Does the photo to the right make you pause and say "Huh?" or did you laugh, dismissing it at absurd.

How you react, either way you react, you have just passed judgement.

On every site I blog on, on every site I have VLOGs on, at one point or another I am defined as being "judgemental"  I happen to believe there are certain buzz words that people can levy against us that strikes a nerve. If someone defines you as a racist....whoa! Get ready for a biting attack in return.

We have now entered into an interesting time in our society where it is expected that everyone be politically correct. For those that aren't....you are immediately labeled as "judgemental" If you say you are against same sex marriage, you are being judgemental of Gays. Don't believe in Christianity or God? You're "judgemental"  Voice an opinion about a political party or politician? You're being "judgemental"

And in each of the above examples the answer is yes....it is judgemental. So what?

I blog on a women's website that was started for 40+ year old women to share thoughts and opinions on various subjects. It's called www.wowowow.com.  I am constantly being told how "judgemental" I am, simply because most of the ladies on that site never agree with me. Most of them  (not all) are older women that are grandmothers whose lives surround around their kids, Lesbians, conservatives and Tea Party members, tons of women that use or have used drugs, are promiscuous or were, tons of Atheists, Agnostics and Wiccans. Women clinically mentally unstable by way of depression, OCD or schizophrenia.Women that are house bound due to being hoarders, agoraphobics or simply lonely women that have their animals to cling to instead of actual humans.

So when we discuss issues online about various life issues, politics or personal opinions, my opinions are vastly different then most of the women on the site. I can't relate to who they are or how they live, so my life seems foreign to them just as much as their lives are foreign to me. If I speak of my love of men....I'm shouted down. My love of the Lord...shouted down. My liberal political stance.....shouted down. I experience the same label from these ladies as I do from many on this site, I'm considered judgemental because my opinions differ from the majority. 

I think for most people to be told you are being judgemental causes the person being labeled as such to recoil. "Me? Judgemental?" That is the knee-jerk reaction which usually results in the person becoming defensive and attempting to clarify their stance. I have decided not to do that any longer. I now embrace being judgemental. I have pointed out many times to the ladies on wowowow, "Don't you realize in the process of telling me how wrong I am and why you think I am wrong, you are judging me for judging you?"  That line of logic is lost of them.

I am surrounded in my life by people that do not consider themselves to be judgemental, when nothing could be further from the truth. Example. You are walking down the street and see a woman with a skirt on far too short and heels way too high. You make a comment about her to the person alongside you or even in your head....you are judging her. We judge politicians, our neighbors, family and friends. But the moment we sit down and start blogging, suddenly all of the judgements we make offline are not allowed online.  You see a man in his 50's, 60's or 70's with a 20-something young hottie on his arm, kissing and fondling. What do you say to yourself? What do you say to someone else? 

So that's not judging him or her?

I had a debate with friends when Barack Obama was running for president in 2008. I said and still believe, a big part of why Barack won and is winning, has to do with the optics of who he is. If Michelle and Barack both had long dreadlocks, a majority of people that voted for him, would not have. I truly believe that. Picture Barack with the same voice that he has, same temperament and personality. Same smile and easy going manner, but....his ears are pierced and he has long braids, a tattoo and a nose ring. Would he have received the votes he received?

You can dismiss that idea as being unrealistic, but is it?  Michelle doesn't wear an Afro, nor does Barack grow his hair too long. Why? We can't use the argument that it wouldn't be appropriate because their are millions of Black men and women in America that are professionals that have Afros and dreadlocks. There are kings and queens of African nations that wear braids and Afros everyday. Indeed, they choose not to look a certain way because they want to avoid being judged. Ironically, it may be something lost on most people, but each time you look at the Obama's you judge them in one way or another. So you see, you do judge people.

But there I go again.... judging people. :-)