I recently got summoned to serve my country on jury duty. I was summoned about twenty years ago as well, but I actually had my doctor write me an excuse, which is an option if you have certain symptoms like I do. I had him write an excuse that time mostly because of my learning differences, specifically my short attention span, and also because of my scoliosis, which makes it hard to sit or stand for long periods. All that being said, I have come to realize that the more you learn of life, the more conscious you become, and since that first summons I have learned a lot. I have become more conscious that when you serve on jury duty, you are responsible for possibly putting an innocent person in prison, and I actually think that this process of the everyday person serving their country is a little silly.
If you think about it, the government is telling us that we have to be a part of this summoned group of people who have not been specifically trained or learned anything special, then make a life-altering decision for someone else. Anyone can be a part of this group, even if they don’t have a good enough education to understand the judicial system or even have a basic understanding of right and wrong. It’s just one of the many reasons why we need better education and more equality for people with learning differences in this country. I have come to the conclusion that I think jury duty should be an occupation for members of the judicial system and/or students of the law so that they can make the most reasonable decisions possible for those with their lives on the line. Plus, if you choose not to show up on your court date when you are summoned, you are threatened by your own government to pay a fine of $1,000 and possibly face a judge, where you will be judged for simply making a free choice.