Would you fight for his right?

     Would you be willing to stand up to the masses?  Would you be able to stand up to 11 angry jurors?  That is exactly what Juror 8 did in "12 Angry Men."  "12 Angry Men" follows 12 jurors who are having a difficult time reaching a unanimous verdict on a murder case.  Juror 8 stands up against the 11 other jurors, who all vote guilty, to show them how the defendant may potentially be innocent.  The evidence that is presented to the jury is circumstantial, and juror 8 wants the defendant to have a fair deliberation.

     

     When called to serve Jury Duty most people do not jump for joy.  Serving on a jury was not always a privelage granted to all people.  In "12 Angry Men" we notice the jury is made up of all white men.  Women and men of other nationalities had to fight for their right to serve jury duty.  However, in current times most people see serving on a jury as tedious and inconvenient.  In the article "Another White Race: Mexican Americans and the Paradox of Whiteness in Jury Selection" written by Clare Sheridan, the reader follows a case that descriminated against Mexican Americans.  Although Mexican Americans were classified as white, they were still not allowed to serve on a jury (Sheridan 1992). 

     

     Although women and minorities fought hard to have equal rights, specifically to serve on a jury, did it really pay off?  The articles do not discuss how many people were excited when called to jury duty, even though all of their hard work paid off.  Would our ancestors be terribly disappointed in all of us now, knowing how we feel about jury duty?