So, I’m on the jury, drawn together with a diverse group of 14 Angelenos, 12 jurors and 2 alternates, none of whom I have ever met before, indeed have not even known about the existence of any of these people with whom I will be in close quarters for the better part of the next several work days.
We cannot take about the case — even among ourselves. (We can’t discuss it until we begin our deliberations.) So, here we are, this group of 14 strangers and can’t talk about the one thing we have in common.
Normally, when you go to a conference, oftentimes with people you don’t know and break for coffee and/or lunch, you talk about what you just experienced during the break. But, during our breaks, we have to talk about anything but what we just experienced.
Given that we can’t talk about the trial, we have had a great opportunity to get to know each other. The jury pool (as well as the final jury) is a small scale version of the great diversity that is Los Angeles County. This service offers us Angelenos a rare opportunity to come into contact with the richness that is our region.
This being Los Angeles, we have talked a great deal about movies — and the movie business, noting how tough it is to make it in that industry. And how too many filmmakers today have lost sight of the classic flicks, focusing more on the art of making blockbusters and on theories of screenplay structure than on crafting pictures which appeal to contemporary audiences and address eternal themes of the human heart.
And we’ve discussed politics. I’ve appreciated that those jurors to whom I have come out as a Republican have shown respect for my ideas, with one (at least) even reading this blog while he and another have questioned me thoughtfully about my support for the president, listening to my responses and sharing my criticisms.
I’m grateful that I’m serving with some pretty decent people — and delight in this opportunity to interact with Angelenos whom I would not otherwise met, but for the circumstances of our shared jury duty.
I would guess the biggest topic is our foreign policy.
There was a recent editorial in the WSJ on our role in the World since 9-11 and the Islamic View of the Old Free World as opposed to the Old Soviet Union and their influence during the Cold War. The Soviets never held back when it came to retribution for any incursion into their interests. They were for the most part never troubled by terrorists because of fear for complete retribution . The West has never shown any backbone until George W. Bush. No retribution in Somalia, Lebanon, Kenya, etc. furthered the veiw that we were weak. The Taliban used us against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Then with the end of the Cold War, the Taliban could set their sights on us. We can not use diplomacy to reason with Osama and his cohorts.
Both Tony Blair and Bush in their press conference did not shy away from the threat of Islamic Jihadist terrorism and its potential to inflict damage on the west.
Bush and Blair understand our role in the 21st Century. I am disappointed with Bushes Domestic Programs, but it is his foreign policy that I will support for he understands the big picture, and as his poll numbers go down, I pray that the defeatists from the Left will never have the opportunity to hear us say, “We told you so”.
OT: WBC to Protest at Falwell Funeral”.
Ugh “diversity”
Diversity is such a sham. I made the realization a while ago.
Supposedly “diversity” is such a desirious thing. And what is the defintion of “diversity”.. usually people of different ethnicity.
But what is so significant about being around people with different pigment?
So diversity must mean something else right?
Well we know the Leftist advocates of diversity despise conservatives, so we know that calls for diversity are not calls for diversity of thought.
So now we’re back to skin color… the only way that “diversity” can actually be real is if the people of one color BEHAVE different from people of another color (otherwise, what is the advantage of being diverse if everyone behaves identically?). But how can one’s skin color alone guarentee that one BEHAVES in a sufficiently different way? Does the person undergo obersvation ? No, there isn’t enough time to get to know anything about the person. So the answer must be that from the basis of their color of thier skin alone that it is assumed how they will behave.
So in other words, the only value of diversity is gotton by stereotyping people by the color of their skin.
So Leftist basically promote grouping all people by their skin color and deny any individuality and by this means perputuate racism.
Conservatives should never imbrace any diversity except the diversity achieved by independent thought. (Yes I’m doing the “Think for yourself, and do what I say” paradox)
Why you racist, sexist, bigot homophobe! 😉
You forgot Islamophobe.. That’s my favorite sociopathic dysfunction lately.
#2
Isn’t the Religious Left lovely?
#6
Ooooh! Don’t forget Xenophobe. That came back into fashion during the Dubai dealy and still comes up now and again.
Oh, I didn’t think the Dubai deal was that bad. I used to work in ocean shipping and most of the critics had no idea how a port operates.
#9
I didn’t either. TGCpartner is a former Export Analyst and current Import something-or-other with a major global logistics management and supply chain solutions company. He’s the one that told me that ALL of his containers, from overseas, are inspected by Customs at the Port of Houston and that many times they have to pay demurrage to the port because they are detained by Customs.
Aside from that, though, my self education of container shipping told me the Dubai ports deal wasn’t that big of a deal. At the same time, however, it was funny watching libs and Republicans fall all over each other to kill it. Now, when it comes to immigracion, they could give a sh@t less about our security.
I was supervisor for a steamship line’s Import operation at the Port of Seattle (from Chicago).
All cargo manifests are given to US Customs. They dont physically inspect 100% of the cargo but they examine all the paperwork, invoices, bills of lading, letters of credit , etc.
All a Port Operator did was ensure the efficient operations within the terminal… it hires the union labor crews to operate the port equipment to work the ships and stack the containers and load them on chassis.
They dont handle security. And dont neccessarily have anything to do with the ships calling the port.