does that help?

[Hans Meier]

hi everyone

i am pretty active on facebook. what I've recently noticed is that there are SO MANY petitions, email protests and so on. Almost every day one can sign some petitions and "change the world" by clicking the send-button.

now, does that really help? i mean, to delete (or add a filter) an email is as easy as sending one. does anybody have information on successfull email protests or petitions?

and an other issue: these forms of protest usually cover single-issue campaigns. Are there any email protests or petitions related to animal rights issues or speciesism in general?

[Carolyn Bailey]

Hi Hans,

I used to sign all the petitions and send all the letters I was directed to in FB. I did that because it made me feel good about doing it, and made me feel like I was making a difference. I don't believe I was. I used to sign them in my name, my son's name, anyone's name I could think of. Just the fact that these petitions leave the door open to do this makes them irrelevant in my opinion. I don't think many people take them too seriously.

They're always on single issues, I agree with you. In the time it takes to sign 5 petitions and send 5 emails, one could be having a discussion in Facebook, or elsewhere with a non-vegan about veganism or issues pertaining to animal rights. I believe that's a way more constructive way to spend my time.

Carolyn

[Hans Meier]

hi carolyn

yeah, good point! people feel extremely good about it even though they hardly ever know about the impact and results of a petition.

on interesting example came to my mind: there was some animal-testing involving pigs in an avalanche. When the public realized what was going in huge protests started. A lot of email protests and petitions, facebook CAUSES and so on BUT also real protests on the street from animal rights/welfare activists from all over Austria. The latter was probably responsible for being able to stop the testing but the virtual protests might have some impact as well.
what i am trying to say is: online protests can help to spread the idea but are itself quite useless.

any other opinions, comments, experiences?

[Mary-V]

I too am unsure about the effectiveness of online petitions... but at the end of the day its not an effort, and I still do it "just in case" so to speak - i think i am feeling a little jaded tonight, in light of the demonstration i am organising and researching past demonstrations and seeing how so many events and protests have been staged in the world in recent years and YET we still have issues with relations to animal cruelty ... i dont know...

of course that doesnt mean i will give up... i just wish something will give sooner rather than later

[Carolyn Bailey]

Hey Mary,

If it helps with your campaign, there's a video in ARZone of the last anti-whaling protest from last year in Brisbane. it was a good protest with about 60 people.

http://arzone.ning.com/video/brisbane-anti-whaling-demo-4

I'll post it on your FB wall too.

Carolyn

[Stewart Loeblich]

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/61/Help-Stop-The-Slaughter-of-Namibi...http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/help-prosecute-kitty-killer/

You know I seriously wonder about people these days...?  I read the cynical posts about petitions with unbelief if you think that 34,544 signatures  doesn't help in full prosecution in the kitty killing mom in the the petition  in less than a month. You are hittng the acid Kool aide a little too hard  conversely if you think active boycott and calling brad Pitt and his sidekick as idiots and outing seal killing  Namibia  a killing what 86,000 seals  and telling whole world .  Then truthfully, there is little hope for your mental condition .  helpless  hopeless and uncaring you be then..  Stupid is as stupid does apply to indifferent people who would bitch, if they were hung with a brand new rope comes to mind!

[Carolyn Bailey]

Hi Stewart,

 

Thanks for your opinion! 

 

I find online petitions to often be a waste of my time based on how I used to use them when I did think they were worthwhile. I used to sign them in my name, my young son's name, my dog's name, my cat's name and about 10 - 20 other names I just made up. I'm not sure, obviously, but I expect I may not be the only person who has ever done that.

I'm not one to "hit the acid kool aide", that's just my opinion based on my own experiences.

I don't know about the Brad Pitt situation, but assume you're referring to their recent stay in Namibia, and also assume you're suggesting they mentioned something about the annual Namibian seal slaughter. It's a shame they didn't also mention the almost 60 billion land animals killed for human pleasure each year at the same time, or the countless marine animals killed for human pleasure, or the fact that Brad and his "sidekick" participate in that exploitation. Perhaps they didn't consider that to be a problem? I wonder why they felt killing seals was worse than killing chickens. 

I appreciate your opinion, and I respect your right to hold you opinion, Stewart. I would hope you could offer those whose opinions you disagree with the same courtesy.

 

Thanks! 

 

[India]

Hi all,

Like you Carolyn I used to sign everything that came my way, but recently have held back especially after I was faced with a recent poll on either killing in Indonesia or killing more humanely in Australia. It really illustrates the crux of the matter, I cannot support violence in any form whatsoever, I have experienced enough of it to know this is true:

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.
Mahatma Gandhi

I've just come across this Australian site (a little nationalistic but..) and am wondering if this is a more effective way of communicating with the government on the animal issues we face?

http://saveoz.info/index.php?title=Express_your_WILL_to_an_elected_...

Personally "IT IS MY WILL that you take immediate action to have animal use abolished asap."

 

Would be interested to hear of any other non-violent ways to persuade OUR government into listening to the people instead of corporations.

Tax redirection?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Butterfly_Hill

I am a recent active member so I do hope that I am not repeating a thread somewhere - fantastic site Carolyn, thanks for all that you do for the animals and your compassionate communicating.

[Carolyn Bailey]

Hi India,

I wish I had some suggestions that would help. I don't think the Australian, or any other Government, are likely to make any changes until the minds of the voters are changed. I think this live export issue has been evidence of that. 

I agree with you in regard to there being no morally acceptable difference between slaughtering in either Indonesia or Australia. Slaughtering is slaughtering and whether it be at point A or point B makes no difference. 

You're not repeating anything by the way. Thanks so much for contributing, and for your very kind words! :)