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Since You Asked: Online petitions can sometimes work Saturday Jun 3, 2017 at 12:01 AM Do online petitions make any difference? I ask because I have been asked to sign several, but have not seen or heard of any changes being made as a result of them. — Chris, Central Point   Change.org, one of the most well-known sites for online petitions, claims petitioners using the site achieve a victory nearly every hour somewhere around the world. The site says petitioners have achieved more than 21,000 victories in 196 countries on issues that include a Bill of Rights for sexual assault victims, anti-bullying efforts, disability rights and clemency for convicted people. We checked in with Hank Stern, spokesman for Sen. Ron Wyden, D.-Ore., about whether online petitions really make a difference. Stern said they can, in fact, have an impact — along with other forms of input to elected representatives. "Every form of constituent engagement matters," he said. "To make sure he’s hearing directly from Oregonians, Sen. Wyden encourages constituents to contact our office by email or phone, or by attending one of Sen. Wyden’s town halls to speak directly with him. Sen. Wyden has often pointed out during the 800-plus town halls he’s had in Oregon how political change usually starts from the bottom up rather than the top down." One example Wyden often uses about the power of constituent engagement is citizen opposition to Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act legislation that could have squelched the internet, Stern said. In 2012, Google Inc. collected millions of signatures against the legislation, which had been sought by Hollywood and the music industry to combat piracy of entertainment content. Opponents of the legislation said it could lead to censorship and blocked content on the internet. Other big-hitters joining in the fight included Wikipedia, which blacked out the English version of its online encyclopedia and directed users to contact their elected representatives. Millions of voters contacted lawmakers about the issue. According to opponents of the anti-piracy legislation, more than 115,000 websites joined in the internet protest. Opponents also took to the streets in several American cities. "The bottom line is whether it’s an online petition or any other form of citizen communication, it all adds up to feedback that lets elected officials know what’s on people’s minds," Stern said.   — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.