And I’m Proud to Be an American, Where at Least I Know I’m…Green?
Not a year since I registered to vote, I was called for jury duty. Maybe because this was my first call or because I am still young and optimistic, I sincerely looked forward to being a part of our country’s democratic judicial process. I could not but help feel proud that I live in a country that values its citizens so that anyone, of any age, ethnicity, religion, or income-level can have the power to decide a judicial outcome.
So what happened to me in all my glory? I sat for several hours, was never called for an interview by the trial’s lawyers, and was released with the words, “Thank you for serving your duty. Don’t come back for at least eight years.”
Disappointed as I was, especially since I met people who couldn’t wait to leave, I accepted that there are many legitimate reasons why I was not called for an interview. At the same time, I felt unfulfilled as an American, whose sense of duty goes a little more than sitting around all day.
This got me to thinking about what comprises an American citizen’s national duty? If many of us still view the U.S. as “the world’s colossus, the indispensable power, the new Rome, the twenty-first-century empire…” (Sachs, 271), and believe deeply in justice and room for innovation, why is it that we rarely hear “I am an environmentalist because it is my duty as an American”? Is it not yet understood that pursuing a safer planet for all is part of our American values and roles as citizens?
I have no doubt that there is a strong connection between possessing a Jewish identity that calls on me to be a steward of the Earth and having a strong Jewish-environmental movement, which work hand in hand to increasingly encourage and support my environmental actions.
The government asked me to serve my country by being a non-partisan arbiter of justice, and let me down. No wonder people go to jury duty with dread rather than excitement! What I think Americans need is for our country to ask us to care for the planet and follow through particular programs and initiatives. Then, we can all go about pursuing an American ethic of environmental responsibility with the pride I had felt when first entering the courthouse.
