Jury Duty

I strive to be a positive person and can usually take lemons and make the sweetest lemonade.  In other words, it takes a lot to get my tail feathers ruffled – but ruffled they now are!  I feel compelled to share (and yes VENT) my frustration about a situation I was in recently and also to advocate for others in the same situation but even less fortunate than me.  This rant is about the PROCESS of jury selection.  I fully realize, recognize, and respect that jury duty is a great civil duty and responsibility.  So please don’t rush to judge/hate on me.  I am cognizant of the fact that many people in other places in the world don’t have the freedoms we do - or the opportunity to be a public servant or to serve on a jury.  So… I don’t take this issue lightly – I have served the public for 30 + years in my career.  Serving on a jury is a very important and necessary right in this country.  I suppose I will be thankful in the long run that I got to experience the “process” – but right now is NOT the long run.  Right now I get to voice my opinion.  In the old days, when you got selected for jury duty it was because you registered to vote in that particular county.   I was recently informed that now the process is done using driver’s license records.  If I had known then what I know now – I might have never registered to vote OR applied for a driver’s license. But seriously, I am all about participating in the process.  I am all about being involved in community.  But I also think things should be done using common sense and with fairness.   I have been partially handicapped for 16 years.  The what and the where of my accident and the number of surgeries I have had doesn’t matter – but the fact that I can no longer function as an able-bodied ‘regular’ person DOES matter.  Or, it should.  Last week about 100 people showed up at the session I attended for jury duty orientation.  About 10 of us were on walkers or in wheelchairs and about another 20 or so wanted to be excused.  If one wanted to be excused (for whatever reason) they had to stay until everyone else was “processed” and go up individually to speak with the Judge.  Ultimately, I was excused from jury duty because of poor mobility and other health and work related issues.  What my main concern is about - is all those other folks.  Of all the handicapped citizens that showed up I, [undoubtedly] had to be the youngest and the most able-bodied.  (I know, that’s a scary thought, right?)  It honestly took everything in me to get to the location early to get a handicapped parking space, stand in line to get in the building (which is difficult because it is hard for me to stand very long), go through the security check points (and watch in embarrassment as all the bells and whistles go off as they always do when I go through them, wait on an elevator to go up, wait (again) for the courtroom to be unlocked, and then F-I-N-A-L-L-Y the doors fly open and it’s a free-for-all to get to a seat in the courtroom. --- All this may sound like no big deal to you - but if you could imagine trying to ‘do it’ physically challenged  – you might not be so quick to dismiss it as a genuine hardship. ---The next thing we learn at orientation is that we were not to bring cell phones into the building. {Can’t believe I did something right on the front end by leaving mine in the car – but - One fellow expressed out loud that particular information should have been included in the paperwork we received in the mail a week ahead of time!  He further said how he had walked several blocks from where he parked and NOW had to walk BACK to leave his phone – suffice it to say - he was NOT happy!  {And as a result of many having to return to their vehicles to put their phones away – we were delayed another 15 minutes getting started.}  Finally, we were instructed about the “process” and eventually told that those requesting to be excused would have to wait UNTIL THE END OF THE SESSION until EVERYONE ELSE had been “processed” and had exited the building.  Then, we “get to” get in (yet another) line and approach the judge one at a time to plead our case, so to speak- pun intended.  Bottom line….THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY, FOLKS. WHY ARE THE DISABLED CONTINUALLY CALLED FOR JURY DUTY?  ISN’T THERE SOME LIST WE CAN BE PUT ON – LIKE A ‘DO NOT CALL’ LIST?  It could be flagged that this person is disabled and therefore will be excused on the FRONT END instead of the VERY BACK END.  Or better yet – why not remove these names from the data base altogether?  OR AT THE VERY LEAST, have a staff person designated to “vett” potential jurors.  It’s not like most of our physical conditions are going to change.  I was mentally and physically exhausted after sitting in the courtroom 3 ½ hours.  I had a death grip on my walker during the waiting time and had to pry my fingers apart because they were numb, asleep, and sweating profusely.  I could have gone home and to bed but I made it to work.  I work very hard and am not lazy.  Some might have gone on disability 16 years ago but I wanted to continue to work and [thankfully] had a job that allowed me to do that.  But I am older and wiser now – I should be able to retire and draw disability – but that is another story for another blog.  Just thought some of my friends and family who are lawyers and judges might weigh in with ideas/suggestions/clarifications about the process or advice to share.

Would You Like Fries With That?

How do you like your wings?

Bone in or bone out?  Batter fried, breaded, baked, broasted, broiled, dry, grilled, gourmet, slow-cooked, stir-fried, smoked, or NAKED?  Or do you have other ideas?  Do you like your wings smothered in sauce or sauce on the side?  And speaking of sauce, do you like your sauce sweet, teriyaki, Caribbean jerk, Chipotle, lemon pepper, traditional buffalo, traditional BBQ, garlic-parmesan, honey, BLAZING, (i.e. BURN  YOUR MOUTH OFF HOT), salt and vinegar or hot sauce?  And, if you like yours with hot sauce - what KIND of hot sauce?  Louisiana style, Tabasco, or Habanero?  And, do you prefer wingettes, drummettes, or tips?  Who.Knew.There.Was.So.Much.To.Consider!?   

Since I'm asking you what you like - here's what I like:  I like the wingettes only and I like mine grilled, baked, or slow-cooked.  I like mild buffalo sauce and/or Louisiana Hot Sauce.  And sometimes I like the sauce on them but most of the time I get it on the side.  When I eat wings - I only want wings - no side dishes for me!  I don't eat wings often but when I do I guess you'd say I have a wing-fest!  Or feast. 

Picture Courtesy of:  lordofthewings.blogspot.com