Judgement. We all face it at one time or another. We have all been judged and we have all judged someone before, whether it be based on their physical appearance, their mind, their religion, or their possessions. It seems as if it is human nature to judge. However, what is not human nature are the extreme cases of such judgement.
As I grow older and understand those around me, I have gained quite an insight as to how people are more judgmental than they should be. For example, race has always been an issue with some and since I have moved from a primarily African American based city to a primarily White based city, I have seen these erratic behaviors of judgment, but not from me personally. Those around me tend to say things about how African American women wear their hair. A friend of mine had box braids put into her hair and instead of people complimenting her, their first reaction was, "Hey, Whoopi." I've also seen first hand how they judged her for being Black, saying, "Oh, (insert name) would know about that, she's Black." However, on the opposite end, I have had people tell me, "You don't know what that is because you are white," or "Just because you were raised in an African American community, doesn't mean you are allowed to speak up about our issues." Judgement based solely on race.
Another form of judgement that I have noticed recently is religion based, especially for the Muslim community. I have overheard many people say that if someone is a Muslim, they are a terrorist. So, just because someone believes in something that is different than your belief, you have the audacity to label them as something they are not? Their religion does not define them. Others who have acted in the form of hatred that practice the same religion do not define the religion as a whole.
Physical appearance is quite possibly one of the largest things that people base a person on. Now this one, I am guilty for. We are all probably guilty for this one. Have you ever seen a woman walking around in a short dress and a very low cut neck line? What was the first thing that ran through your head? Was it slut? Because I can tell you that it used to be the first thing that ran through my head. However, after listening to the actress/model, Amber Rose, and understanding her movement toward ending slut shaming, I have digressed away from those thoughts. So what if the woman is a slut? It doesn't mean I have the right to judge her for it. However, the girl may not even be a slut, but because of the poison that has been pumped through my brain with the assistance of media, I am prone to thinking that a girl with a short dress and low neckline is just trying to get the male attention when it reality, she just decided to wear her favorite dress because it's something that she feels confident in.
I've faced particular judgement in my own household. When I was 16 and got a nose piercing (that my mother signed off on), my grandparents told me I looked trashy and that I would never find a job. Well, guess what? I've had several jobs, one of them ongoing, that I've managed since 2011. Now, I have a septum piercing and know that if I were to show them, I would be kicked out. But, if they were to know about my tattoos? Whew! I wouldn't be alive to tell this story. But do you see where I am coming from? Instead of humans worrying about themselves, we are judging those around us if they do not obtain the same ideals, looks, religion, and dreams that we have. We forget to capitalize that we are all just humans.
i am not white. i am not a humanist. i am not someone with piercings/tattoos. i am not a writer. I AM HUMAN.
