For over a month now Change.org has been running an ideas contest. The contest consisted of members entrys for best idea and the winning ten ideas would be taken to President Obama.
The contest was officially over at 5:00pm January 15th. At that time an issue I felt very strongly about was well in the lead despite a last minute effort by Congressman Kucinich to try and get himself elected to Peace Secretary. The issue in question was "Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana"
"Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana". Won by over 4000 votes. At the end they pulled the board down and announced they would tell the winners at a Press Club Meeting on the 16th.
Today they post this;
Winners of the Ideas for Change in America Competition
After 656,991 votes for 7,847 ideas, we present the top 10 ideas for change (in no particular order):
Pass the DREAM Act - Support Higher Education for All Students
Dream ACTivist (add a suggestion)
Appoint Secretary of Peace in Department of Peace and Non-Violence
Stephen Zendt (add a suggestion)
Free Single Payer Health Care Jared S (add a suggestion)
Develop & Implement a National Strategy for Sustainability
Rob Wheeler (add a suggestion)
Pass Marriage Equality Rights for LGBT Couples Nationwide
Jen N. (add a suggestion)
Make the grid green in 10 years
Liz Rose (add a suggestion)
Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana
Jose Torres (add a suggestion)
Get FISA Right, repeal the PATRIOT Act, and restore our civil liberties
Jon Pincus (add a suggestion)
Save Small Business From the CPSIA
Cecilia Leibovitz (add a suggestion)
Health Freedom IS Our First Freedom
Bill Pleasants (add a suggestion)
Over the next week we will be working with nonprofit sponsors for each idea, including 1Sky, Healthcare-NOW!, and The Peace Alliance, to craft national campaigns around each idea. In the meantime, we have opened discussion for how to most effectively turn each idea into a successful national campaign, and would love your suggestions.
We also want to recognize the additional 25 ideas that received over 2500 votes, each of which attracted an impressive community. We are excited to be able to support these and other ideas as well over the next year as we build out a broader platform for individuals and organizations to promote the changes they seek.
Then when I question their motives, I get this;
Your suggestion for the Idea for Change entry entitled 'Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana' has been removed by an administrator.
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REASON: This is not a suggestion about how to advance this issue. Please follow the spirit of this discussion by writing HOW you think Change.org should work, along with a nonprofit sponsor that will be chosen next week, to promote a national campaign. The number of votes received by each idea is in the top right corner of the idea's page. Why do you feel the need to have them ranked on the home page, to be superior over the other ideas? Change.org will be working with each of the 10 winners to advance their idea. Wait to see the follow-up actions before you criticize.
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I'm sorry but if this is change it looks a lot like more of the same. I didn't make this into a contest, they did, and when the idea they didn't want to win, won, then they want to switch things around.
The war on drug users has cost this country more than we will ever know. Almost 20,000 voters to change.org agreed with that but yet I am wrong for want this idea put front and center where it belongs.
Had change.org not had this contest and said "look we're going to back certain issues" I may have gone along with it but what they have done is not right. Yes I would like at least a mention , somewhere, that the winner was "Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana" maybe a blurb somewhere but no. "Just sit down and shut up" that's what we got.
Sorry Change.org thats not change at all it just more of the same.