jury duty

When I saw the title of an article from CNN called A journalist's view from the jury box, I was set to read a negative review of the author's experience within a court house, being forced to perform his or her "civic duty." What I read when I got to the story was another matter:

Most importantly, the system permitted a jury of a citizen's peers -- not some government bureaucrat, secret police squad or dictator -- to weigh the evidence. I could have easily blown off jury duty, as so many people do. I'm glad I didn't.

Many people look at jury duty as something that should be avoided. I like to look at it as a chance to exercise a right that might be an example of democracy at its finest. Ordinary people, like you and I, get to look at the facts surrounding a case involving real people, and make decisions that have profound effects upon people's lives, liberty, and property. When we vote, we are choosing a representative. When we run for office, we often have to yield to the will of our constituents. When we serve as a juror, we shape our society.