Petition: Why did YouTube remove these videos?

[Karoline]

Are you really Catholic. Or are you like Speaker Pelosi?

If you got off your high horse for just one moment you would see that what has been said is perfectly reasonable, rules do not just apply to the things that you think they should. If a video breaks the rules, it breaks the rules, regardless of the content.
Don’t be so rude as to question someone’s religion just because they happen to disagree with you, especially when what they are saying is accurate.

 

[DOShea]

Someone once said that you know your point has prevailed when the other side is reduced to pointing fingers at you.

You can question what I am all you want; I’m not sure why you think that alters the fact that the video author didn’t follow rules and got their video taken down. The weakness of your argument is shown in that you won’t even address the facts I’ve laid out, and like the video authors, don’t want to talk about the facts of the rules, but rather rest on how important you think your cause is and attempt to cast allusions on anyone who insists on sticking to the facts of the matter. You might take inventory of that behavior and do some comparison to that if you want to delve into the matter of Speaker Pelosi. You might also do well to check into my posts from early November on the topic of an abortion clinic in my town closing down if you want a better idea of my views. I certainly am not going to defend myself here against your factless accusations.

Somehow you believe that respecting the property rights of others is a complete non-starter if the topic is abortion. This is exactly the same mindset that leads to Pro-Lifers feeling their cause is so valid it justifies anything as a means to fight it - even murder. You think abortion is wrong and that gives you some kind of right to demand YouTube set aside their rules because sticking to them somehow hurts your cause. I think abortion is wrong and we don’t have the right to tell a site owner what they must put on their site. It’s that simple.

I really have nothing more to say on it unless you wish to engage in a discussion on the facts of the matter rather than appealing to emotions and the moral truth of abortion as reasons to tell YouTube what to do.

 

[SallyMargie]

The last two posters are clearly missing the obvious point here.

1. Babies are being killed–and for profit.
2. Their mothers are being exploited by inaccurate info, evasive answers, cover-ups, and one could argue, lies–just so PP can make money.
3. It all boils down to this basic question: IS IT MORE EVIL TO EXPOSE KILLING AND EXPLOITATION AND FALSE INFORMATION, OR IS IT MORE EVIL TO BE ENGAGED IN KILLING AND EXPLOITATION AND FALSE INFORMATION FOR PROFIT???

Yes–it really is that simple!!
Hmmm…think how strange it is that a few people appear to be pointing their fingers at those who are exposing this evil–instead of those who are ENGAGING in the evil. Perhaps they can’t see that they are doing this, but yeah–it does come down to that, if you bother to think it through. I’m sure (at least I would hope) it’s not their intention to do so but…
If it’s so wrong to expose those who kill for profit and exploit with inaccurate info, once again, I would have to wonder how Jesus would have handled this! Would HE be saying “but…but…but…” while the babies continue to die and young women are exploited for profit??!

Geesh, people! Time to tune in!

 

[rpp]

Someone once said that you know your point has prevailed when the other side is reduced to pointing fingers at you.

You can question what I am all you want; I’m not sure why you think that alters the fact that the video author didn’t follow rules and got their video taken down. The weakness of your argument is shown in that you won’t even address the facts I’ve laid out, and like the video authors, don’t want to talk about the facts of the rules, but rather rest on how important you think your cause is and attempt to cast allusions on anyone who insists on sticking to the facts of the matter. You might take inventory of that behavior and do some comparison to that if you want to delve into the matter of Speaker Pelosi. You might also do well to check into my posts from early November on the topic of an abortion clinic in my town closing down if you want a better idea of my views. I certainly am not going to defend myself here against your factless accusations.

Somehow you believe that respecting the property rights of others is a complete non-starter if the topic is abortion. This is exactly the same mindset that leads to Pro-Lifers feeling their cause is so valid it justifies anything as a means to fight it - even murder. You think abortion is wrong and that gives you some kind of right to demand YouTube set aside their rules because sticking to them somehow hurts your cause. I think abortion is wrong and we don’t have the right to tell a site owner what they must put on their site. It’s that simple.

I really have nothing more to say on it unless you wish to engage in a discussion on the facts of the matter rather than appealing to emotions and the moral truth of abortion as reasons to tell YouTube what to do.

