There are an awful lot of good people who came up with bad circumstances. I agree that poverty and personality (ie, genetics) have a lot to do with crime, but the element of choice is inescapable.
Re: juries, I have to say I think the popular characterization of jurors as the fish too dumb to swim off the hook is ridiculous. I've done jury duty, and it was damned hard to get out of it. The judge turned down everyone who tried to pull the 'I'm too important for this" routine, and most of the medical excuses. Then he chewed them out for wasting his time. It was funny and intimidating at the same time. I personally enjoyed jury duty - not so much in the actual activities, but in the sense that, well, it's one of the few things we're actually asked to do as a citizen. Pay taxes, vote and sentence our fellow man to prison. That's it. If you were Israeli, you'd be expected to serve in the military. I think we have a pretty good deal here.
Re: juries, I have to say I think the popular characterization of jurors as the fish too dumb to swim off the hook is ridiculous. I've done jury duty, and it was damned hard to get out of it. The judge turned down everyone who tried to pull the 'I'm too important for this" routine, and most of the medical excuses. Then he chewed them out for wasting his time. It was funny and intimidating at the same time. I personally enjoyed jury duty - not so much in the actual activities, but in the sense that, well, it's one of the few things we're actually asked to do as a citizen. Pay taxes, vote and sentence our fellow man to prison. That's it. If you were Israeli, you'd be expected to serve in the military. I think we have a pretty good deal here.
