How often in your life have you judged someone, perhaps not even realizing what you were doing? I think we all may be guilty of judging others without full information or even the right to do so. Judging is only part of what is tearing our country apart in the U.S. There are many other factors but judging our friends and neighbors for their political and personal beliefs ranks right up there at the top.
In the last eight years, U.S. society has become more polarized than at any time since the civil war from a political perspective. It’s very much an atmosphere of us versus them. During this time, many of us have lost friends and even family because one or the other of us were judged harshly for their political beliefs. The political beliefs that each side holds couldn’t be more different. One side wants to maintain the progress of the U.S. and try to improve it. The other side wants to take us back to the past and even worse, establish a fascist regime. We all have friends on both sides of this argument.
What do you do if you are on one side and a friend is on the other? Do you judge that friend for their political beliefs and in the process, you realize you may lose that friend? The number of people in the U.S. over the past eight years that have lost friends and family because of our political divisions has become innumerable.
What is the solution? Can you maintain a friendship with someone on the other side of an issue or many issues? Can you just not bring that into your conversations? Can you refrain from judging your friend even though you don’t agree with them? Believe me, it’s difficult since almost all the conversation currently is about the politics of the U.S.
I don’t have a solution, but what works for me is just talking to my friends as always but avoid the politics discussion if possible. I realize that will never solve anything, but I’m starting to wonder if judging people based on their political beliefs is becoming entrenched in our culture. There may be no turning back.
Thanks to Sue W and Gerry C for hosting the #Keepitalive Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge Judge!
The Write Scribe 
I know just what you mean, and I thank you for taking part in the Judge Challenge.
Sadje at Keep it Alive made one or two similar points. But to clarify, Sadje didn’t set the challenge. Like you, she wrote a response to our ‘Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge Judge.’
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Thank you, Sue. I didn’t really know what I was doing or who to credit, but I hope I figured it out adequately enough!
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Yes, You accomplished it! 🙂
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Yes, you sound like us. We know which of our friends we can talk to and which we can’t – about politics. A shame. Of course, I live in a bright red state. I also hope the election goes well, but I fear there will be accusations of vote tampering even if there is none. They found no evidence of tampering after the 2020 election. I also fear what will happen if former President Trump loses the election. He has made references to a “bloodbath in the street” so there is no telling. I’m still not scared for people to know my political party or politics and I, in fact, work for the Democrats in campaigning. I do a bit of their writing, especially concerning the economy. I probably should be scared, but my mom used to say that I’m brave to the point of being stupid. Lol. I’m just anxious for it to be OVER. So tired of listening to the TV coverage. My very first Presidential election, that I can barely remember, was in 1960 – JFK and Richard Nixon – and I’ve been interested in politics ever since. I was a little girl then. Even though I’m anxious for this election to be behind us, I am terribly afraid of what will happen afterwards. I want our democracy to be safe and sound for our children and generations to come as well as for the world.
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IT is easy to judge. that’s why, after losing friends after BREXIT, we now don’t discuss politics and religion with friends and family unless we are both on the same side of the fence.
thought provoking piece
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