The White House Petitions Page is Often Abused
By Shawn M. Griffiths on 12/26/2012 in first amendment, Piers Morgan, president, Second Amendment, US Constitution, White House with 58 CommentsRead Time: 2 - 3 minutes

The United States Constitution protects the right of the people to petition the government for a redress of grievances. In the spirit of the First Amendment, WhiteHouse.gov has a petitions page where people can submit a petition to the Obama administration on just about anything.
CNN personality, Piers Morgan, is a staunch and candid proponent of stricter gun control and has been very outspoken about it since the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Morgan devoted an entire week on his show to the subject of guns in America and the changes he believes are needed to gun policy in the U.S.
Some people, however, do not like his position on guns and dislike his opinions so much they want him kicked out of the country. Petitioners have gone to the White House website to demand that Morgan be deported back to the United Kingdom for what they believe is a verbal assault on the Second Amendment and the U.S. Constitution.
One petition, created on December 21, has already garnered over 71,000 signatures:
British Citizen and CNN television host Piers Morgan is engaged in a hostile attack against the U.S. Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment. We demand that Mr. Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens.
Piers Morgan is not a U.S. citizen, but a legal US resident and a British citizen. He even mentioned this over Twitter earlier this year:
No. I’m a US resident, British citizen RT @findingmej13 @piersmorgan are you a US citizen?
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 2, 2012
“Deport British Citizen Piers Morgan for Attacking 2nd Amendment” joins petitions to start the construction of a death star by 2016, to allow state secession for various states, and one to deport those petitioning to secede. While there are serious issues addressed on the White House petitions page, there are plenty of examples that highlight the fact that the page is often abused.
The petition to deport Morgan received 71,000 signatures in just five days. The irony, of course, is that petitioners are exercising a right protected in the U.S. Constitution to demand someone be deported for exercising another right protected in the same amendment. It is highly unlikely, no matter how many signatures the petition gets, that Piers Morgan will be deported.





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58 Comments
Cassidy Noblejas Bartolomei
12.26.2012
@cassidynb
“The irony, of course, is that petitioners are exercising a right protected in the US Constitution to demand someone be deported for exercising another right protected in the same amendment” –That’s what I was thinking this entire article.
Jane Susskind
12.26.2012
@jsusskind
And now there’s a petition to keep him in the US http://www.dailydot.com/politics/keep-piers-morgan-us-online-petition/
Terri Harel
12.26.2012
@tlharel
I think this system is grossly abused. Why aren’t we talking about legitimate issues, serious reasons to petition…?
No Difference
12.30.2012
I can think of a lot of GOOD reasons to get rid of many people residing in the US, but residency/citizenship vs dissent is not one of them. Some people need to get over themselves and learn to tolerate. I don’t like Piers Morgan, and many other pundits, regardless of their origins. But I won’t tolerate ignorance, the kind based on supposed laws and mis-interpretion of our foundational documents.
No Difference
12.30.2012
Obviously, we can’t really get rid of anyone; I am just saying that we could find far better rationale for doing so if it were even possible, or the least bit humane.
Wendy Innes
12.26.2012
@wendyppp
Wanna get rid of Peirs Morgan? Best way to do that is hit him where it counts, in the ratings. Quit watching his shows, unsubscribe from his twitter, facebook and other social media feeds and when CNN sees a significant ratings drop, he’ll become a liability and they will can him.
Often the best thing to do is to let zealots like Morgan continue on. Like my grandma said “Give him enough rope and he’ll hang himself.” When what he’s saying becomes distasteful to enough people, they’ll stop listening. Simple as that.
Alex Gauthier
12.26.2012
@alexg
piers morgan is hard to listen to, hes all ‘personality’ if you can even call it that and no substance
kumar
12.26.2012
Who will deport Shumer, Bloomberg, Feinstein, ADL, SPLC, CNN, MSNBC and Cultural Marxist hollywood? David Gregory, another Jewish activist brandished a gun magazine on Sunday show.
Even after 2 world wars, Whites have learnt nothing. Mass immigration of aggressive non-whites who are extending their power, territory and wealth continues. Whites have not come to their senses. They have not yet done mass boycott of hollywood video and TV that is poisoning their kids minds.
