As long as people in the public eye do their job well, does it matter what they do in private?
by Shermaine Min
1. Many things done in private are still subjected to the public's eye, due to today's media and other forms of technology.
1.1. Internet access
1.2. Social networking sites
1.3. Entertainment news websites
1.4. Broadcasting news
1.5. Private actions will still be made, discussed and interpreted by the media
1.5.1. Inevitably shapes the perception of the person
1.5.2. Raise awareness of deeper issues
2. Yes, it does matter.
2.1. Division between what public figures do in private and in public is not clear.
2.1.1. Trivial private actions have greater consequences under the public's amplified scrutiny.
2.1.2. Influence public's opinions, no matter liberal and pragmatic people may argue.
3. Emphasis on integrity
3.1. A person's actions should be moral beyond the confines of the job.
3.2. All people should be held to those high standards.
3.3. Public figures have to be accountable to their own actions.
4. Examination of private issues is significant because it leads to a more realistic and deeper understanding of the public figures.
4.1. Public's assessment of public figures and how they reflect societal issues are increasingly shaped by their private actions rather than their job performances.
4.2. On law- breaking
4.2.1. Peformances at work does not exempt anyone from the laws of the land
4.2.2. The law is a fair world and it does not take into account anything else except for the moral actions of an individual.
4.2.3. Public figures often find their private actions matter more than those of ordinary people since what their cases become a measure of the rule of law in the society.
4.2.4. Illegal private actions of public figures matter, regardless of how well they do their jobs.