Jury system key to democracy, requires basic civic education
In an age when our civic education comes primarily from salacious scandals presented to us on our televisions think the Clinton impeachment, the 2000 election, or the Scott Peterson trial it comes as little surprise that many young people feel disconnected from the fundamentals of our democracy.
Occasionally polls indicate many young people would have no problems scrapping the Bill of Rights. And participation in our civic institutions seems to be at an historic low, even with the surge of patriotism after 9-11.
The right to a jury trial and the privilege of serving on a jury are bedrock elements of a free society. Collective assessment of guilt and innocence is part of the social evolution of humanity from the viscidities of mob rule and the capriciousness of Caesars and dictators to the modern, albeit flawed, system we enjoy in this country.
Originating in ancient Egypt, honed in the Greco-Roman era, and refined in Britain and the United States, (and other places) over the centuries, the jury system is central to democracy because it is the most rudimentary aspect of self-government.
Key to the perpetuation of a healthy jury system and to self-government in general is the nurturing of an educated populace. Often when we are frustrated with the results of a jury we tend to blame the system, instead of blaming ourselves for allowing our society to drift away from social consciousness, personal accountability, and that key quality of discernment that springs from an educated mind.
Perhaps the motto of the Bakersfield College Foundation could serve as a motto for us all: "Only the Educated are Free." A functional jury system is central to democracy and requires a basic civic education to work properly!
Randall Beeman is a history professor at Bakersfield College.
