儿子和朋友的经历很新奇啊，由于他不愿讲，就坐车功夫写到手机上，我看了好玩，英文原文在下。您是哪一类家长？我们不能慢些，和善些？朋友说那些爸爸也许不是吓人，是被吓到了。也许毕竟是说第二语言，比较影响第一代老中和二代交流？笑一下总可以吧？(第二天扫街拜票经历见http://www.weidb.com/g1682&tag=207&p=8515）

选民登记

今天Andrew 和我在中文学校宣传选民注册。开始我们颇紧张，但克服了之后就简单了。

Andrew先问：＂您是美国公民吗？＂如果他们说不是我们就走开。如果他们说是，Andrew接着问他们是否在Essex县里注册。如果他们说已经注册了，我也给他们几张表格，说＂请转给您的还没注册的朋友们。＂

如果他们是公民但还没注册，我就给他们表格，叮嘱家长们一定尽快填表，粘上寄走，以确保县里10月14日前能收到（选举前21天）。然后再给他们些表格转交朋友们。如果家长们已经注册但不在Essex县住，我们就称谢离开。如果他们不住在本县也没注册，我们就解释一下如何网上登记。

我们一共问了50位家长，有15位是住在本县还没注册的公民，我们已发表格。5个已经注册，5个在其他县，另25个不是公民。

我们遇到很多不同的反应。最多的(80%) 就是常见的＂奔命＂的家长，极少讲超过＂是＂＂否＂更多的话，而当我们把多余的几张给他们转交朋友时，他们看上去较不情愿，似乎回到家就要把多余表格仍垃圾桶似的。

另一批家长（14%）很不友好，都是父亲们。几个家长不理睬我们，我们就还治其人之身。当我们刚问第一个问题时，有的父亲们就扫我们一眼马上敲他们手机去了。当我们跟一个先生打招呼时，他就像要把我们吃掉似的。

最少见的（6%，三个妈妈）也是最友善的。她们好像有时间，也跟我们谈话，并且非常热心地要转交表格给朋友们。一位女士问我们学校和家长的信息，才意识到她认识我们的妈妈。一个住密尔本的妈妈问我们该给谁投票，我们说刘健翔。另一个住李文斯顿的妈妈问我们应该选谁，我们无法回答。

这次经历挺容易，而出乎意料的是比我想象的有趣。当然了，打游戏或其他娱乐也许是更好的消磨时间的方法，但这机会仅有一次，我和朋友没有错过。并且相比于打游戏，这个是有＂目标（cause)"的，也有益社区。

问陌生人登记选民？还不错，真不错。

（注：翻到此不禁莞尔，孩子不会想到咨询一下老妈在另一镇该选谁？我的两个犹太朋友在选学委和议会啊。但选民登记毕竟不同于宣传候选人。孩子们做事不愿大人插手，我也在跟家长们谈话没注意他们竟然有这么多＂奇遇＂，尤其那7个上＂黑名单＂的爸爸们。）

Voter Registration

Arnold 9/27/2014

Today, Andrew and I went around the Chinese School to have people register as voters. We were pretty nervous at first, but we nailed the process down and it became pretty easy. 

Andrew would ask "Are you a US citizen?" If they said no, we say thank you and leave. If they said yes, then Andrew would ask if they are a registered voter in Essex County. If they said yes, I would give them a few forms to give to their non registered friends. If they said no, I would give them a form and tell them to fill it out and mail it in ASAP because the form had to be received by October 14, 21 days before the elections. Then I would give them some forms to give to their non registered friends. 

If they didn't live in Essex County and were registered, we said thank you and left. If they didn't live in Essex County but weren't registered, I would tell them how to register online. 

We asked 50 people in total; about 15 people were not registered in Essex county so we gave them a form. About 5 were already registered, about 5 were in a different county, and the remaining 25 weren't US citizens. 

We got many different responses from many different people. The most common type were the regular people who seemed in a bit of a rush so they said as little as possible: yes or no. When we handed them extras to give to others, they didn't seem encouraged at all, and seemed like they would just throw those extras out when they got home. 

The next most common group was the people （all dads) who just pretty much ignored us so we ignored them too. We would ask the first question, and they wouldn't really even make eye contact，just glanced and went back to their phones. When we said "excuse us, sir," to one dad, he looked as if he's gonna eat us.

The least common was the best; the nice group. They seemed to have time so they actually had somewhat of a conversation and were actually very willing to give their friends some forms too. One mom asked what grades we were in and who our parents were, and she said she knew both of our parents. Another who lived in Millburn asked who they should vote for, so we told them Jesse Liu, and another parent asked us the same question but they lived in Livingston, so we couldn't provide an answer. 

The experience was easier and surprisingly more fun than I thought. Sure, maybe playing video games or doing some other form of entertainment may be a more ideal spending of time, but this is an opportunity that comes just this once, so I seized it and got a friend to do it with me. Also, this was for a cause and benefitted a community unlike playing video games, for example. 

Asking strangers about registering as voters? Not bad. Not bad at all.