Feel good about taking a stand

Dear Leading Ladies,

As we ring in the new year and make resolutions, we suggest that we should make more, rather than fewer, judgments. Yes, you read that right. We think that being judgmental, or “judgy,” which connotes unfair and excessive criticism, has given constructive and valuable judgment-making a bad rap.

Before you throw up your arms and suspect that we have gone to the dark side, hear us out.

Critical thinking…..

Any of us who have had children in school or worked in education are well acquainted with the concept of critical thinking. What is critical thinking but the acquired skill to analyze facts to form a judgment? We believe that it is not just important to teach children facts; we need them to learn to evaluate the information they encounter and decide what makes sense. They need to infer and deduce from data in order to anticipate what might result. They need to assess the validity of sources.

…and “making good choices”

Image from citywise

We also advise students from a fairly young age to “make good choices.” We ask them to evaluate the possibilities in front of them and measure the possible consequences and the ethical implications. Should they go to that party where alcohol or drugs will be used? Should they cheat on a test? Should they participate in bullying a younger student or a student of color? Clearly, we are asking them to make judgments based on the facts and morals they have been taught.

Indeed, every day, we are asking children to make judgments based on the information they have, the critical thinking skills they have developed, and their ethical beliefs. Would anyone argue that this is a bad thing?

Likewise, adults are called upon almost daily to make judgments about right and wrong. Do we fight to make sure our company makes the most climate-responsible decisions? Do we speak up when we see racism or homophobia expressed in social situations? Do we tell people that we believe that not getting vaccinated is harmful to the public good and, specifically, threatening to our young children and grandchildren? Any of these actions require judgments based on facts and values.

…are part of developing informed judgments.

To put the matter in an even wider perspective, to support any of the issues in the mission of Leading Ladies requires judgment. Being anti-racist, anti-homophobia, and actively against all forms of discrimination; believing that everyone deserves adequate health care, education, housing, and a living wage; and supporting sensible gun control laws, efforts to stop climate change, rights of women to control their own bodies, and humane immigration policies all demand standing by judgments. We look at the problems, weigh the information, evaluate our sources, consider our value systems, and decide where we stand. What we are left with are our judgments and, hopefully, some actions that will benefit others.

Unfair judgments are something else.

We would argue that being judgmental or “judgy” can definitely be unfair and deserve its negative reputation. If you decide someone must be a terrorist because she is a Muslim; if you think all Jews are stingy; if you look at a young girl with revealing clothes and decide she must be loose and not a good student; if you think anyone who reads romance novels can’t be smart – well, those are all instances of being unfairly “judgy.” These are clearly instances of making conclusions based on inadequate information, stereotypes, and generalizations.

On the other side, perhaps the most well-known example of failing to take a stand when one was called for, came after the white supremacist terrorist attack on August 12, 2017. When James Alex Fields, Jr. deliberately drove his car into a crowd of people peacefully protesting the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing one person and injuring 35, President Donald Trump, defending the white supremacists, announced that there were “some very fine people on both sides.” To impugn those who attacked the peaceful demonstrators would have been an accurate judgment. It would not have been unfair or “judgy” to denounce the terrorists.

One of our New Year’s resolutions is to continue seeking the truth and sharing it with our readers. We want to think critically about the issues that matter to us; weigh the various arguments for and against the solutions to social justice issues; and then, yes, make judgments about the best positions and actions to take. We also commit to avoiding judgments based on stereotypes and generalizations that can be harmful. We hope to take the “judgy” out of making good judgments.

Happy New Year. Stay safe.

Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org