Truth, Justice And The American Way

The last few days, I've been sidetracked by jury duty. It's been an education. I have served on one civil case a long while back, but this is a criminal case. Thus, I find myself ensconced in an environment riddled with criminal trial lawyers, police, thieves, and other nefarious characters. Oh, and not to mention your ordinary innocent American citizen doing his or her civic duty.

I do apologize for not being on top of it, but I have to squeeze in the work around the edges. As usual things at the office don't stop because I have been summoned.

One thing that strikes me as odd is the opportunity costs involved in our judicial process. If you add up the number of salaries collected in the room, all gathered to prove or disprove a person's innocence, it seems like a costly endeavor. On the other hand, it’s a small price to pay for truth, justice and the American way. Part of what separates our society from others is this judicial process. And if I can sit and do my part, I've added value.

The point of it, however, as you may have been guessing, is that there is a political twist to this post. Specifically, it appears that for some, the playing field is not level. And, in the end, if justice is unevenly meted out, does that prove our system is working? Of course, there are those who would suggest the system is not perfect, but it’s the best we have. In the end, if justice is served, then we all win, no? Of course, there are others who would suggest, if you really want justice, you should contact the mob; all others are fools.