Walk a Mile in My Shoes

A black woman was found guilty of child abuse leading to the death of her child. Her husband, speaking to the media after the trial, claimed that his wife did not get a fair trial with a jury of her peers because there were no blacks on the jury. Had there been at least one person of color, s/he could have explained black culture to the rest of the jurors, leading (of course) to a verdict of not guilty.

We all share what’s called the human condition, a set of circumstances that bring us commonality, that make us peers. Our individual uniqueness does not separate us from our commonalities; it simply broadens the definition of one's self in relationship to others. Peers are not cookie-cutter copies of one another, but a common bond of the traits that we share. Underneath the outer shell, we are peers, one who has equal standing with others.

I guess if I ever have to go to trial I may feel differently and demand a jury of my peers: a white septuagenarian female, divorced, retired schoolteacher with both a BA and a MS, mother of two, grandmother of one. After all, unless you’ve walked in my white female shoes, you cannot know my journey.