Today the White House launched an online service which allows individuals to create a petition and direct others to sign them. If a threshold of signatures is reached the Obama administration will direct the petition to policy officials for review:

Petition the White House with We the People

Posted by Katelyn Sabochik on September 22, 2011 at 10:25 AM EDT

Today, we launched We the People on WhiteHouse.gov- a new platform that gives all Americans a way to create and sign petitions on a range of issues affecting our nation.  And if a petition gathers enough online signatures, it will be reviewed by policy experts and you’ll receive an official response.

Throughout our history, Americans have used petitions as a way to join together around issues they care about.  We the People brings that uniquely American tradition into the 21st century.

Here’s how it works:

1. Create or Sign a Petition:  Anyone 13 or older can create a WhiteHouse.gov account and create or sign a petition on WhiteHouse.gov asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range issues.

2. Build Support and Gather Signatures for your Petition: It’s up to you to build support for a petition. Use email, Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth to tell your friends, family and coworkers about the petitions you care about.

3. The White House Reviews and Responds:  If a petition reaches a certain threshold (initially 5,000 signatures within 30 days), it will be reviewed by policy officials in the Administration and an official response will be issued….

[emphasis in original]

Ah, a big block of cheese, or art reflecting life:

“The West Wing” The Crackpots and These Women (1999)

Bob Engler: I would like you to show the President some data we’ve collected on some possible extraterrestrial contact.

Sam Seaborn: I really can’t do that.

Bob Engler: May I ask why not?

Sam Seaborn: Because the President will either yell at me or laugh at me. Either way it won’t work out well for me.

[….]

Bob Engler: [Regarding UFOs] These things happen and go unexplained. You don’t think this is something you should take to the President?

Sam Seaborn: No.

Bob Engler: Again may I ask why not?

Sam Seaborn: Because there are levels and an order to our air defense command and to jump from our radar officer to the commander-in-chief would skip several of those levels.

Bob Engler: Like what?

Sam Seaborn: Like the Pentagon and, you know, perhaps therapy.

At the White House petition site, just today:

We Petition the Obama Administration to:

formally acknowledge an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race – Disclosure.

Disclosure Petition – Paradigm Research Group

“We, the undersigned, strongly urge the President of the United States to formally acknowledge an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race and immediately release into the public domain all files from all agencies and military services relevant to this phenomenon.”

___

Hundreds of military and government agency witnesses have come forward with testimony confirming this extraterrestrial presence. Opinion polls now indicate more than 50% of the American people believe there is an extraterrestrial presence and more than 80% believe the government is not telling the truth about this phenomenon. The people have a right to know. The people can handle the truth.

[….]

Created: Sep 22, 2011

Issues: Foreign Policy, Government Reform, Science and Space Policy

You think that’ll get five thousand signatures?

Life imitating art imitating life?:

“Yeah, but you can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“‘Cause it’s freaking me out.”