Dakota

Serving Democracy the Dakota Way

Really, what is Israel thinking? A nation of trauma survivors. I guess they really showed Hamas . Now Hamas will really have to show them, and probably us. It is difficult not to get hateful about all the hatred. Such a waste. Energy used for destruction rather than creation. Somebody's got to do it.

Spent yesterday doing my part for democracy. Jury duty . Really, there was a dry, but quite inspiring video about the importance of the judicial system to democracy, and the contribution to that system made by those of us who are called upon to serve as jurors. Cut my resentment in half.

Actuallly the court was a small, friendly one. There were only twenty of us in the pool --that made me worry that I would definitely be chosen, since the pickings were so lean. The last time, I was one of two hundred. I actually got into the courtroom last time, but wasn't chosen because, unbeknownst to me, a dear and close personal friend was an expert witness in the case. He was coming to my house for dinner that night, in fact. Synchronicity.

(Maybe I'll just make the initials for "But I digress", BID; that way I can say it when necessary, and you won't have to cancel your subscription.)

We, the jury, were allowed to wander around the basement, and even smoke on the front stairs, as long as we didn't speak to anyone else who was also smoking on the front stairs. The implication was that they might be a criminal. A reformed smoker, and preferer of central heat in the winter, I spent my time in the cafeteria, now the vending machine room, where I could rest my elbows on the vintage "50's chrome and formica tables, and ease the pain of sitting on those awful chairs. In the caf, there were electric plugs for our laptops too. I don't have a laptop, so I was unable to report directly from the scene. Soon, though, I'm in the market - My Wild Divine Game arrived. BID

About noon the jurors were "called". It was very serious until the court officer whispered to me how much she liked my scarf, and I sympathesized with her for having to wear black and white all the time. I also threw in that it must be nice to have a job so near the mall.

The case at hand was a small claims issue between a landlord, calling himself a realty trust, and a thirtiesh couple. A jury of six was required. When asked if there were any reason any of us shouldn't sit on the case, five of us got up. We then whispered to the judge and the parties why we shouldn'r be chosen.

The judge was really cute. I told him that I didn't know whether being a landlord was sufficient reason to disqualify myself. He asked me if I had had good experiences as a landlord or bad. I said both. He said "Stick around, we'll put you on ice, and if we run out of candidates we'll call you last." He told me that the three men before me in line were all landlords too.

I didn't get called. By then I wouldn't have minded sitting, since the trial was likely to be over by the end of the day. A long trial would have been a hardship. When the court officer who liked my scarf, dismissed us at 1:00, she winked and said that as far as the state was concerned, we were all here until 4:30, so we can tell that to our employers, and feel free to take the rest of the day off. There is a huge difference between being employed and self employed.

I have now done my duty for the next three years. In a week or so I will have a formal letter from the state, so that if the computer makes a mistake, I have proof of service.

It is really nice to have the opportunity to do something concrete to serve democracy these days. The Constitution is being seriously eroded by this administraton under the guise of protecting us from terrorism, and I often feel helpless in the face of that.

Thank goodness for Al Franken . Michael Moore , Paul Krugman and Robert Kuttner .

Photo note: Doesn't this look like a jury box? I have used this photo before, but I thought it too perfect not to republish. I could erase it from December 8, 2003 since it is unaccompanied by significant text, but that would be cheating, not that I feel I need to adhere to those blog rules of never editing backwards.

Posted by Dakota at March 23, 2004 06:29 AM