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Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed. ~ Charles Schulz

You be the Judge.

We are a judgmental society. I suppose maybe most are, since it's been an apparent issue of note as far back as the Bible goes, but I can only speak for the society I live in. And here I go.
Even those that judge us are judged. I've been especially interested in the confirmation hearings of late for the two women that have been candidates for Justices of the Supreme Court. If ever there was a time for others to run wild with an agonizing scrutinization of one's life, being the next contestant for public office seems to be it. What's interesting to me is that the main concept of judging, is to draw a conclusion on something based on evidence. I think that last part gets left out a majority of the time when it comes to the everyday, layman adjudications of others. And evidence means more than just your observations my friends. There should be something that furnishes proof.

So let's talk about what I see as the three flavors of unjustly "judging" others. Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Bigotry. They all should leave a bad taste in your mouth, but we know that there are those that find them delicious. I think stereotypes are prevalent because there is unfortunately some kind of a majority that personifies the mental image. My problem with these though, is that they seem to lead to prejudices. Prejudice is learned. Which also means that somebody is teaching it. Teaching that certain kinds of people deserve to be treated badly. It's like a nightmarish family tradition that's been handed down for generations as if it were a priceless heirloom. And then if you're really ambitious, you can go for the triple dipper and plop that big ole scoop of bigotry right on top. The granddaddy of them all. This entails devotion to your narrow-minded, chauvinistic ignorance and hatred. It takes a special kind of person to develop that kind of stupid.
If you think you detect just a slight pinch of intolerance in what I'm saying, you're right. I have essentially no patience for the myopic fanatics who do everything but promote a moral standard for society. What they DO promote, is marginalization and hostility. Why is America saturated with this kind of muck? I've always found it so ironic that the country that was founded by those who were looking to escape from prejudice and oppression, ends up perpetuating the dilemma. But I think that's because it's human nature to judge others. And the scary thing of it is - we ALL do it. One way or another, even you have made some sort of remark, or most certainly have registered a thought, that could be classified as bigoted, intolerant, discriminatory, or prejudicial. My question is, was it based on the evidence? Or did it just leave a bad taste in your mouth? You be the Judge, I guess.