Okaaayyy . . .

It's been suggested to me by someone who knows more about such things that the petition of protest that had me so worried is seen by most people as more of a gesture than a real effort to change anything.

Well, I still think not signing it was the best course. If a trend is starting whereby hopeless petitions are circulated merely as a nice way to show support for some cause, that leaves it open for it to become so common that people and causes will expect  petitions on their behalf. Which also leaves a way to stick it to people/things we don't like: Failing to start a petition for them.

It's like the undeserved "achievement" medal nearly everyone in the service got just for being transferred. They'd list all the things you'd managed to do and decorate you as a goodbye present. This was not how the regs said it should be, but how it worked.

If you didn't get your medal, of course, something was wrong. But you could not demand a medal, you didn't even have a right to find out what you'd done wrong. Because the regs said medals were only for real achievements, not just for doing your job, and you weren't owed one just for leaving the base.

Except everyone knew it wasn't like that.