By Jessica Roy 12/21/12 7:59am

Internet Democracy

(Screencap: YouTube)

President Obama Responds to Petitions Against Gun Violence in New Video

In the wake of the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, social networks lit up with cries for gun control. Hundreds of thousands of people descended on We the People, the White House’s official petition portal, to ask the President to take meaningful action to help stop gun violence. Today, President Obama released a video recorded especially for those who signed these petitions. Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 12/17/12 11:56am

Internet Democracy

President Barack Obama does not want Wikipedia to shut down again. (Photo: Wikimedia)

WhiteHouse.Gov Petition for Gun Control Bill Racks Up Signatures to Become Most Popular Ever

Largely associated with Internet pranks and dubious ideas, the petition platform at WhiteHouse.gov has been put to more serious use in the wake of last week’s tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut. By Friday afternoon, someone had posted a call for the president to “immediately address the issue of gun control” by introducing a bill to Congress.

The response was immediate: Mashable reports that within 48 hours, it was the most popular thing ever posted to the site. Read More

By Jessica Roy 12/14/12 5:24pm

Social Media

(Screencap: YouTube)

Cries for Gun Control Resound Across Social Media Following Mass Shooting at Connecticut Elementary School

Following the devastating news that 27 people, including 20 children, had been killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, many immediately took to their Facebook and Twitter pages to lament what they see as the U.S.’s frightening lack of gun control. In New York, #guncontrol trended on Twitter throughout the afternoon, with everyone from casual observers to celebrities to pundits weighing in on how stricter gun laws could have stymied the actions of the gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Read More