THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512190079
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 113 lines
There has been considerable talk about taking television out of the courtroom. Here is another idea. Leave the television in the courtroom and take the jury out.
In any high profile case, like the O.J. Simpson trial, or the upcoming trial of the Oklahoma City bombers, or any trial that is expected to take months to complete, leave the TV cameras in and take the jury out. Record the trial on videotape.
Do it like this: Have only the judge, the lawyers, the court personnel, the defendant and TV cameras in the courtroom.
The attorneys would give their opening statements to the camera. Then the trial should be conducted on videotape with no jury present. At the end of the trial, the lawyers and the judge would edit the tape and remove all matters that were of no concern to the jury. Take out sidebars, anything that was objected to and sustained, and any other antics that are improper or otherwise not for the jury's consumption.
Then bring the jury in. Do things like taking them to the crime scene and so forth. Show them the edited video. Have the attorneys give their closing arguments to the jury.
The jury could then be sequestered to make their decision. They could deliberate only what they were supposed to see and hear.
That would mean that the time they are in attendance could be greatly reduced. The costs of housing them and feeding them and the lost time from their jobs would be far less. It would be less expensive for the state. The ``Big One'' took up way too much of the jury's time while lawyers were wrangling during sidebars and for other things the jury did not need to partake of. That was time many prospective jurors couldn't afford, thus limiting our choices.
Actually, the jury selection could be made during or after the trial. But before the closing arguments.
Ray L. Manley
West SeaView Avenue Corporations not human
Regarding the MacArthur Center and the USS John C. Stennis, both are products of America's corporate citizens - The Taubman Co. and Tennaco Inc. These products represent a way of life where human citizens are subservient on wages - a job holder and a job giver society. The free market can never be free with human labor a commodity for sale on it.
We are propagandized into thinking we need both this aircraft carrier and the mall. The recent opening of the gates of the Naval Air Station to the public was seen by the mayor of Norfolk as a relationship of marriage, of family. Do we really believe faceless entities can have humanlike relationships?
Corporations have a way of trying to be human, but like their creator, the state, they will always be anti-human and anti-Christ until the day we stand up at the city council meeting and demand our citizenship back from the usurper.
That will be the day The Taubman Co. and Tenneco Inc. are put in their rightful place in God's kingdom by God's people.
Ronald A. Miller
West 38th Street A trolley of a thought
City Council, who gave us dear Nauticus, is sniffing at things to be sought for us. They'll get us a trolley, compounding their folly, which you and I know will do naught for us!
Nanette Emanuel
Monterey Avenue Meaning of Christmas
Few Americans believe that the Latin translation of ``Christmas'' is ``plentiful gift giving.''
Why?
Because it's a ludicrous statement, a farce, a lie. Contrary to the compulsion of Americans and the people around the world who celebrate Christmas in a frenzy of expensive gift buying and gift exchanging, the truth of Christmas has nothing to do with dollars and cents, crowded shopping malls and premature holiday sale announcements that appear in store windows weeks before our Thanksgiving turkeys become leftover turkey sandwiches, turkey hash, turkey pot pie, turkey gumbo and so forth.
Dec. 25 is Jesus Christ's birthday - not Macy's, Sears' or JCPenney's.
In October, my mother celebrated another ``fiftysomething'' birthday. With her particular tastes in mind, I tailored a birthday celebration consisting of all the things that she loves. I gathered the family, and we showered her with our most genuine expressions of love. Her six grandchildren wrote her personal notes on cards made from construction paper.
The four siblings performed a slightly off-key rendition of our mom's favorite song, ``Just the Way You Are'' by Isaac Hayes. My father, a retired chef, prepared and served her favorite meal, surf and turf, on her favorite china. The tears of joy that welled up in her eyes communicated ``job well done!''
For those of you who know Christ, when is the last time you considered him in the preparation of his birthday celebration or consulted the Bible about what really pulled his heartstrings? Do we actually believe that his command would be to shop for our brother until we drop?
To the contrary, Christ did not esteem materialism. His message was about loving and fulfilling needs. There are a myriad of ways to emulate Christ's ministry outside of a mall. In scripture, Christ's gifts were based on need. He fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick, comforted the poor at heart, spent quality time with those he loved - and finally gave his life for a world of lost souls.
Those are the thoughtful gifts that remind me of the heart of Christ.
When you celebrate his birthday on Christmas this year, don't automatically reach for your credit cards. Try singing Christ's favorite songs and remember that his greatest gift was not wrapped in colorful paper with matching bows. It was wrapped in his selfless desire to fulfill the needs of the world with his most valuable possession - himself.
Gregg Wooding
Botetourt Street by CNB