Ink Splatters

I finally gave up and submitted to jury duty. I was assigned, and attended, on Monday, March 4.

It was less painful than I feared. Blair County Judge Daniel J. Milliron kept things moving. He tolerated only minimal delays from attorneys and defendants, clearly explained to the jury pool what was going on and added occasional touches of wry humor. The result was that we were done by 5:37 p.m., with four juries selected.

I am not on any of them. It turns out that lawyers do not want newspaper publishers on their jury.

I am being snarky here. I have received multiple jury duty summons over the past few years. Each time, I would dutifully write a letter to the jury commissioner pointing out that I’m the co-owner and publisher of a newspaper, a sworn police officer and a small business owner. As such, I am unlike to be selected.

Each time, the jury commissioner would respond that I would be excused this time but not the next time. Eight weeks later, I would get another red-white-and-blue jury summons in the mail.

I finally decided that if I just went ahead and presented myself for jury duty and endured the waiting and the inevitable rejections, maybe I would be moved to the bottom of the list and would not be summoned again for some time.

Freedom isn’t free

Don’t get me wrong. I have no objection to serving on a jury. I was hoping to actually make it onto a jury. I believe that I would find jury service interesting and rewarding. Before you call me crazy, let me explain. There’s an important point here.

There’s an expression, “Freedom isn’t free.” This saying reminds us that our freedom as a country comes with a cost. That cost is the lives, limbs, eyes and mental health of the young men and women that we send into combat against our enemies.

I am a strong supporter of the United States military. My son is a nuclear mechanic in the U.S. Navy and will soon be reporting for duty on a submarine. I fully supported his decision to enlist and I had no illusions about what he was in for.

Whether our soldiers, sailors, Marines or airmen are the tip of the spear or supporting those who are the tip, each and every one of them pledged his or her life to protecting the United States. The risk of them coming home after losing life, limb or mental health is the price we pay.

Democracy isn’t free

Democracy works the same way. It’s not free. There’s a price that must be paid, and it’s up to us, the civilians, to pay it. (We’ve asked enough of the men and women of our military.)

The price for democracy is jury duty, informed voting and support of local government.

Yes, that’s right. I firmly believe that if you enjoy democracy and all that follows, then it is plainly and inarguably your duty to report for jury duty, to inform yourself and vote in every election and to maintain at least a minimal awareness of what your local government is doing.

If you’ve ever been summoned for jury duty, then you’ve probably heard these words from the judge in charge. He or she probably said something to you about jury duty being the foundation of either the United States justice system or of democracy itself. Amen to either. Both are correct.

If you duck jury duty, and don’t vote because you’re “too busy” and only pay attention to your local government when it wants to raise your taxes, then you are part of the problem.

Cynicism doesn’t get you out of it, either. You can only change the system if you engage. Stop making excuses and do your duty.

Put your phone down

We’re having a hard enough time talking to each other today. We insist on filtering our interactions with other people through these little glowing networked rectangles that allow us to present ourselves as perfect and to instantly judge others with no context.

Call me crazy (again) but maybe that’s part of why we have so much trouble with rational political discussions.

So, what could be more supportive of democracy than sitting as a peer to determine the facts of a legal case and discussing the matter openly and calmly with 11 other people who may or may not agree with you?

Change my mind: the price we pay for democracy is jury duty, informed voting and participation in local government.

Thanks for reading.

Author’s Note: The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. They are not necessarily that of the Morrisons Cove Herald, its employees or its advertisers. They might not even be shared by the Herald co-owner, my wife.

Responsible responses are welcome. Please email them to news@mcheralonline.com or send to 113 N. Market St., Martinsburg 16662.