Freedom of expression, freedom of speech are fundamentals of Western society. But since I started this blog, I've found myself reluctant to give away too much about myself that could identify me to the casual reader. Partly this has been about retaining a sense of privacy, and perhaps also a certain lack of confidence. But a big part of it has been a wariness of the powers that be.
When I was doing my professional training, our lecturers covered our future responsibilities. And one of these responsibilities would be to not bring our profession into disrepute. We were told a tale, repeatedly, about a group of female physiotherapists who were struck off because photos were taken and published of them on holiday - indulging in some topless skiing! Bit of a hoot that story. Was it even true? I don't know. But the moral was clear as day - what you do in your private life, can be justified grounds for disciplinary action if its deemed to be potentially damaging to your profession. So watch it!
In a previous job, a colleague of mine was very politically minded and frequently went on marches, always in a peaceful capacity I hasten to add. She used to joke that the authorities would certainly have pictures of her ugly mug on file (though was she really joking?). With the G8 protests coming up, she was getting all geared up for participating in the big day, when a senior colleague took her aside and advised her not to go. He warned that if anything happened, any sort of trouble or controversy that she could be connected to, it could impact on her job or her entire professional career.
In a world where 'freedom' is supposedly entrenched in our culture, it's depressing to hear stories like these - stories of people engaged in very benign activities who can still find their lives turned upside down by authorities that feel... what? Threatened? Undermined? A laughing stock? In reality, the cases of authorities or professional bodies actually taking action against individuals who show them up in some way must be miniscule and extremely rare. But the stories of it are rife - keeping us all in check through self-imposed regulation of what we say and do.
I don't have anything particularly radical to say. But nor do I tow the party line 110%. And with blogging, what emerges over the weeks and months is not planned out in advance. It evolves, and I don't know where it's evolving to.
Blogging is all about self-expression, and when I find myself self-censoring just in case my profession gets wind of my personal opinions, I have to wonder.
Just how free are we?
Photo by erix!
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