Ugh. Once again, I received the dreaded jury duty notice. Due to travel commitments, I had received several postponements and had none left. I had to report to the courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on December 31 even though our house was full with visiting relatives who were looking forward to celebrating the New Year and attending the Rose Parade.
But despite the less than ideal timing, I recognized that serving as a juror is a privilege and fundamental to our judicial system.
Bright and early (7:30am) I reported to the court house, as did 50 or so others, most of whom likely shared my ambivalence.
As we were interviewed by the judge and questioned by the attorneys regarding our backgrounds and possible biases vis-á-vis the case at hand, I was so impressed by my fellow potential jurors. Some were self-employed and would not receive even token compensation for their service. They were forgoing income in order to serve. Some were immigrants--from Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, and China--who became naturalized citizens. All raised their right hands and swore to consider the case in a thorough and fair manner.
This experience caused me to wonder: How many of our elected officials could pass the United States citizenship test that was required of my fellow potential jurors? And how many of our elected officials have served as jurors? Shouldn't a demonstrated knowledge of the fundamentals of our government and judicial service be a prerequisite for elected office?
I wasn't selected as a juror--for which I was grateful in view of my holiday plans--but I was even more grateful for the inspiration of my fellow prospective jurors, hard working people, appreciative Americans serving their country through honoring their commitment as citizens.
Let's ask the same of our elected officials.
Ugh. Once again, I received the dreaded jury duty notice. Due to travel commitments, I had received several postponements and had none left. I had to report to the courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on December 31 even though our house was full with visiting relatives who were looking forward to celebrating the New Year and attending the Rose Parade.
But despite the less than ideal timing, I recognized that serving as a juror is a privilege and fundamental to our judicial system.
Bright and early (7:30am) I reported to the court house, as did 50 or so others, most of whom likely shared my ambivalence.
As we were interviewed by the judge and questioned by the attorneys regarding our backgrounds and possible biases vis-a-vis the case at hand, I was so impressed by my fellow potential jurors.
Some were self-employed and would not receive even token compensation for their service. They were forgoing income in order to serve. Some were immigrants--from Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, and China--who became naturalized citizens. All raised their right hands and swore to consider the case in a thorough and fair manner.
This experience caused me to wonder: How many of our elected officials could pass the United States citizenship test that was required of my fellow potential jurors? And how many of our elected officials have served as jurors? Shouldn't a demonstrated knowledge of the fundamentals of our government and judicial service be a prerequisite for elected office?
I wasn't selected as a juror--for which I was grateful in view of my holiday plans--but I was even more grateful for the inspiration of my fellow prospective jurors, hard working people, appreciative Americans serving their country through honoring their commitment as citizens.
Let's ask the same of our elected officials.
