Duty, Privilege and Honor

"every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty"- John D.Rockefeller Jr

In casual social circles these words are no longer commonly heard or uttered. If one does use these words, the folks standing around are apt to stand a little stiffer and mutter a platitude, others may shuffle uncomfortably.

I have almost completed thirty days of jury duty. We, a grand jury of seven, have completed the review and assessment of 130 major person-to-person felonies.We voted to indict most of them after hearing the evidence, watching the videos, examining the pictures, and questioning witnesses and victims. These cases included a tragic and appalling number of child sex abuse and pornography crimes, aggravated assaults, and severe examples of habitual domestic violence. These were in addition to several armed robberies, home invasions, and one officer involved killing. In spite of the rawness and sickening graphic-ness of these cases, the victims and the witnesses; I have been left in awe. I find myself wanting to wax poetic with these words--- duty, honor, and privilege . A few times I've expressed, or tried to, the depth and extent of my pride in our system, in our police force, and in our citizenry choosing to participate in this intense experience.

Maybe its because my attempts at sharing my experience have been clumsy. Perhaps my friends and family are uncomfortable with these topics as being just too painful. The cases are decided and details aren't to be shared, but I find the reticence I've seen in many to hear about the world around us unfortunate and troubling. Most of the people I talk with admit to watching programs which include stories similar in character to those reviewed by the grand jury, "Law and Order", and "CSI" among others present these stories as entertainment and are popular in prime time. But few want to hear abut these stories in their true setting, without a crisp and final solution at its end. Many have informed me of their efforts to avoid jury duty by deferring or making excuses to avoid serving if called.

It is true. The victims, and the offenders, flaunt pain and evil making it difficult to sleep some nights. However, the existence of the evil horrific images not created by TV directors reveal more than their own evil.

There is another way to look at this real world though. In this gritty world we live, evil and pain provide nourishment for profound acts of kindness, as well. The pain clearly present in the thirteen year old hooker confessing her two years on the streets, or the woman kept in violent dehumanizing bondage for seven years, was softened by concerned police, compassionate volunteers, social services staff, and courageous witnesses and involved bystanders. The District Attorneys work with deliberate commitment to our system of justice, practice a personal discipline in efforts to balance their lives with beauty. One assistant DA paints beautiful pictures, another revels in his children. While working, the 80 assistance district attorneys working in Multnomah County of Oregon relentlessly pursue justice, but they also treat the victims with compassion and with respect. They exercise this compassion although they have no illusions and freely accept the clay in the feet of those they interview. Then there are the volunteers working for CHIERS to provide warmth and comfort to the homeless, mentally ill and chronically sick with alcoholism, addiction, and desperation.

I think we feel uncomfortable when confronted with the evil in our world for many reasons beyond the ugliness of the images. We feel humbled by the huge scope of evil so far beyond the ability of isolated individuals to rectify.

In spite of the ugly horror of the crimes I learned about, or the apathy and reticence of many average citizens I was also impressed by so many. In those halls of justice God's Grace is vibrantly revealed as well as our shame. The shame we as members of the community should feel when confronted with the palpable evil we have allowed to proliferate.

POSTSCRIPT O by the way, during jury duty one can get a great deal of knitting accomplished. Completed one pair or socks, one triangle scarf and 1/2 of a Central Park Hoodie Cardigan.