My Mixed Up World

A Gentleman of the Jury

Sometime ago, I got called to do jury duty. For a while I debated whether I should try to beat the rap or be a good citizen and do my duty. Well, I figured that since I never had the adventure of being on a jury, I’ll find out what it is all about.

First thing that happened was that I was herded with fifty people into a small room. We were mindful of some fancy instructions given us by a Judge and we all were dutiful; but it was up to us to figure out some kind of pastime to while away the hours.

To combat the ensuing boredom, some of the men got themselves started into a pitch card game and they were having much fun laughing and shouting as one or the other failed to “shoot the moon.” Maybe I’m odd, but this insipid simple game bores me and so I sougt other diversion.

Recently there was a story in the papers that the late Martin Luther King was a sexy guy. This all came about because the FBI found out when they were checking on him to find out if he had Communist connections.

Now people who are on Martin Luther King’s side are all het up about this expose; yet I see not much wrong as many religious leaders were pretty sexy too.

It’s all natural behaviour of people, animals, and bugs etc. And the Bible which most of us claim as the source of our morality has old patriarchs in all kinds of sexy hanky panky.

Abraham and Jacob had wives and handmaidens. Later on King David schemed even to have adultery with Bathsheba, his trusting General Uriah’s wife. He then saw that Uriah got killed in a battle.

I went to a local Ethical Society meeting to hear a well known atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair. The Ethical Society is a kind of a high-brow group which has church services every Sunday just like other religions.

I found Madalyn to be a persuasive speaker and though she’s got degrees from Universities she talks plain and sometimes a bit earthy.

She said that she hates atheists. Though there are more atheists in this country than Catholics, she said they let the Catholics get away with a lot of stuff.

It’s a distinction to be an atheist, she said. History’s greatest people such as Einstein, Madame Curie, Clarence Darrow, Florence Nightingale, and Edison were all atheists. To this I could add Sigmund Freud.

Right off I got to say that I'm against busing kids to school on account kids ought to walk and work more for their own good. Busing uses energy unnecessarily, herds kids into gangs, and deprives them of healthy exercise.

So how'na hell did we get in this mess?

It all began after the Revolution in '76 when all people were declared free and equal. This was tough to put in effect and so a Civil War had to be fought to affirm the free and equal idea.

So when the Supreme Court got stuck with the free and equal idea in education they had to come out for busing to achieve integration. The Court was bound to catch hell from most everybody because the human animal is a contradictory mess.

We went to the SNPJ Lodge 5 Naprej Valentine dinner-dance at the St. Clair Slovene Home and we had a helluva nice time. It was a very happy crowd and most of us danced to closing time.

We started off with a real good eatin' put together by Mrs. Zaller and many aides. The meals were set up in the lower hall as the upper hall was cleared mainly for dancing. A few tables were set up off to the side but there was lots of space for dancing and all that space was being used up.

The idea of using upper and lower halls for an occasion like a Valentine dance initiated by Lodge 5 is a good one, and when any group expects a big turnout that's how it ought to be done.

I got an uncomplimentary note from a person who insinuated that I ought to frivolously go dancing with my missus rather than be commenting on the serious business of the SNPJ. The writer also adds that I ought to untangle myself from my mixed up world and see what is happening to our society meaning SNPJ. I'm well aware that most people look on dancing as silly, but I can't help pointing out its virtues. When one is dancing, one can't help smiling and feeling good, and we desperately need more of this kind of feeling. However, lets dwell on SNPJ principles and our dedication to improving the workers' lot which my critic feels are an issue.

Our 1st vice president of our SNPJ, Dennis Eckart, got himself on TV talking about the newly enacted law allowing bingo for charity purposes. For just a newly elected law-maker, that was making him look like an upstart by some of these old hands in the legislature. He made some suggestions which would keep bingo strictly for charity rather than to let it get out of hand the way it seems to be.

For my part, I don't much care if there are any laws about gambling. A fool and his money are soon parted, and if it's not allowed in our state, guys will go to Las Vegas and come back boasting or crying how they lost their shirts.

Though Max Kumer wrote a good argument against the resolution adopted by the convention which prohibits any one 65 years old to run for the Executive Committee, I feel it was a timely and wise thing to do.

A socialist or anyone who wants to be for a well-ordered society ought to promote a policy of when one can get into gainful employment and when one ought to gracefully bow out.

This policy is particularly needed now when it seems we're stuck with peace as the nuclear weapons are making big wars obsolete. Up until these times, wars solved unsolvable problems. Back in the days gone by, there were hard times with unemployment growing; and, when a war was declared, all at once everybody was needed.

I must agree with Mrs. Chris Weeder who added this note to a Xmas card we got during the holidays: "Just read your article about Xmas cards and I said to myself: Sit yourself down and send them one. Remember there are people who are alone, and need someone to say, I thought of you today. A warm feeling and a communion of friendship goes between two people when a card is sent. I hope to spend more time visiting people when we retire as we all need a kind thought or word once in a while."

I have got to agree with the sentiment expressed by Chris. And when the missus asked if we should send Xmas cards I said go ahead and send to them who send to us, and so we did. Anyhow, that's her department.