GUILTY (Jury Duty part 2)

In my last post about my civic duty, I shared with you my own deep seeded and horrible prejudice when I told you that "Guilty" was my first thought upon seeing the defendant whose fate I could have potentially played a part in.

As one who "knows better" and firmly believes that one can not be judged on the color of their skin or the style of their hair, the clothes they wear or their religion, I was shocked by my own thoughts. Which clearly meant I had some thinking to do.

Guilty or not, there was no reason for me to think such a thought without even knowing what the man (boy, really) had been accused. It's likely that many have looked at this man over the years and thought similar thoughts, and thus this man, who may have had potential, was never able to see the opportunities in front of him.

What's worse? Other potential jurors had the same thought.

So what do we do? We know that having prejudice is wrong, on so many levels and yet on some level, it exists within us all. If injustice lies deep within my own heart, how can I also be the one who fights for justice?