On the EDge: It’s OK to be judgmental

October 8, 2018 Utah Channel 3

OPINION — One of the buzzwords from this whole Brett Kavanaugh nomination process is the word judgmental.

The criticism from the Republicans has been that the Democrats have been “too judgmental” in this case, before laying into a litany of “whataboutisms” that are ridiculous in scope, paradoxical in essence.

It’s interesting because conservatives, particularly those with evangelical leanings, have historically leaned heavily on being judgmental, until that is, one of their own is in the spotlight. Snap judgments, like olden-day curses, were spat out and used in an effort to crush progressives, but let one of their own get caught in a jam and it is an entirely different story.

The left has been reluctant until lately to cast judgments, particularly when it comes to personal behavior within their own ranks, which has been equally reprehensible, under the microscope. It has become a tool in the wide and nasty arsenal of political combat.

To put it bluntly, conservatives hate everything Clinton and Obama, and liberals hate everything Trump and McConnell.

So, the fact is, like it or not, we are all judgmental.

Whether through our culture, religion, politics or whatever else has worked its way into our DNA, we are judgmental beings.

It’s how we were raised and, quite frankly, if we did not make judgments, the world would be an even sorrier place.

Lately we have also heard the Scripture quote of “Judge not lest ye be judged” tossed about rather indignantly, but the reason behind the quote has been warped. It is a lesson in self-assessment rather than a proclamation that everybody gets a pass. It is advising us to look at ourselves and decide how we would wish to be judged before judging another.

As one of my esteemed spiritual gurus told me when I posed the question: “It’s been my experience that people who throw out ‘judge not lest ye be judged’ are the ones who don’t want to be held accountable for their actions.

“Judging others without looking at our own behavior is a problem that Jesus spoke of when he said that people are quick to point out the speck in another’s eye while ignoring the log in their own.”

So, to blindly throw that line out there is not only inaccurate to the lesson intended but a fair bit of hypocrisy because the moment those words cross your lips, you are being judgmental without going within yourself to assess your own shortcomings.

Whatever the case, judgments are not necessarily wrong or the result of evil political machinations.

Made properly, they help us decipher right from wrong, make decisions, seek self-improvement. Judgments help us steer our course, set our moral compass.

We don’t always get it right, of course, but if you err on the side of truth, that’s OK.

The problems arise, however, when those influences on our judgments are less than honorable, which they are more frequently becoming.

They become twisted, warped when we allow our own agenda to interfere with truth.

We justify that which is comfortable or agreeable to us, but as we all know, the truth is often uncomfortable and doesn’t always conform to our own personal agendas, which, again we all have regardless of political, cultural or religious affiliations.

And, too often, we get into a point-counterpoint thing where if somebody is questioned about a specific behavior the supporters of the accused divert the subject by saying, “What about so and so who did such and such?”

It’s a dodge to justify bad behavior by somebody in your own camp instead of a moment of personal growth where we draw a line and say we will no longer tolerate bad behavior.

We can point at all the holes in a system that was betrayed during the Kavanaugh confirmation process.

Justice was not served on either side.

We all have our own opinions on this, but in those dark recesses of your brain, you must acknowledge that the system failed.

The greatest failure, of course, was in the Senate’s refusal to go public with the results of the FBI investigation. How can we, the people, stand behind a decision made by people who do not respect us enough to share information that could have a bearing on our court for the next 30 years?

Yes, before those contrarians who feel the need to grade every piece written for this publication point out that this is a judgment on my behalf save your breath, I concede. It is. But, it is a judgment made with reason. You want to knock a few points off for that, be my guest. Truth is, I couldn’t care less.

The point here is that we are about to make a lot of judgments and very soon.

We have an election coming up in a couple weeks.

If you are inclined to vote, and I can perfectly well understand why you might not be, make your judgments wisely.

It’s pretty clear as far as the candidates go. Those with an “R” behind their name will be swept into office and those with a “D” behind their name will go home empty-handed.

It’s simply the way it is here in Utah and it is not going to change, at least not in the foreseeable future.

But, there are important measures on the ballot that require careful consideration.

Think about them.

Don’t blindly take somebody’s recommendation.

Research the measures. These are issues that will impact many lives for many years.

You can always vote the bums out and elect new ones.

This other stuff is going to stick.

And, it will be important to all of us, so it requires thinking outside of ourselves and considering the needs of all, regardless of who they are, where they come from, their political affiliation or religious flavor.

Make those judgments, but please, make them based on your own deliberations, your own research, your own heart.

Otherwise, your vote, should you decide to cast it, is a sham.

No bad days!

Ed Kociela is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: edkociela.mx@gmail.com

Twitter: @STGnews, @EdKociela