Not sure if you ever had the privilege to be called upon to serve on jury before, but I recently was called to do so. I must admit it was the first time I actually had to show up for service. 
Personally it is something I’ve tried to avoid. Time, boredom, or just having too much exposure to too many Perry Mason episodes has influenced my behavior towards the system. I’ve also felt that there is a conflict of interest within our judicial system; lawyers can become judges and judges can become lawyers. If one could not become the other, I think perhaps then I may change my viewpoint. But, both groups play off one another and help perpetuate their existence and compensation. Nothing really wrong with that, that’s just the way the system operates. So as I wait to hear if I’m to be selected, I await in a room with my fellow citizens, all who are quietly watching TV or reading to themselves. No one is engaged in any small talk, just a waiting room quiet with the TV on for background noise. Just sitting and waiting for something to happen. And ironically that’ all that happens. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Quite a let down, but honestly I was relieved that I was not called upon to serve. Jury duty is probably the most direct democratic participation we have in this country. No other country offers a jury of your peers to decide the outcome of case. You the citizen decides the outcome of a trial. No government agency, no powerful corporation, just you the citizen. It is one of the best things we have besides voting. It can be a pain in the ass to serve, but it is a part of our democracy that I would not do away with.
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