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White House required to answer petition to build Death Star


The American netizens have spoken, and they want the White House to start building a Death Star —the moon-sized superweapon featured in the "Star Wars" franchise— by 2016.
 
As the Dec. 14 deadline for them to gather 25,000 signatures lapsed, 27,056 Americans have digitally signed the petition for a Death Star.  
Response required  
"Those who sign here petition the United States government to secure funding and resources, and begin construction on a Death Star by 2016," read the description of the petition on the White House petitions page.
 
The website's own Terms of Participation state that "if a petition meets the signature goal within the designated period, the White House will respond to that petition in a timely fashion."
 
The Terms also state: "(to) require a response, a petition must reach 25,000 signatures within 30 days." As of the deadline, the petition already had close to 30,000 signatures.
Tech site The Next Web said the White House is obliged to officially respond, now that the petition has passed the 25,000-signature mark.
 
It noted the petition, created last November 14, passed the 25,000-signature requirement as early as Dec. 13.
 
Not just anyone can sign the petition: signatories need to have an account with WhiteHouse.gov, or sign up for one. Proponents' arguments
 
Signatories to the petition argued that "(b)y focusing our defense resources into a space-superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defense."
 
Earlier, an article on Dvice.com said one "John D," who started the petition, claimed the Death Star project will create lots of jobs while strengthening national defense —but without mention of the costs involved.
 
"Hey, at $852 quadrillion it's only about $2.6 billion per person. We can handle that, right?" it said. — TJD, GMA News