“THE JUROR OR THE INTERPRETER?”

“THE JUROR OR THE INTERPRETER?”

One of my favourite short stories as a young lad was “The Lady or The Tiger”, wherein the reader had to make a very difficult decision on how the story would end. I would like to offer my two readers a parallel dilemma, based upon two current conflicting tasks. I will call my challenge, “The Juror or the Interpreter.” 

How would you like to be a juror in the trial of drug kingpin, Juaquin Guzman, better known as El Chapo. The notorious drug lord has been considered the most dangerous man alive. He ran a multi billion dollar drug cartel until he was arrested in 1993. He was extradited and sentenced to 20 years in prison in Mexico for murder and drug trafficking. He bribed prison guards and escaped from a federal maximum-security prison in 2001. He was captured a second time, but escaped again in July 2015 through a 1.5 km tunnel that led from his cell to a construction site.

He has been captured a third time and is currently awaiting trial in New York. Guzman has pleaded not guilty to charges of international drug trafficking, conspiring to kill rivals, gun charges and money laundering. He faces a sentence of life in prison if convicted.

A jury of five men and seven women, plus six alternates, has been chosen and will remain anonymous and partly sequestered. How would you like to be one of the jurors selected? How safe would you feel if El Chapo was convicted? Do you think your identity would be protected forever? Would you be prepared to take that chance?

Or, would you prefer to be the press secretary for Donald Trump? The press secretary’s job is to represent the President to the nation through regular press briefings and interpret the President’s decisions and actions to the media. Trump’s first press secretary, Sean Spicer, was eaten alive by the press and embarrassed by both the press and the President. Spicer lasted 182 days on the job.

Current press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has survived a year and a half on the job. Ms Sanders appears to be a very thick skinned, tough talking, advocate of the President. When she is stymied by some of he President’s behaviour and his off-the-cuff tweets, she does her best to answer journalist’s tough questions. She often appears ruffled and lost for a clear explanation on many of Trump’s declarations. In comparison to Spicer, who appeared mild mannered and soft spoken, Sanders puts on a fierce visage and likes to be considered a tough talker. 

How would you like to be the spokesman for Donald Trump? You are often not informed of situations until after the fact and you must try to present the President in a positive and favourable light to the press. Are you up to it? Could you handle the pressure and the continual need to provide clear explanations and solid defence for often questionable actions or Presidential tweets?

So, the question is, “Would you choose to be, the Juror or the Interpreter?”