I voted, happy.

I guess it would depend on the topic of the petition, a worthy cause always gets my sig. I don't know if it helps but hell it can't hurt. We could start an online Petition to see if a Petitions really work. Lets start a Petition on Daz and the Queen they are related and it isn't true, so I'll sign a Petition to say it isn't true. I need coffee.
 

tamarin

House Member
Jun 12, 2006
3,197
22
38
Oshawa ON
Petitions are useless. Those who collect them should properly be viewed with suspicion. If you want change you write and under your own name and you include the body of a letter of your own making. Better still are demonstrations well planned and including the press in the preparations. But you have to choose your battles. Democracies like Canada are club democracies, i.e. they first serve the club - the party - and the people second. You have to be organized. Club democracies are notoriously closed. You have to be ready to launch an effective assault. Petitions are little better than kindling.
 

Riyko

Electoral Member
Apr 29, 2006
497
1
18
Oakville, Ontario
I think they work depending on what the petition is for, but we (my town) prefer to have city hall meetings instead so who ever wants to can voice their opinion and the mayor and all of his people are there to listen to what we the citizens want or want to see changed.
 

tracy

House Member
Nov 10, 2005
3,500
48
48
California
Has everyone already forgotten the petition to change Stockwell Day's first name to Doris? For that reason alone, I'd have to say some petitions are useful.