Comments on: Of Mouths and Money http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:38:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Siobhan http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32096 Siobhan Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:14:18 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32096 Really not clear what point, if any, you're trying to make with the reference to me writing to loved ones. I am simply trying to explain that if anyone is truly serious about this (or any other issue) and wants to get the government to respond to a petition, an e-petition is a waste of time because they are not recognized by any parliament in this country. The route to go to at least force the government to respond to the petition, is to submit a proper paper petition with real signatures on it. Anything else will be ruled out of order and dismissed. Really not clear what point, if any, you’re trying to make with the reference to me writing to loved ones. I am simply trying to explain that if anyone is truly serious about this (or any other issue) and wants to get the government to respond to a petition, an e-petition is a waste of time because they are not recognized by any parliament in this country. The route to go to at least force the government to respond to the petition, is to submit a proper paper petition with real signatures on it. Anything else will be ruled out of order and dismissed.

]]> By: Scott H. Payne http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32059 Scott H. Payne Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:04:24 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32059 Ah well, thanks for the comments all the same. Ah well, thanks for the comments all the same.

]]> By: Siobhan http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32058 Siobhan Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:53:30 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32058 Unfortunately, i work for a provincial legislature and cannot publicly express any political views since my job requires me to serve all members from all parties equally. So any sort of political activism is verboten for me. On a side note, however, i have been asked to research e-petitions since our legislature is interested in exploring that option. No movement on that front, but hopefully we might be the first in Canada to move into the the modern age on that front. Unfortunately, i work for a provincial legislature and cannot publicly express any political views since my job requires me to serve all members from all parties equally. So any sort of political activism is verboten for me. On a side note, however, i have been asked to research e-petitions since our legislature is interested in exploring that option. No movement on that front, but hopefully we might be the first in Canada to move into the the modern age on that front.

]]> By: Scott H. Payne http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32057 Scott H. Payne Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:10:12 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32057 Siobahn, Thanks for stopping by and offering some feedback. Of course, you're quite correct that my e-petition doesn't, itself, stand to alter the course of events around this issue. I think you're probably correct that even a paper petition would wind up doing little. What this initiative is more realistically about is finding a way of engaging Canadians who are not necessarily members of the Opposition parties or active in Amnesty International or the BC Civil Liberties Association on this issue. In that regard, the petition, were it to be spread around enough, could have some marginal impact. Perhaps not, but last night I decided that I wanted to do something about this issue, however small and marginal at this point. I am, after all, one person who blogs part-time and has a full life beyond holding down a full-time job. But, I have bemoaned the lack of interest and engagement that many Canadians seem to demonstrate in regards to political happenings in their own country and felt that on this issue I needed to try to do something more than just write about my concerns. So, in my den at 10:00pm last night, I came to the conclusion that what I could do is start this petition. And as I mention in the post, this is really a starting place, a means as opposed to an end. To what? I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps it will go nowhere. Perhaps enough people will become involved that a paper petition becomes logistically possible. Perhaps more people just become aware of the issue and take the time to research it and come to their own conclusions. Maybe those folks wind up calling their MP about voicing their conclusions. But, by my lights, doing something to try to enact those possibilities is better than doing nothing. And so I did something. I did this. And I used the platform that I have helped to create in order to get the word out to the best of my ability. I continue to do so through a number of less public avenues. Perhaps you would be willing to help me get the word out further and take some additional, more concrete steps? I certainly welcome any further ideas you might have. And if this feedback is all you have to offer, well then I welcome and thank you for it too. Cheers, Scott Siobahn,

Thanks for stopping by and offering some feedback. Of course, you’re quite correct that my e-petition doesn’t, itself, stand to alter the course of events around this issue. I think you’re probably correct that even a paper petition would wind up doing little.

What this initiative is more realistically about is finding a way of engaging Canadians who are not necessarily members of the Opposition parties or active in Amnesty International or the BC Civil Liberties Association on this issue. In that regard, the petition, were it to be spread around enough, could have some marginal impact. Perhaps not, but last night I decided that I wanted to do something about this issue, however small and marginal at this point. I am, after all, one person who blogs part-time and has a full life beyond holding down a full-time job.

But, I have bemoaned the lack of interest and engagement that many Canadians seem to demonstrate in regards to political happenings in their own country and felt that on this issue I needed to try to do something more than just write about my concerns. So, in my den at 10:00pm last night, I came to the conclusion that what I could do is start this petition. And as I mention in the post, this is really a starting place, a means as opposed to an end. To what? I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps it will go nowhere. Perhaps enough people will become involved that a paper petition becomes logistically possible. Perhaps more people just become aware of the issue and take the time to research it and come to their own conclusions. Maybe those folks wind up calling their MP about voicing their conclusions.

But, by my lights, doing something to try to enact those possibilities is better than doing nothing. And so I did something. I did this. And I used the platform that I have helped to create in order to get the word out to the best of my ability. I continue to do so through a number of less public avenues.

Perhaps you would be willing to help me get the word out further and take some additional, more concrete steps? I certainly welcome any further ideas you might have. And if this feedback is all you have to offer, well then I welcome and thank you for it too.

Cheers,
Scott

]]> By: Dave PV http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32056 Dave PV Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:05:08 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32056 Let's write on message boards for obscure political blogs instead? Which waste of time holds more weight? How about you use the same energy to write a letter to loved one, then, Siobhan? Let’s write on message boards for obscure political blogs instead? Which waste of time holds more weight?

How about you use the same energy to write a letter to loved one, then, Siobhan?

]]> By: We Demand a Public Inquiry into Torture | ThePolitic.com http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32053 We Demand a Public Inquiry into Torture | ThePolitic.com Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:55:25 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32053 [...] favourite Ordinary Gentleman, Scott H. Payne, has decided he’s had enough of just writing about the Afghan torture/Richard [...] [...] favourite Ordinary Gentleman, Scott H. Payne, has decided he’s had enough of just writing about the Afghan torture/Richard [...]

]]> By: Siobhan http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32041 Siobhan Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:53:16 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32041 E-petitions are a complete waste of time. There's not a parliament in the country that recognizes or accepts them. If you want to petition the government, you have to do a proper paper petition with real signatures. This will be totally ignored (as will real petitions, but at least a real petition will actually get tabled). E-petitions are a complete waste of time. There’s not a parliament in the country that recognizes or accepts them. If you want to petition the government, you have to do a proper paper petition with real signatures. This will be totally ignored (as will real petitions, but at least a real petition will actually get tabled).

]]> By: A Reminder | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-32012 A Reminder | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:51:00 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-32012 [...] our Canadian readers, please do read Scott’s follow-up post this morning on the Afghan detainee transfer scandal.  If you’re so inclined, you can sign (and/or link, [...] [...] our Canadian readers, please do read Scott’s follow-up post this morning on the Afghan detainee transfer scandal.  If you’re so inclined, you can sign (and/or link, [...]

]]> By: Rufus http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-31982 Rufus Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:03:28 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-31982 De rien. De rien.

]]> By: Will http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/11/of-mouths-and-money/#comment-31976 Will Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:46:47 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=11274#comment-31976 Nice work, Canadians! Nice work, Canadians!

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