"Any type of jury - professional or not, is a bad idea, IMO. But it's in the constitution, so there is very little chance of doing away with it."
Ah! I believe that you've hit the nail on the head there! Regardless of one's opinion on the efficacy or accuracy of a jury trial, they are a constitutionally entrenched part of due process. I think people often forget that the juries provided by our constitution are a carry-over of the venerable English common law that our own system was based upon and, as such, convention once excluded pretty much any potential jurors but wealthy---and, presumably, well-educated---land owners. Similar to the changes we've seen in our electoral system, as social and political change has increased access for many who were once excluded from the process, the demographic composition of these juries of one's "peers" has evolved accordingly---be that for better or worse.
What I find wildly intriguing is the fact that so many take issue with the composition of the jury, even as they decry discrimination and claim to support the spirit of equality. If I were one to choose to take offense at such things, as a middle-aged white woman similar to some of those on the jury, I could take great offense at the implications that because of my race and gender, I am somehow less qualified to weigh the evidence presented and render a fair verdict than someone who's race and gender more closely matched those of the victim and the accused. Of course, I recognize this as merely one of the many idiosyncrasies of human nature and, accordingly, I choose not to waste my time being offended by it. But, damn, I sure enjoy the intellectual exercise of debating the merits of this seemingly hypocritical attitude with those who express it! When presented as a soft sell to a semi-open mind, it's encouraging to witness that 'aha!' moment as someone realizes that their claim of bias in the jury selection and composition actually reveals their own discriminatory viewpoint, however unintended that may be. Though, to be fair, some folks really DON'T like having that pointed out!