Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
-The First Amendment, United States Constitution
美國憲法修正案第一條中尊重美國人民有 宗教信仰,
言論,新聞,和平集會跟向政府陳情的自由.
所以任何人都可以向政府提出陳情.
從前必須寄信/傳真, 現在白宮提供專門網頁方便人民陳情.
這個陳情官網叫 We the People (http://petitions.whitehouse.gov),
網站上有很多應該嚴肅看待的請求,
但是也有很多奇奇怪怪的請求.
條件是只要在規定時間內在陳情上簽名的人超過規定人數,
政府相關的負責機關就會有專人對陳情的內容做出回應.
我大致看了一下一百四十多個已經回應的petitions
多數答覆都只是表達政府或白宮的看法或立場
說明他們已經做了什麼, 或計畫將要做什麼
牽涉到敏感議題(如減稅,修法)或國際事務的他們多半不表態
只是說美國會持續關心, 或是推給國會說需要立法才能解決
所以基本上說了也都是白說
(所有的政府都是一個德性,其實不用想也知道會是這些回答)
這裡面有一個petition非常有意思(來亂的)
而白宮的官方回應更有意思
美式幽默在這個回應中表露無遺
以下是 Petition 的內容跟白宮的回覆
(我不做翻譯, 因為翻譯後原味盡失)
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完整 Petition 的網頁連結:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/isnt-petition-response-youre-looking
Petition 內容:
Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016.
White House 回覆:
(回覆者 Paul Shawcross 是 Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget)
The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:
- The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
- The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
- Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?
.................(後面還有一大堆美國在太空發展上已經做的事情的說明)
* Note: Death Star 是電影 Star Wars 中的一個可以摧毀星球的巨大太空站 |
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