On Bumper Stickers and Beliefs
August 23, 2018

A few posts back, I mentioned that I had a philosophical disagreement with
Google over the forced use of https. Several more revelations about the
company's practices since then have caused me to sever my last (and only) tie to
them by changing my email provider. I wrote a long, multi-page draft of a post
enumerating in detail my reasons for leaving gmail behind. 

This is not that post. After reading what I'd written, I decided not to use it.
But not using the post got me thinking about writers and their
beliefs--specifically, how private should a writer be about their political or
religious beliefs?

As with any group of people, there's a broad spectrum. Some are very vocal
online about their beliefs. Many other writers comment on current political or
social controversies, and so reveal their beliefs over time. Some (and I'm one
of them) try to keep their personal and writing lives separate, and rarely if
ever comment on events of the day.

Do I have political and/or religious beliefs? Of course I do, and I'm sure that
they come out subtly through the themes of the stories I write. My friends and
family know what they are. But as a writer, I don't discuss them.

But then again, I don't put bumper stickers on my car, which might be a good
metaphor and guide for a writer when deciding what/how much to say publicly
about their beliefs. Some people's cars are decoupaged with bumper stickers that
go back for decades, showing not only how they feel about issues but who they
voted for three elections back. Other people have only one or two bumper
stickers, indicating their deep belief in select issues. And a few people have
no bumper stickers at all.

Internet posts are similar to bumper stickers in that they can be well-nigh
impossible to remove, and can be seen by a large number of people. So if you, as
a writer, are looking for a way to decide whether or not to weigh in on some
current controversy, ask yourself if you'd be willing to put your position on a
bumper sticker and slap it on your car, where it will remain for the next ten
years. If the answer is yes, then post away. If not, you may want to let the
post sit overnight, and re-visit the question of posting in the cold light of
morning.

(c) 2018 by Andrew Gudgel 
email: contact [at] andrewgudgel.com