Organized Jewish diaspora is leading the assault on Second Amendment, flooding America and Europe with 3rd world invaders, imposing rotten banking system (5 out of 7 federal reserve board members are Jews, flagrant display of Jewish nepotism), At the same time Israel is an aggressive, expansionist jewish ethnostate with Jewish only immigration.
What this two faced Jewish fraud and hypocrisy? Why can’t America and Europe be white ethnostates, if Israel is a jewish ethnostate? If Jews want gun control, they can live in Israel. Thats why it was created.
Anyone who questions organized Jewish activism and assault on the people and culture of West is viciously smeared and stigmatized as anti-semitic, Nazi.
Eric Ridenour
12.27.2012
lol, people petition for the stupidest things.
Aaron Ki Møller
12.27.2012
I like the petition for the Obama administration to build a death star
Stacy Alexander Dill
12.27.2012
Eh… They just don’t like him and want him to go home. He’s not sensitive to the culture. ” Ugly Englishman”.
Tina Sparks Gladstone
12.27.2012
Why should I remove one person’s freedom of speech and keep my own?
Robby Carbone
12.27.2012
No, they’re only lip service to the public. Otherwise Marc Emery would be free and prohibition ended
Johnny Ritchie
12.27.2012
No, same as the petitions for the South to secede from the union, Stupid people petitions.
Jim Williford
12.27.2012
why is a foreigner the head of an american news program anyway??? can i go to europe and do the same and say crap about their laws?
Peyton Farquhar
12.27.2012
Morgan isn’t a citizen so all bets are off. Deport him.
Sharon Mooningham
12.27.2012
Same reason you can’t yell fire in a public place without consequences. Restricting FOS for being offended however is a part of the overall problem.
Bonnie Burke
12.27.2012
You call it irony, I call it justification. Piers is a non citizen attacking our Constitution and the rights of every American. And Yes I think they are useful, even if the Whitehouse uses them as toilet paper. Piers was allowed to have his say, now he needs to go home
Mitch Bolton
12.27.2012
The whole thing is stupid. He has a right to an opinion, and a well educated one at that. There are plenty of other news channels to follow.
Sie Alan Williams
12.27.2012
This petition needs to gain more traction to make more of an impact. 100K signatures won’t mean anything. It has to explode or it will dwindle to nothing. Share share share with all your friends, family, and political sites and pages.
Angela Montgomery
12.27.2012
well at least we know the names of 71,000 idiots
Bonnie Burke
12.27.2012
Actually Angela it is 78,862 and I am proud to be one of those idiots… Thank you very much
Eric Ridenour
12.27.2012
@Jim, why does it matter, and yes, there are foreigners in charge of other networks. Hell, 2 foreigners, a Saudi Arabian and Australian own an entire news channel here.
Bill Jurkovich
12.27.2012
You have the right of free speech, as long as you agree with me!
Norma Jean Bowman
12.27.2012
@angela…says you. 71,000 say we don’t like foreigners putting us down. So glad you are only 1 voice.
Bill Jurkovich
12.27.2012
Owl Creek Bridge, Peyton?
Guillermo Calvillo
12.27.2012
How about Mr. Murdock for those Faux News fans?
Matthew Bessell
12.27.2012
Yawn!
Peyton Farquhar
12.27.2012
No, Bill, San Diego.
Raymond Davis
12.27.2012
I like how someone who isn’t an American can stand up and tell us to give up our rights. He isn’t an American and isn’t protected by our Constitution. I vote we not only deport him but deport Justin Beber also.
Jeff Greenberg
12.27.2012
An Australian born media magnate own Fox News. So much for foreigners not being allowed to voice an opinion.
Scardog Bones
12.27.2012
just like the secession petitions, it has no teeth.
Keith Berton Patton
12.27.2012
Just shows all the ignorance in America. I am embarrassed
Jim Harwood
12.27.2012
The White House petitions are a waste of time. As for Piers Morgan, I’m on the side of Freedom of Speech, whether I agree with him or not. Hasn’t he already been deported from the UK, as well as deported from the moon and Mars? Have mercy on the guy. Not many more places he can go to speak freely.
