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February 15, 2005
Legend's View:
Power of the people
Many students at MCC have a sense of duty.
There is duty in the sense of a moral obligation. There is the duty to
work to pay bills. There is duty to attend classes and do homework, to
graduate and make a better life for themselves.
There is duty in the sense of a legal obligation: the duty of respecting
others, honoring laws and paying taxes. And the duty of following rules
for probation, child support or any other legal obligation.
All of these duties are individual duties. They have a small bearing on
the world around us. These duties are necessary. But in all of these duties,
the greatest benefit is primarily to the student.
These duties have rewards: money, better grades, a lack of tickets ...
all personal benefits that spill over to other people.
A child matures into an adult. But an adult can also mature, becoming
someone greater and more powerful. They can have an effect that is much
wider than would be thought, simply by actively participating in society.
Jury duty. These words strike fear and frustration into some hearts. Fear,
because it is an unknown to a person who hasn’t participated in
that duty. Frustration because of the “loss” of freedom determining
what our day will be.
The day a citizen turns 18 years old, acquires a license, or registers
to vote, they are entered into the lottery of potential jurors.
When a person is called upon to perform Jury duty, the only exemptions
are for mental incompetence, or for a convicted felon whose civil rights
have not been restored. Some excuses are allowed, but primarily the court
will only allow postponement.
It could be argued that serving on a jury is a sacrifice. Yes, in some
ways it is. The daily pay is abysmal; the mileage allowance wouldn’t
pay for a bus ticket, and the inability to do a normal day’s work
is completely gone.
However, it’s the 12 ordinary people who sacrifice their time and
plans that wield power far greater than those who shirk their duty.
Those who serve on a jury are given the opportunity to perform a much-needed
protection to others.
A jury has the ability to condemn a criminal or exonerate an innocent
person. A jury has the voice and duty to convey to Legislators, loudly
and clearly, which laws are inappropriate.
In the life of an ordinary citizen, serving their country—and state
and city—is putting back into the community something that benefits
everyone. Aside from voting, serving on a jury is one of the most effective
ways that regular people can also tell the government what we want.
And should you ever get put in a position where you need a jury, wouldn’t
you want an ordinary citizen who’s willing to give back to the community?
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