I think there's a lot of confusion over what petitions are, why we use them, and why they're still important.

Petitions are similar to recycling campaigns. Will they stop climate catastrophe? Will they create large-scale shifts? Most likely not. But they're still tools that organizers can use for consciousness-raising.

Ignoring how the NPIC utilizes petitions (adding you to donor mailing lists), petitions serve as a tool to bring people into campaigns, let large amounts of people know about an issue that is happening, and raise awareness about an issue. They can serve as organizer's first point

of contact. So no, petitions are not going to bring about what we want. That's the point of organizing and collectives, and long-term work. But they serve a purpose, that's why many continue to still use them.

I promise you, the majority of organizers aren't thinking their campaign will be won via petitions alone. We use petitions often with issues related to abolition with the knowledge that we're trying to build a base, often virtually.