If anything they’re the opposite. The petitions themselves are not binding, and if they’re not directly to institutions then they’re probably not even noticed.
…but they do convince signers that they’ve ‘done something’, the catharsis of which makes them less likely to do something that actually matters.
Wooden plaque that had the words “I swear it was clean yesterday.” From my dad.
I’m not one for impractical clutter. And my dad could be very judgemental. Why I would want an ugly handmade plaque that would imply I was messy, lazy, and dishonest about it?