A lesson in Civics

Last week we went to the library. Now I know for some moms this is no biggy.

Not for me though.

I'd rather go to....

wait for it...

the post office with all 4 kids, than the library.

Something about trying to keep kids, (1,3,5,7) quiet and close to me, while simultaneously trying to keep an eye out for all those sex-offenders posted in the front hall, while trying to pick out books, while also putting back all the books my kids are pulling off the shelves. Just in case you are tired like me and you haven't had time to do the math, 4 kids= 8 arms, and let me tell you, an octopus would do less touching in a library than my curious-Georges do. And did I mention the whole quiet part?

Anyways, we needed to return some almost-due library books, and after the $40 late charge I got slapped with last time, I wasn't taking any chances.

So, we picked our books, checked them out, and made it out of that place in record time.

On our way out, a man was just setting up a table. He asked me, "ma'am, would you like to sign my petition?"

Now, I should have known that anyone who asks a woman with a wiggly one-year-old in one arm, and 10 Junnie B. Jones books in the other, who is trying to use one foot to corral a 3-year old from walking into the road, and the other to stay upright, to sign a petition... well, I should have realized that he just might not be "all there."

Normally I walk past and shake my head. But I thought, "this will be a good lesson in civics."

So I asked, "What is it for?"

He got excited. "It's for gerrymandering and unfair voting practices! Here you go, sign it!"

"Well," I said, "What is gerrymandering?"

"It's unfair voting practices, here, sign it." He briskly tries to pass the pen to me- unsuccessfully looking for my third arm. A group of high school girls pass; he is flustered that I am costing him more signatures.

"Why are they unfair?" I ask. I know my boys are going to have 1,000 questions in the car.

"Because of the land owners- and the district splits, they let the people with the power keep the power, and we need the power for the people, and it's gerrymandering!"

"Hmmm, but what is gerrymandering?"

"It's unfair voting practices!" He is flabbergasted that he's had to tell me three times now.

"I guess I'm just not understanding why they are unfair. What specifically are you hoping to gain through this petition?"

"We need to get rid of gerrymandering! Here," he says wildly waving the pen in my face, "sign it."

"I'm sorry, I just can't sign something that I don't understand," I say.

By now he is VERY exasperated. "Why not? I signed it! It's not like it's a big deal. No one even-" he stops short of finishing the rest of his sentence. I'm guessing it was "even cares about these petitions." Instead his mouth clamps shut as we walk away.

It ended up being a different sort of lesson in civics, I guess. But it did make me want to start asking a lot more questions...