The injustices of court of public opinion

Tumie Modise | Monday August 1, 2016 15:23

For some, looking at themselves as being entitled to a predestined position in the afterlife by a higher power also gives them the reason to live ‘ethical’ lifestyles, which is okay, well as long as everybody keeps their lane.

Human beings can be both interesting and annoying at the same time. Granted, it is in our nature as human beings to question those ideas and values that are not similar to our own.

Often times we seek to attack and eliminate these things as a means of retaining our false sense of pride in our own actions rather than learn to accept and live with each others’ differences. It is not to say that we are all this way, but the reality is that our diversity prevents us from having universally accepted values, ideas and customs.

Being judged is something I am now very much familiar with, something I have even grown accustomed to. It is now common cause that for every decision I make in my life I first have to consider what nosy people would think.

Which is just crazy considering that we were all born with a brain for a purpose, to think for ourselves! In this journey of life; we meet up with many different people along the way. Most stick around while the rest fall just along as you go, largely depends on whether they have any impact in your life. So I have such friends too and just two days ago this discussion of playing St. Peter on earth, in Botswana to be exact, popped up as it always does while I was in the company of this very dear friend of mine.

Contrary to the popularly held view that only babies are perfect and without sin, reality is that no one is perfect. As things stand, babies won’t be inheriting any kingdom, well at least just by virtue of being babies.

If my understanding of babies is the same as everybody else’s, then I am sure most people would agree with me when I say that babies are in fact worse than even the notorious village bag snatcher! This thing called parenting isn’t by default.

Children and babies are the most selfish and judgmental people one can ever come across. Their motto is simple; their way or the rooftop. Parenting is no easy task with these brats and nobody should ever lose sleep on being told that they are dead beat parents. It is hard to keep your cap on, hard to keep up!

Back to my friend, people are judgmental and speaking of children, they would even judge you by the number of your children! The judging list is a mile long and if you live in this country the most popularly judged issues, or ‘situations’ as I prefer to call it, would be wealth, education, marital status and other crazy things such as age, height even weight!

 If you can be judged for the way you walk, what more of other life changing decisions, such as whom to date? Is it surprising that many people nowadays swear to remain eternal bachelors, just so they can escape judgment? If ever there was something that can really knock the air out of your lungs, then it is being judged based on your life choices which should be nobody’s business but yours.

When I was in primary school, and I cannot say when because someone may just use that to judge me, as girls we used to compare who had the prettiest face, or who had the coolest schoolbag. Considering that half of the school either used discarded Tastic rice bags as school bags, or just carried their stuff with bare hands, a proper school bag was a sign of wealth and coolness!

Dating outside your age bracket, in the ever judgmental public court, remains the greatest misdemeanor ever! Usually the judges and the jury in such courts are consumed with jealousy, hatred and dangerous levels of self esteem.

At such courts, you will be accused you of anything (under the sun) and usually decisions at such courts are final with zero prospects of appeal. God forbid you are a female in such a situation, because there is a special place in judgment hell for you!

Liberation wasn’t when Mandela was released from prison in 1990, real liberation is when you start not giving a hoot about what people think of your life choices. Its justice.

This, in my opinion should be the beauty of our world. But sadly, it is constantly ravaged by those who seek to be heard, instead of listening.