What does it mean to be an American? What does it require?

[WilliamPitt]

A good friend of mine got tapped for Jury Duty, and isn't thrilled about it. She's going to do it, but she's honked. Who can blame her? It's a pain in the ass more often than not. You miss work, you have to travel to some far-flung courthouse, where it is more than likely you'll sit in an uncomfortable chair in a stuffy room for eight hours before getting sent home, and that's the best-case scenario. Another friend of mine got tapped to serve on a federal Grand Jury, which required him to be in that stuffy room every Wednesday for a full year. He lost a gig because of it; unless you were on fire right in front of the judge, he wasn't going to let you off the hook.

But it got me thinking about being an American. I have this theory about Americans. We are all, in a small but vital way, public servants and public employees. We have three duties in this regard:

A. Vote

B. Pay taxes

C. Show up for jury duty

When we don't do these things,

1. Assholes and fascists win elections

2. Schools and roads fall apart

3. The laws get written (via jury decisions) by less than the best and the brightest

Seeing as how too many people not doing A-C has led to all of us dealing with 1-3, I tend to take a jury duty summons as a small chance to right the ship.

(/preach)

*ducking*

[unhappycamper]

1. My favorite question on the Jury Selection form:

"Have you been arrested?"

:rofl:

[DrDan]

2. I think I would argue that #3 should be ". . . other than the willing"

simply showing up does not guarantee a jury of the "best and brightest".

But I agree - jury duty should be something everyone should feel responsible for. Perhaps not an enjoyable task, but one that needs to be done, and a duty that should be equally shared.

I have never been tapped for jury duty, and am one who kind of looks forward to it.

[phantom power]

3. I've done it twice, and...

it was a headache in certain ways, but I was really glad I did it. I can't think of a better way to learn how our justice system really works, than to participate in a trial. Serious business, too. I sent a man to prison. Not an easy decision to make.

[tjwash]

4. Every year I get called, and every year I am the first one kicked off the panel.

Which sucks...because I would love to actually be on a jury trial just once.

I just finished a month of federal jury duty, which I had no chance of getting on any trial. My son works for the federal courthouse, I know all of the US attorneys in the place, and 3 of the federal judges, and my sister in law is an ATF agent.

Oh well...

[Tracer]

5. I've been called for Jury Duty 4 or 5 times.

And I've never minded it. Not even sitting around. (Bring a book!)

I was actually chosen for the jury in one case (a child-rape case, no less. Ugh!) This trial was not something that I wanted to be involved in.

I had a perfectly legitimate reason for opting out and spoke to the judge --- who agreed and let me go.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Consider that juries are made up of individuals

who aren't smart enough to create excuses good enough to get out of jury duty in the first place.

Seriously...

I believe the judicial system benefits when intelligent people serve on juries, and I chastise those who attempt to shirk their responsibility by coming up with a lame-ass excuse for getting out of it. Everyone should serve on a jury at least once in their life - even wingnuts, who I hope will discover that their walled-off, mean, brutish little world is a lot bigger than they'd imagined. Of course, that's assuming the jury isn't composed entirely of freeper-types, although the selection process usually works - assuring that all types end up on the jury.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. I agree, but would add a 'D' to your list of duties. I think it is the duty of every American to

defend the Constitution and the country from all enemies, domestic or foreign. I'm the last person that would want my son to be in the military, but were we ever truly threatened (no, the WOT doesn't count), then I'd go into the streets to fight as well.