You have not directly answered the question. Instead you dodged it and continue to rail against those who seek to stop the murder of children and lie about their activities. Your assertion that those who seek to stop slaughter will justify any activity is so beyond false that it cannot be reconciled with reality. (This obviously excludes the mentally ill.) Yet those who seek to defend the murder of innocents, like yourself, since you are already defending mass murderers, lying about it does not seem like a real stretch.

I suppose you have answered the question indirectly.

One cannot be Catholic and support or tolerate abortion. One cannot be Catholic and be opposed to Pro-life efforts. To be Catholic is to be Pro-life. There is no gray area, no equivocating, no rationalizing.

Take your intrinsically anti-Catholic views and talk to your priest. Or better yet talk to this bishop: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=413158

I urge you to conform your conscience to what the Church teaches.

But as you said, you do not want to talk about.

 

[DOShea]

…clearly missing the obvious point here.

No, I haven’t. This is not a question of is abortion right or wrong. I am already on record as being in full compliance with CC teaching on this issue. It is clearly wrong.

That, however, has nothing to do with demanding a website owner violate their rules and make a special exception for you because your cause is important. THAT is the issue here, NOT abortion.

I have asked you to stick to the issue at hand, and for some reason you won’t and insist on moralizing about how important an issue abortion is (which I agree with) to justify forcing a website owner to do something they don’t want to do. Then to pointing a finger at me and my beliefs when you don’t have the first clue about them. You are making my disagreement over a website policy into a statement in favor of abortion, and I’m telling you that isn’t accurate. Saying I must oppose YouTube or I’m not a good Catholic? C’mon, get serious!

@rpp:

You have not directly answered the question. Instead you dodged it and continue to rail against those who seek to stop the murder of children and lie about their activities.

Your question was not worth answering… am I a Catholic or one like Nancy Pelosi? Because I support YouTube’s right to enforce website rules?

Your assertion that those who seek to stop slaughter will justify any activity is so beyond false that it cannot be reconciled with reality. (This obviously excludes the mentally ill.)

You’re alleging something I did not say. I never said they will justify any activity, what I did say was that because abortion is an important cause, that does mean you get to trample the rights of property owners in order to force them to disregard their rules. And that the mindset that holds the importance of a cause supersedes everyone eles’s rights is dangerous and can be used to justify anything, even murder. I offered analogy to CAF policies and was very clear in what I defined the issue to be. You disagree with my opinion, that’s your right, but just where do you get off questioning my faith?

Yet those who seek to defend the murder of innocents, like yourself, since you are already defending mass murderers, lying about it does not seem like a real stretch.

Okay, show me where I defended murder of innocents? Let’s see the quote please?

One cannot be Catholic and support or tolerate abortion. One cannot be Catholic and be opposed to Pro-life efforts. To be Catholic is to be Pro-life. There is no gray area, no equivocating, no rationalizing.

I am Catholic, I don’t support abortion. I also don’t support forcing websites to bend their rules when they are clearly stated and millions of others manage to work within them. I support altering the video so it can be shown. How hard is that? What part of the message would be lost if that was done. Care to answer?

Take your intrinsically anti-Catholic views and talk to your priest.
I urge you to conform your conscience to what the Church teaches.

You’ve no idea how tempting it is for me to send you the number of my Pastor. I would love to be a fly on the wall of his office when a call came in accusing me of being some kind of anti-Catholic who supports abortion.

Instead I will merely refer you back to the issue at hand, which is does YouTube have the right to enforce rules on their site or not. And a friendly referral to Rule 25 for this forum.

 

[SallyMargie]

No, I haven’t. This is not a question of is abortion right or wrong. I am already on record as being in full compliance with CC teaching on this issue. It is clearly wrong.

That, however, has nothing to do with demanding a website owner violate their rules and make a special exception for you because your cause is important. THAT is the issue here, NOT abortion.

I have asked you to stick to the issue at hand, and for some reason you won’t and insist on moralizing about how important an issue abortion is (which I agree with) to justify forcing a website owner to do something they don’t want to do. Then to pointing a finger at me and my beliefs when you don’t have the first clue about them. You are making my disagreement over a website policy into a statement in favor of abortion, and I’m telling you that isn’t accurate. Saying I must oppose YouTube or I’m not a good Catholic? C’mon, get serious!

@rpp:

Your question was not worth answering… am I a Catholic or one like Nancy Pelosi? Because I support YouTube’s right to enforce website rules?

