I was called for jury duty yesterday--consternation ensued

[calimary]

45. MAN! FABULOUS! Impressive, librechik!

Last edited Tue Nov 18, 2014, 01:40 PM - Edit history (1)

Plant the seeds. Stack the Legos. Chip away at the wall. It only takes one to get something started. Wow - just think: you all by yourself have more backbone, and bigger balls, than we see in most of the inhabitants of Capitol Hill - male OR female.

Rereading the other comments here - some of them are indeed quite valid (the "you should have stayed" ones) and I can appreciate the strategy behind them immensely! Being a subversive thinker myself, I can easily go that way. However, I still like what you did. You didn't just influence a potential jury. Your comments in open court like that - influenced EVERYBODY THERE. Potential jurors and others. You saw for yourself how there were some 20 others who, when asked, showed they felt the same way you did. Which I'm sure was illuminating to the judge and everyone else in court.

THE WORST PART OF THIS IS THE FEELING OF BEING ALONE. Probably everyone who raised his/her hand in agreement with your stated feelings was as nervous and shaky as you were. But now we know that in that courtroom there were many who share your view. EVERYBODY in that courtroom knew. I suspect there were a few more who also agreed but were reluctant to say so openly. This is, after all, a viewpoint against the big "just say no" machine that's dominated our country for years and forced upon us drug policies about which you presented very legitimate objections.

Sometimes, all it takes is to know somebody else shares your views or your feelings. You may have liberated and empowered others in that courtroom who heard your assertive comments - and maybe next time, THEY might feel motivated to speak up, too. Because they just found out THEY aren't alone in feeling that way, either. You may have started a little something!