Beth and I spent yesterday afternoon with friends in the suburbs—breezy sunny weather, burgers on the grill, lots of great conversation and good company. At one point, those of us of a certain age bemoaned the overwhelming number of streaming services offering an overwhelming number of streaming programming.
Our friend Joe pined for the days when there were maybe five channels. And that nearly all of us watched certain shows (All in the Family, e.g.), and that it made for easy water cooler discussions. (The most popular streaming shows get a fraction of the audience of the most popular network shows of the day.)
All the “it was better back then” stuff aside, it did occur to me that in today’s America, there are very, very few common experiences. We can segregate ourselves a thousand different ways—where we get our information, where we get entertainment, where we live. And, the ranks of the generation that experienced the great depression and WWII are thinning.
In any case, it’s easier to avoid people who aren’t like ourselves than ever. And I think that’s a factor in our overall national polarization.
All this reminded me of a stint of jury duty I served a couple weeks ago. I was called by Cook County as a backup juror and as it happens, I was selected. It was an inconvenience, yes, but I’ve actually been called a few times and never have been able to serve. Because of one crisis or health issue or another, I haven’t been able to. And I wanted to.
I’ll save the details—it was a civil suit and something of a study in human behavior that, despite it being a sort of mundane matter, was weirdly compelling.
And inspiring.
I served with a woman CTA bus driver (who liked having a break from that work), a fund raiser for veterans, a U of I student on summer break, an Asian American who apologized for his choppy English, to name a few. Every one of us was respectful to one another, listened carefully throughout the proceedings, and deliberations were totally civilized. Beyond that, the County Sheriff’s officers were incredibly polite and kind over our nearly week together.
I’ve always thought mandatory service for 18 year olds would be good for the country, service where people have to rub elbows and work with people they didn’t pick out of the lineup. That’s probably a longshot; until then we have jury duty.
You’re on to something, Mike. I thought this would happen in the workplace. And maybe did for some people. It did for me, working with a much more diverse population than I grew up with. Great story about jury duty. Not only are people consuming media that confirms their biases, they are sorting themselves by moving to regions that include people who think like them. This is not good for democracy. Thanks for the thought-provoking essay.
MIke, I read about your jury experience with great interest. Several years ago, after many false calls, I was empaneled on a jury and had a horrible experience. I’ll spare the details, but I do believe it is something that matters deeply. What I most liked about your description is how you related to the other jurors. That also happened to me and it was the most awesome part of the whole event. I guess I am lucky, because I live in a building that is multicultural and multiracial, where we socialize in a way that is unique in today’s world. How beautiful it would be to think that everyone could have such a liberating and loving community.
Ok. Once again. You. Are. Reading. My. Mind. And not only that–you’ve recorded a conversation I had yesterday. This is brilliant tho–jury duty is such a good example. “Fitz” on Netflix, is hilarious. HOWEVER, not everyone thinks so. Which is another degradation of common experience. Remember when we all thought the same things were funny? Well, except for Monty Python.
Thank you Mike, your words today are a wonderful reminder that we could, that we can do it. Lucky for the U of I to share your experience.
Nice piece. I loved the logical flow.
Hoping to get that jury duty request.
Good explanation of why we segregate “in the crowd.” Maybe we need “mandatory jury duty” or something similar gathering with people distinct from us.
Hi Mike, new here, referred by one of Beth’s students. My father and brother (who both served in the military) have long advocated for national service. Now, as the father of a recent HS graduate who chose becoming an EMT over going to college, and has been on the receiving end of a couple of classist comments about his choice, I fully agree with your proposal. I think a common American experience at 18 would go a long way to unify our country and foster understanding across diverse populations. The immediate challenge, of course, would be to make sure kids with powerful and connected parents don’t get them the ‘plum’ resume-building public service jobs while leaving the unconnected to do everything else. (Yes, I’m a cynic).
Thanks for your service. And for this thoughtful comment.
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