You’re alleging something I did not say. I never said they will justify any activity, what I did say was that because abortion is an important cause, that does mean you get to trample the rights of property owners in order to force them to disregard their rules. And that the mindset that holds the importance of a cause supersedes everyone eles’s rights is dangerous and can be used to justify anything, even murder. I offered analogy to CAF policies and was very clear in what I defined the issue to be. You disagree with my opinion, that’s your right, but just where do you get off questioning my faith?

Okay, show me where I defended murder of innocents? Let’s see the quote please?

I am Catholic, I don’t support abortion. I also don’t support forcing websites to bend their rules when they are clearly stated and millions of others manage to work within them. I support altering the video so it can be shown. How hard is that? What part of the message would be lost if that was done. Care to answer?

You’ve no idea how tempting it is for me to send you the number of my Pastor. I would love to be a fly on the wall of his office when a call came in accusing me of being some kind of anti-Catholic who supports abortion.

Instead I will merely refer you back to the issue at hand, which is does YouTube have the right to enforce rules on their site or not. And a friendly referral to Rule 25 for this forum.

Sadly, when anyone takes the position you do, both the babies and the young women end up being the losers–and the killing and exploitation and coverups go on.

Lest the purpose of this post become lost in the shuffle, I just want to remind people to please sign the petition. We need YouTube to tune into the reality of what is going on. If we don’t make our voices heard, they could be unaware of the horrific damage that is being done.

Thanks to all who are doing their part in protecting the innocent and working against this evil, and God bless you for taking a stand! Let’s keep up the fight for “our reward is great.”

 

[rpp]

No, I haven’t. This is not a question of is abortion right or wrong. I am already on record as being in full compliance with CC teaching on this issue. It is clearly wrong.

Yeah, right. There is no evidence of that on this thread.

That, however, has nothing to do with demanding a website owner violate their rules and make a special exception for you because your cause is important. THAT is the issue here, NOT abortion.

{Excess blather removed.}

You are incorrect here on this assertion. Instead, we are asking the website to follow their own rule consistantly and not show favoritism for the pro-abortion position. You have it completely backwards.

Ans in arguing your position, yoiu are promoting and indirectly aiding the murder of children.

Lokk, if you doi not want to sign the petition to have the website provide equal treatment for the pro-life perspective, that is your perogative. But to lie about what the issue is and attempt to deceive others into not signing it, as you have done, is utterly indefensible.

Since your position is based on falsehood, it has no merit.

 

[choose_to_love]

rpp and SallyMargie, reading these responses, I feel that I must point that you are being really, really, uncharitable to DOShea, IMO. Would either of you care to respond to DOShea’s point that the rules of the site were being violated? Agreeing on the goal or larger point - - i.e., abortion is bad - - and disagreeing on the best way to combat it, in this context, does not call one’s Catholicity into question, particularly where DOShea has stated opposition to PP. I am not aware of any magisterial documents about the use of undercover videos to expose wrongdoing (as opposed to, let’s say, voting in elections), so one is free to think it is a good idea or a bad one, and frankly DOShea makes some good arguments.

Are you now going to question my commitment to Catholicism too?

 

[SallyMargie]

rpp and SallyMargie, reading these responses, I feel that I must point that you are being really, really, uncharitable to DOShea, IMO. Would either of you care to respond to DOShea’s point that the rules of the site were being violated? Agreeing on the goal or larger point - - i.e., abortion is bad - - and disagreeing on the best way to combat it, in this context, does not call one’s Catholicity into question, particularly where DOShea has stated opposition to PP. I am not aware of any magisterial documents about the use of undercover videos to expose wrongdoing (as opposed to, let’s say, voting in elections), so one is free to think it is a good idea or a bad one, and frankly DOShea makes some good arguments.

Are you now going to question my commitment to Catholicism too?

Hon, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

It is much more charitable to correct those who are involved in serious sin (referring to PP here) and it is also charitable and our duty to alert others (referring to YouTube) of the deceit here re PP than it is to simply ignore it as “policy.”

Look, YouTube may honestly have no background info on PP (though that’s somewhat unlikely), so we, as Catholics MUST inform such people of the deceit.

