The Nov. elections will be here before we know it. Right now, groups and organizations are starting to spread out to collect signatures on petitions to put their pet issue on the ballot.
Think before you act. Don’t sign your life away. That’s what you may be doing if you take the petition thrust at you and sign it just so you can get your groceries home before they melt. Read that petition before signing it, especially the actual text of the proposed law. Don’t ask the person with the clipboard for clarification, because, if passed, the law will say what the text says, not what you or the signature-gatherer hopes it will accomplish.
Also, the gatherers have their own agenda, whether it’s to be paid for another signature or to get their viewpoint passed into law. Go through it carefully. Is the wording clear and specific? Do you want the law to be exactly as what’s written? Most importantly, does everything in it conform to your moral values? If so, sign it. Otherwise, walk away.
Signing a petition is a small but important step toward changing unfair, oppressive, discriminatory laws. Let’s just make sure that we vote for the ethical laws we think we’re asking for.