Online petitions serve no real purpose

Online petitions are a joke. There I said it.

If you have signed one recently, I apologize if I have offended you but I am only being honest and realistic. I say they are a joke only because I believe online petitions serve no real purpose.

There is a place and time for petitions but they have to be run properly and in accordance with the law. Currently there is a petition to “Recall Liz Cheney” on change.org.

First, Wyoming does not allow for a recall so the petition will not invoke any real change. As of Tuesday there were nearly 35,000 signatures. Only the originator of the petition can see everyone who has signed the petition. We have no way of knowing who the people are signing the petitions or where they are from (are they all from Wyoming?). You would assume they would all be Republicans but perhaps Democrats would like to see Rep. Cheney out of office to give them a chance to take Wyoming’s lone House seat.

That is the problem with online petitions. Yes, change.org requires you sign up with an email address — but that does not mean you have to be from Wyoming and it does not mean if you have more than one email address (I know many people who do, including myself) that you cannot sign up more than once.

Other petitions require only a name, some require a name and city, but no proof you are actually who you say you are or that you reside in the community that you say you do. A petition on standupforfairelections.com is one such petition site. The question posed here for Wyomingites was “We demand that Senator Barrasso OBJECT to the swing state Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021, or we pledge not to vote for his re-election.”

Before we go any further, let me take a moment to state that my objection to online petitions has nothing to do with the content of the two I have mentioned. In fact, ever since I became a journalist I have refused to sign petitions. I have not wanted my name on a petition regarding something I may editorialize for or against, or I may write a story about.

The only time I came close to signing one was several years ago when a group (and no I do not remember the issue) wanted to get an issue on the ballot and before the voters. It was a petition that was not trying to force someone to do something but rather to allow the voters to have a say on an issue.

OK, back to online petitions and specifically the Barrasso petition. On this site you can see the people who signed that petition. If you look closely you can see duplicated names — did these people sign up more than once or did someone sign up for them not realizing they had already signed up? Did someone just go through the phone book and type in names (yes, there are still physical phone books out there and people still use them)?

Did someone make up names like Mary Christmas? How about John from Gillette — is there only one person named John in the entire city of Gillette? If this were a legitimate petition a single name would not count as one of the needed signatures.

Not to pick on John because there are several first names only or last names only on the petition. There is one from Price, Utah. Last I checked Utah residents are not or should not be allowed to vote in Wyoming.

I understand that signing petitions gives people a voice but if Sen. Barrasso and Rep. Cheney feel about online petitions as I do then these petitions are not going to get their attention.

I had a state legislator tell me one time that they love to hear from constituents on issues, and they read carefully heartfelt letters and emails but normally ignore chain or form letters.

I liken online petitions to form letters.

Why not take the time to write to your senator or representative and let them know how you feel, let them know if you are disappointed in their action or inaction? Write them personally if you support what they have done or not done.

I believe your personal contact means more than an online petition where zero authentication is required.

Make it civil, don’t make it a personal attack, but you can make it personal, meaning let them know how you feel their action or inaction affects you personally. And make sure you sign your name. If it is important enough for you to speak out it should be important enough for you to stand behind.

Will your letter invoke change when an online petition will not? I cannot say if it will or it will not, but I can say I believe one personal, well-written letter can carry a lot more weight than 35,000 online signatures.