Petition Signers Beware

Many of my animal activist friends on Facebook have taken to signing, sharing, and circulating petitions, which not only raises consciousness, but pressures private citizens, celebrates, and governments alike to make changes to save and protect all manor of animals. I cannot gauge how far these works reach, but I can see a potentially harmful outcome to signing if you do not pay attention…

Watch what you sign!!!!!!!

I just clicked on a petition to stop the destruction of the rain forests to extract palm oil, as we are trying to save not only the rain forests and the amazing animals that live there, but also the last 400 Sumatran Tigers in existence. What I find disturbing is, immediately following my click to sign, another petition popped up, but with a very different cause (not one I support), and I also most clicked it too. I don’t know what the psychology is, but there is something to it- after passionately signing a petition with a cause of great concern, when the next petition pops up, we seem geared to sign it. But beware- I have passed over hundreds of petitions with causes I do not support, such as vaccinations, diabetes research, or Obamacare (or any AMA based healthcare), or vague petitions that say things like ‘save women’ or ‘help children’ but really when you read the small print, it is right-wing in content, or animal experimentation in disguise.

Folks, take your time and read what you are signing and be sure you are signing for a cause you really support. Rant over.