Huang Xinmin: Four views on the White House petition website

Huang Xinmin: Four views on the White House petition website In the past few years, I have found that Chinese Americans are obviously very interested in the White House petition website, as long as it is related to China...

In the past few years, I have found that Chinese Americans are obviously very interested in the White House petition website. As long as it is related to the Chinese, more than 100,000 people will be mobilized to express their voices on the White House petition website. Based on the following four points, I believe that launching a petition on the White House petition website has no practical benefits at all. It is just a waste of energy and has counter-effects. I suggest that everyone should avoid this website. I put it forward here for reference with our readers and friends. If there is anything that is not well thought out, you are welcome to put forward different opinions.

1. Looking for the wrong person, talking to each other

Apart from saying that the White House must respond to the 100,000 signatures, this website has no specific meaning or any other commitments to the people who signed. The so-called response also depends entirely on the considerations of those in charge of the White House. It might be just a few words from Obama, or even a formality issued by his staff, that's all. More importantly, the U.S. government is a huge machine. On the one hand, governments at all levels are stacked up, but on the other hand, they are independent and do their own thing. Most things are not under the jurisdiction of the White House at all. So petitioning the White House is not the same as ducks and ducks.

(1) A few years ago, a Taiwanese girl who grew up in the United States mobilized Chinese people at home and abroad to sign on the White House petition website, asking the White House to ask the United Nations not to abolish traditional traditional Chinese characters. This caused a huge response, but later found out that this was a big joke. First of all, this issue does not exist at all. The United Nations does not have the right to abolish any language or script. Even if the United Nations wants to do so, no country will listen to it. Secondly, it is impossible for the President of the United States to care about this matter. If he knew about it, he might be laughing behind his back. Finally, the only member state in the United Nations that currently uses Chinese is the People's Republic of China, which uses the simplified Chinese characters of the Communist Party of China. In this case, the United Nations Secretariat or relevant units will naturally prepare documents written in the simplified Chinese characters used by the People's Republic of China. Unless the Chinese Communist Party switches to traditional traditional Chinese characters, or requires the use of traditional Chinese characters, changes are possible. This problem has nothing to do with the United Nations, and it has nothing to do with the White House.

(2) In the past two years, TV host Jimmy Kimmel aired anti-Chinese remarks on his show that he wanted to kill Chinese people. Some people also mobilized Chinese people to collectively petition on the White House website. This was also the wrong target. The Chinese can go to court and sue Jimmy Kimmel or the TV station for spreading hateful claims, or march and protest, but what use is there to go to the White House?

(3) The latest thing is about New York Police Officer Liang. Chinese people have also gone to the White House petition website. In fact, the objects that need to be protested are the New York Police Department and the local prosecutors. The White House has no control at all and will not control it. Recently, several innocent black people were shot or tortured to death by the police, but the police acquitted them without even charging them. This caused serious protests in the black community, and President Obama, who is black, could only say a few words of regret.

2. Afraid of damaging the image and being humiliated instead

This petition website requires more than 100,000 signatures within a certain short period of time before it will respond. When the number of signatures does not meet this requirement, it sends an important message to the White House: This issue does not need to be taken seriously, no matter how important it is!

In a situation like this, it would be detrimental to the demands of those who signed the petition!

Let’s take another look at the petition demands on the White House petition website. It can be said that they are diverse and full of all kinds of outrageous and strange propositions. If we put very serious issues together with these strange propositions, wouldn’t we be devaluing ourselves and falling into obscurity?

3. Other channels and methods are more practical and effective

Just like any government, the White House has a dedicated agency to collect public opinion. Anything that attracts the attention and concern of the society, including things that the Chinese care about, the White House will know. The real focus is whether the White House needs to take action or express an opinion. If the White House itself is interested in this issue, they will take action whether there is a petition; if there is no interest, there are many problems that have not been solved in the United States for decades or even half a century. Unless there is a special reason, they will not prioritize your matter.

If we can speak out in the media, organize marches or groups, exert influence in elections, and have people who support our claims or interests economically, academically, and politically, then society cannot ignore it, because our power is there. If you just sign on the White House website and send your information to Obama's staff for collection, there is probably no practical benefit.

4. Submit personal information to political parties for election purposes

To participate in the petition, you must leave some personal information. Although the White House petition website has a role of allowing the White House to collect real-time public opinion, its main function is actually to serve as a personal data collection site for Obama personally, his campaign team, and the Democratic Party during the election.

As personal information is collected, although it is not necessarily a bad thing, some people are quite sensitive and do not want their information to be collected, nor do they want to receive political-related letters. Some people support political parties that are different from Obama's and do not want their personal information to be collected. However, if they join the White House co-signatory, their information will inevitably be collected.