Chuck Shepard
12.27.2012
Like it or not it’s called ‘freedom of speech’, not freedom to agree. If your going to deport everyone you don’t agree with, when are you all going back to your native countries where your ancestors came from?
Tomas Angela Zelaya
12.27.2012
In that case lets just start deporting US Citizens we find offensive too! I can think of a couple…..
Shawn M. Griffiths
12.27.2012
The idea of a real death star is cool and all, but even if it were possible, do you really want the government to have all of that power?
Scott Bailey
12.27.2012
He is allowed is to say whatever he wants to say in this great country of ours. But he is still an wanker!
Susan Crouse
12.27.2012
About as stupid as all the secession petitions. Numbskulls.
Paul Grajciar
12.27.2012
I think these petitioners are gold plated idiots.
And blacklisting is so McCarthy Era.
Ana
12.27.2012
this is silly…I already deported him from my living room! no need to petition and the reason is just silly imo although his stance on changing the Bible is why I will NEVER watch that crazy man again.
Ronald Williams
12.27.2012
For me, it wasn’t about his stand on gun control. It was the way he conducted the interview. He couldn’t argue with facts, he just wanted to interrupt and call the other party stupid and other demeaning names. It was a terrible interview and I will never watch his show again.
Jonathan Boatwright
12.27.2012
This was my exact thought….In the name of protecting the second Amendment 71,000 Americans are basically taking a hammer to the 1st amendment. Piers Morgan is entitled to his opinion, right or wrong, and to show his lack of journalistic integrity and decorum. Deporting him smacks of hypocrisy.
JDB
Suzanne Stewart
12.27.2012
I thought about that.
Earle L. Mallory
12.27.2012
Well educated? where do you get that. The man is a fool
Kevin Driscoll
12.27.2012
It doesn’t matter, The White House ignores what is petitioned and replies with ignorant canned responses. ITS USELESS!!! Obama on Nationwide television laughed at the number one petition of all times, Marijuana rescheduling and legalization. They don’t take this website serious, why should anyone else?
Tina Sparks Gladstone
12.27.2012
I always wondered why foreign judges always judge American talent shows.
Scott W. Trent Jr.
12.27.2012
Because this is a democracy and the MAJORITY has control, what do you think?, that you are living in a nation ruled by law? Geez!!
Scott W. Trent Jr.
12.27.2012
Apparently better then you, he’s on TV, where are you at??
Scott W. Trent Jr.
12.27.2012
GOOD, then I will start a petition to deport ALL KNOWN & DECLARED IDIOTS as we (the u.s.) does NOT need that DNA in our gene pool…….
Scott W. Trent Jr.
12.27.2012
Sure, IF YOU have the name and background to be asked to appear on their TV show(s)….. do you???
Scott W. Trent Jr.
12.27.2012
DEPORT Norma J. for being DUMB!!! Prevent her from having kids in America’s gene pool…..
Stephen Bone
12.27.2012
Yes, they are useful. They give the people a focused non-violent goal for their anger and put the president on the spot when he fails to take action. The missing element is a tracking and analyses system to monitor how many have been acted on, how many were ignored, what was the political nature of the ignored petitions, etc.?
Norma Jean Bowman
12.27.2012
Too late Scott W. Trent… I’m not a new kid on the block.
Got a huge gene pool world wide and I do not cater to Communism.
Nor am I a fan of Piers Morgan. He is a pompous pip squeak.
Brian Myers
12.27.2012
First of all I would think the person running this page would know the difference between Constitutional Rights and the relationship of those and being a US Citizen. Second Mr Morgan is a hack, and a criminal for hacking into personal lives of those his paper covered when he was in the UK.
Kris McDade
12.27.2012
imagine that…..the gun nuts don’t like someone speaking openly about taking their guns……. may you all shoot each other and leave the rest of us alone
Steve Schlichter
12.27.2012
He is not protected by the Constitution, is he? I thought he was british.
Elise Hokman
12.29.2012
If nobody watches his show, he will disappear…otherwise people are just giving him free publicity. I bet his ratings have gone up since this controversy began.