American University alumnus and anti-drug war advocate David Guard made news by refusing to serve jury duty for a drug-related case. The case is over, but Guard continues to refuse to serve and continues to be held in contempt. He is also racking up hefty sanctions from the government. A judge ruled recently that Guard will be assessed a fine of $100 a day until he serves on a jury.
The Eagle supports everybody's right to protest, but we feel Guard's protest was an inappropriate grab for attention. Had he attended jury duty, he likely would have been dismissed from the case for his beliefs. That would have been just as effective a protest and it would not have been illegal.
Guard said he expected just a small fine and possibly a bit of jail time. Instead, he faces a fine that could reach as high as $25,000. It seems to us that Guard's protest did not accomplish anything and merely cost him money.
The Eagle thinks Guard's protest was ineffective and inappropriate. There are many ways to legally draw attention to a cause. Guard could have set up a legal protest outside a courtroom or organized an online resistance movement. Instead, he chose to put on a publicity stunt.
By actively violating the law, Guard did not do any favors to his movement. The Eagle thinks Guard and other future protesters should work within the bounds of the laws and focus on bringing positive rather than negative attention to their causes.
