This whole discussion is interesting & I've been following it
closely. I'm doing a museum studies post graduate course at the
moment (about which I could say lots in relation to this issue) but
what I want to say here is slightly tangential, but I hope helpful.

today we had a talk from a visiting speaker from a very active &
politcal museums service in a large but poor area, who made the point that part of their
strength comes from admitting their partiality & what drives them in
their work. We all have our own agendas & being explicit about that
has given a quality and involvement to their work not seen in lots of
other places. - she mentioned some of her collueagues motivations &
they ranged from anger to healing to having lived it.

They also discovered that being upfront about 'difficult issues' can
be recieved very well, even where they were expecting controversy, if
the work is done respectfully and sensitively - revealing rather than
exposing.

Incidentally I got even less response to a posting about radical
politics which I would consider to be similarly imporatant.
:-)