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A significant element in the concept of political correctness that permeates our society today is that of being non-judgmental. You should not make judgments on other people and you should not judge other cultures. There is some legitimacy to this, but as with most politically correct ideologies it is taken to an extreme.

Despite being an animal lover, I accept that in some cultures it is normal to eat some animals I would not personally dine upon, such as dogs and horses. I accept this and would not try to stop them. I would but ask that they farm these animals in a manner that gives them a decent life before they are slaughtered. I ask the same of Western society's animal farming practices. Many of our intensive farming practices are unacceptable from an animal welfare viewpoint.

I eat meat, but I limit it to extensively farmed animals, I will not eat chickens or pigs unless they are free-range because the standard intensive farming methods used in Western society are reprehensible. You do not need to be a vegan to have legitimate concerns about the welfare of the animals we share this world with.

I will, however, make judgments on other cultures. I do not consider the sexism prevalent in many of the Asian countries I have visited to be acceptable because it happens to be long standing and "part of their culture". Cultures are capable of evolving; sexism was a significant part of our own and only recently have we been working to improve the situation. Ethical improvements to attitudes, whether locally inspired or imported from other cultures, can and should improve any culture.

Female circumcision is a cultural norm for several African cultures, but if they brought their knives anywhere near my daughter they would be dead meat. And I would block them from doing it to their own if I were present and able to. Some practices need to be judged, and found unworthy. Traditions in minority cultures, or majority for that matter, should be continually judged and modified when need be, to fit a higher ethical framework.

When it comes to making judgments on other people, how can we not? We are the sole arbiters of our own destiny. Not only is it unavoidable to make judgments, it is essential to our continued well-being.

It is up to you to judge whether it is safe to cross the road, signals may give you an indication but it is for you to determine their validity. In the same way, it is for you and only you to judge whether another is someone that you wish to spend

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