There are serious issues connected with the outing of bloggers; several have been discussed here. This is the aspect that got me thinking:
If one is writing in a political forum, how far a field from one’s stated principles can personal behavior stray before hypocrisy bubbles to the surface? (That’s not really a mixed metaphor; the big field is very wet.)
Where do you draw the line? Can one call oneself a progressive and represent Walmart?
Own Halliburton stock? Attend a homophobic church? How far is too far for you?
I had to quit about half of the jobs I’ve ever held because I was pressed by my employer to commit fraud. During the times I was responsible for only myself, this was an easy matter, but while widowed and raising a child alone, I often had to keep a morally repugnant job until I could find another. That put me in the position of ducking, weaving and lying to the boss until I could get out.
If, at that time, I had been writing about moral integrity, shouldn’t I, in the interest of transparency and full disclosure, include this information? If my personal situation informs my opinions, am I being less than honest by holding that fact back?
Help me here; is it the questionable conflict with progressive values, the secrecy about it, or both that is the problem?