You and DOShea appear to be more concerned about “the rules of the site” than the fact that this deceit and killing and exploitation goes on–and perhaps because well-intentioned but misled persons like yourselves are not prioritizing here, and honestly seem more concerned about the site “rules” than the exploited women, dead babies, and the fact that in removing the videos, many people will not be aware of the deceit of PP going on.

Since I don’t know you personally, I have no way of knowing if you’re a sincere Catholic, or even if you’re Catholic at all. For all I know you’re one of the “plants” we’ve been seeing on this forum and other Catholic sites, and on Catholic radio, who seem more intent on changing the subject everytime a controversial subject comes up, and the Catholic position has already been stated.

I honestly hope you and DOShea see the light here. If you don’t, I’m afraid we can’t help you, though God knows we have tried.
If you are Catholic, I hope both you and DOShea will pray about this. If you do, I believe the truth will be crystal clear, and you will see where we are coming from: defending the larger truth.

 

[SallyMargie]

…and a final question for DOShea and choose to love: Did you sign the petition? If not, and you say you are pro-life and Catholic, are you going to contact YouTube and let them know how deceitful Planned Parenthood" is, and that you do not approve, and that they should consider changing their policy when things like this arise, or are you going to ignore everything because of their “rules” and allow the deceit, exploitation and killing to go unchallenged? Obviously, YouTube needs to know the truth about PP.

We don’t need to see your answers here, but hope that you both think about this very carefully–and prayerfully.

 

[Magdalena09]

I want to start with three points before I get into the important stuff.

1. More flies with honey than vinegar–this doesn’t mean to water down the truth but when people start being confrontational/personal it dilutes the strength of their argument regardless of whether they are right or wrong. Fact of life (and psychology) when people feel threatened or insulted, they are not good listeners.
2. Politics bring out the worst in people and not only do I believe both parties are deplorable, I also am starting to believe that trying to fix the world’s problems with political action does not work. It now seems completely silly to me that anyone ever thought this could work… trying to fix things from “the top” down, instead of from the bottom up. The foundation is what matters, after all.
3. I don’t know why we are talking about global warming in this thread, but this is the coldest winter we’ve ever had in Texas and I am wishing for some warmth right about now.

Now:

You are both wrong and both right.

I say that with love, but it is true. The one member is correct in saying that the ends don’t justify the means and the other members are correct in saying that abortion is a big, huge deal that does NOT get the attention it deserves and is a HORRIBLE problem that NEEDS TO BE STOPPED and we must do everything in our power to fight it.

The problem here is that there is* not a need to say that it’s okay for the people to lie for the greater good*, because the people were not lying.

This may be my opinion, but I don’t think they were lying any more than an undercover cop lies.

So unless someone intends to argue that all the cops and agents that endanger themselves to make our society a better, safer place to live by ridding it of drug cartels, pedophiles, rapists, etc… are lying and ought not do such things… then I see no valid argument against going undercover to bust the abortion cartel. Abortion is a crime of the highest degree whether or not it is recognized as such by the current laws in effect.

 

[DOShea]

…and a final question for DOShea and choose to love: Did you sign the petition?

You already have my answer. I don’t support anything PP does nor do I support abortion. Nor do I support people on such a fanatical binge to combat abortion that they will turn on people who are on their own side in that battle over a simple disagreement about a website’s right to judge what meets their standards to the point they would try to lay guilt for aborted babies on others who do nothing to support and much to combat it.

I agree that these violations by PP are important.
I agree they should be shown.
That’s where we part company. I think it would take very little effort to alter the voice on the video and meet YouTube’s standards, which seems to be all they are asking. I do not agree that abortion, being such an important cause, means you can stomp all over people’s personal property and tell them what they must do with it because the issue is important. You don’t have that right and I don’t want you to have that right because if you get it, what’s next? You don’t like how the TV reports on the news something PP does so you get to cancel the broadcast and show 3 Stooges reruns? What then when another group doesn’t like CAF’s rules? Do they get to dictate content here?

Catholics don’t get to seize control of things because they have strong feelings about a moral issue. What they can and should do is show their willingness to obey rules and put themselves above reproach rather than acting like a bunch of disgruntled college kids who think the world will change because they group-sit in the President’s office. Alter the voice, meet the rules, THEN they have a good case, a petition I would sign.

 

[DOShea]

The problem here is that there is not a need to say that it’s okay for the people to lie for the greater good, because the people were not lying.

