Jack’s Buzz

As all my students, colleagues, and Facebook friends know that I am serving jury duty this month. Everywhere else I’ve lived, jury duty consists of come in, get picked or don’t, go home, get a check for $8-10 in a couple months tucked inside a thank you note.

In New Orleans, however, things are different–who knew? Here, you get vetted and either picked for the pool or cast out in the street. About the only way one is not allowed in the pool is if she or he is currently under indictment for a crime. This is so that none of our elected officials can serve on a jury.

Once one is picked for the jury pool, she or he is given a month to serve. During that month, one is asked to come in eight days and be available to serve on a jury. That’s right, 8 times in an entire month, or about 24 times more often than people who live anywhere else in the world. Here in New Orleans, we want our citizens well-informed on the intricacies of the criminal justice system.

Evidently, we’re the best a managing juries too–people come here from all over the country to observe our jury management system. I am not kidding. Once they know about juries, they very likely go get high on Bourbon Street, but they came here to learn about a noble subject.

Virtually every Xn I tell about my service expresses sympathy and a personal hope that they do not get picked. What?!? Let me get this straight, they’re saying they’d rather have the evidence judged and criminals freed or incarcerated by people who do NOT follow Jesus? (Rant!)
Today, I was picked for my second criminal jury, and for the second time I heard people who are supposed to be following Jesus say that they ought not serve on the jury because they believe in forgiveness and cannot judge anybody. Bad theology folks. TWO FOR TWO. One was a Pastor. (Rant, rant!)

I wanted to holler. Pick me! I will make my city safer. I can judge people’s behavior. I can listen to the facts of a case and base my decision on the rule of law. I can–get this part–render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s. Jesus said that, talking about taxes, but yes (knot-head) it carries to jury duty. Moreover, the Bible teaches us that people who follow God develop wisdom that enables us to judge behavior, which is all a jury does. Do you not think that the Holy Spirit helps us discern truth as well?  Of course He does!
I do not know what motivated my brother and sister in Christ to make their comments. They said, “I believe in forgiveness and giving people a second chance.” Me too, friend, but we’re not talking about getting a guy to heaven. We’re talking about getting violent criminals off the streets. We’re not denying a person a chance to correct his path. We’re talking about giving his neighbors a second chance at a peaceful life.

No wonder people who do not follow Christ think we’re out of touch with reality.  We claim to have the truth, but some of us won’t lift a finger to solve the crime problem. Come on people, learn what the Bible really says, not hw Oprah interprets it. I really want to talk to those two, but I can’t. I made the jury and they did not, praise God!

Rant, rant, rant. I’m done. For today.