I saw the play "12 Angry Men" last Thursday. It starred Richard Thomas (Johnboy) and George Wendt (Norm!) I was wondering if it was improper Kennedy Center etiquette to shout out "Norm!" when Wendt took the stage. I just said it quietly under the applause.

The play is set entirely in a jury deliberation room for a patricide trial. The jurors, 12 white men in suits and fedoras, wrestle with the evidence to decide whether or not to send a 16 year old boy, one of "them," to his death or to acquittal. It was very thought provoking. One moment I found interesting was when this openly bigotted juror is ranting and raving. The audience laughed at the absurdity of his argument, but the laughter was quickly silenced as we all realized we've heard that line of thinking before and where it goes is chilling.

Have you ever served on a jury? I came close. I was selected for a trial of a woman, about my age at the time, who shot her abusive, cop husband in the face. I was the only one in the box who was the same age, race, & gender as the defendent. The prosecutor struck me when the judge gave "last call" on the jury. I always felt like she didn't have a jury of her peers. Have you noticed that a "jury of your peers" isn't a very accurate description - unless you just mean a human jury rather than a bovine jury or martian jury. Is this fair?