This may be my opinion, but I don’t think they were lying any more than an undercover cop lies.

I don’t have any problem with someone going undercover to expose wrongdoing, as was done in this case. The problem I had was that after doing so - that is, being deceptive - they complained that YouTube was being deceptive where I don’t see they are. Can you point me to where YouTube was being deceptive, please? What I see is they have rules, the rules were not followed, and someone is mad they won’t accept the video the way the person wants it displayed.

It seems pretty simple to just alter the voice and get the video back up. If this is truly so important, why aren’t they taking that one simple step instead of jousting over posting rules? What is more important to them, getting the video message out or posting policies at YouTube? Right now, it appears the latter is more important to them.

 

[Magdalena09]

I don’t have any problem with someone going undercover to expose wrongdoing, as was done in this case. The problem I had was that after doing so - that is, being deceptive - they complained that YouTube was being deceptive where I don’t see they are. Can you point me to where YouTube was being deceptive, please? What I see is they have rules, the rules were not followed, and someone is mad they won’t accept the video the way the person wants it displayed.

It seems pretty simple to just alter the voice and get the video back up. If this is truly so important, why aren’t they taking that one simple step instead of jousting over posting rules? What is more important to them, getting the video message out or posting policies at YouTube? Right now, it appears the latter is more important to them.

I think this was overlooked because the point was shifted to the deception of the abortion industry.

YouTube does have rules. However it is true that it blindly overlooks some violations while enforcing other, lesser violations.

However it would be a better road for the video owners to take if they followed your instruction. That way YouTube would be not be able to say it was for posting violations that they removed it.

 

[SallyMargie]

You already have my answer. I don’t support anything PP does nor do I support abortion. Nor do I support people on such a fanatical binge to combat abortion that they will turn on people who are on their own side in that battle over a simple disagreement about a website’s right to judge what meets their standards to the point they would try to lay guilt for aborted babies on others who do nothing to support and much to combat it.

I agree that these violations by PP are important.
I agree they should be shown.
That’s where we part company. I think it would take very little effort to alter the voice on the video and meet YouTube’s standards, which seems to be all they are asking. I do not agree that abortion, being such an important cause, means you can stomp all over people’s personal property and tell them what they must do with it because the issue is important. You don’t have that right and I don’t want you to have that right because if you get it, what’s next? You don’t like how the TV reports on the news something PP does so you get to cancel the broadcast and show 3 Stooges reruns? What then when another group doesn’t like CAF’s rules? Do they get to dictate content here?

Catholics don’t get to seize control of things because they have strong feelings about a moral issue. What they can and should do is show their willingness to obey rules and put themselves above reproach rather than acting like a bunch of disgruntled college kids who think the world will change because they group-sit in the President’s office. Alter the voice, meet the rules, THEN they have a good case, a petition I would sign.

It appears you’re not comprehending what is being said here.

No one is “stomping all over people’s property and tell them what they must do.” We are merely INFORMING YouTube of the deceitful behavior of PP, and encouraging them to help expose the deceit. No one is forcing YouTube–that’s why there’s a petition.

I have to wonder what it is you seem so afraid of. I have always been an activist for those who are being abused and killed. I wonder if that’s wrong in your mind? It’s obviously not wrong in the Church’s view, as again, we can also sin when there is evil and we do not act!

I hope I’m wrong in saying this, but it seems like you would be just fine to ignore this whole issue and let PP continue on. Your obsession with the “rules” is all out of proportion to the issue. One of the reasons PP has so much money and power is because many good people did nothing to stop them in the past. They just ignored them. Only some people acted, and vocally oppose their horrific doings, and expose them for others to see. I am amazed by some people I know personally who are totally ignorant of the deceit PP is involved in. That wouldn’t be if ALL Catholics would do their part and help expose PP and show how hideously harmful they are to babies, teens and women.

I honestly have to wonder: what DO you intend to do about this issue?

 

[SallyMargie]

I don’t have any problem with someone going undercover to expose wrongdoing, as was done in this case. The problem I had was that after doing so - that is, being deceptive - they complained that YouTube was being deceptive where I don’t see they are. Can you point me to where YouTube was being deceptive, please? What I see is they have rules, the rules were not followed, and someone is mad they won’t accept the video the way the person wants it displayed.

It seems pretty simple to just alter the voice and get the video back up. If this is truly so important, why aren’t they taking that one simple step instead of jousting over posting rules? What is more important to them, getting the video message out or posting policies at YouTube? Right now, it appears the latter is more important to them.

You’re still “shooting at the ants and missing the elephants.”

Please look at the WHOLE, ENTIRE big picture here, rather than get caught up in “why…why…why…” You seem obsessed with policies, and that’s really not the point here.

 

[SallyMargie]

DOShea: I honestly think that if you would start at the beginning of this thread and continued to read all the way through, something may begin to “click.” I’ll be praying for ya. God bless!

 

[DOShea]

I can read it until the cows come home and it’s not going to convince me that someone who is right on a moral issue has the right to tell someone else what they can do with their website, to the point where it violates their own rules.

I don’t think YouTube fairly enforces these rules across the board any more than the moderators of forums I own and operate do. They are humans and sometimes make mistakes and bad calls. But they do no worse than I myself would, or anyone else for that matter.

I look at the situation this way: YouTube has identified one thing that puts this video in violation of its policies. Just one. Now you can argue how some other video does or doesn’t violate the policy, possibly decided by a different moderator, but that’s really a side issue. The issue at hand is the information is important to get out (which I have never disagreed with) and it comes down to two choices, what I see as the easy way and the hard way.

The easy way is to alter the voice on the video. That does nothing to change the message about the terrible practices of PP, and would still show people the kinds of things they are doing. It’s not hard to do, and is completely within the power of the person with the video to do. I’ve not heard a single argument from anyone in this thread why that is so difficult or why that is a bad solution. Is there a reason other than politics as regards YouTube?

The hard way is to do nothing and fight with YouTube over the justness of their policies. To me, that is very idealistic; it’s like trying to fight City Hall. You might be right, but even if you are you are much like a man trying to roll a large rock uphill. The consequences of choosing this path, this fight, is that you might never succeed no matter how right you might be, no matter how many petitions you sign or put against them. Stated in simpler terms, if you chose this path, the video may never be shown and any argument about how important the content is then becomes as irrelevant as how the Red Sox might have done against the Phillies in last year’s World Series.

There needs to be some reality check here. YouTube is BIG, and they are not going to be disrupted in any way even if everyone that is Catholic or ever claimed to be Catholic signs your petition and never goes to YouTube again. They know this, the owner of the video and perhaps some enthusiatic about the petition do not appear to know it. Because of this, I don’t see any remote chance YouTube is going to subject themselves - as a business - to possible legal action and claims only to help someone promote their moral message EVEN IF IT IS RIGHT, which I believe it is.

This is not on the same scale as, but is a similar argument to, the issue of showing graphic abortion images in advertisements. There are some billboard companies, magazines, newspapers, TV stations, etc. that will not put up an ad that contains those. Using the moral argument that abortion is wrong doesn’t change their view as business owners in looking out for their business first. Okay, so let’s petition them. That makes us RIGHT, right? We should therefore get to tell them what to do whether they like it or not - just because our cause is right they must bend. They are therefore all sinners, promoting PP, and destined for hell because they won’t accept our ad. That is the argument I am hearing you make, and if it is not correct, please explain where I’m off.

I don’t know how I can explain it any clearer to you that I believe you can support a choice for life without this video. What makes this video so special to you that my Catholicism hinges on support for a petition? This video might be put on YouTube, 5,000 people view it, and it may never make a single difference in the life of one person. Or it may, we just don’t know. But this video is NOT the only effort at ProLife teaching out there, so I don’t get the part where you question me because I don’t support THIS particular one.

Are you this scrupulous with every other sin out there, or just what you see as mine in this matter?

 

[SallyMargie]

I feel DOShea is on his own here, and no further dialogue would serve a purpose, as, for whatever reason, key points are being ignored. Will keep praying!

Just want to remind everyone again to please sign the petition and tell others about it. We’ll never solve the problem unless people know what is going on!
Thanks again and God bless.

 

[Magdalena09]

DOShea actually does have a fair and valid point and listed the reason and logic behind it in an easy-to-understand manner. The makers of the video are circumventing the goal behind their own cause by “doing it the hard way” instead of just altering the voice in the video.

That being said, signing the petition cannot hurt, but taking a different, more efficient path would be better.