Young mother-to-be thrust into limelight

OUTSIDE OF the debates on birth control, abortion, abstinence education, or teenage pregnancy, the following is undeniable: Sarah Palin accepted John McCain's invitation to be his potential vice president at the same time that she must have known that her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy would wind up becoming a national topic of discussion. What does this say about her judgment and her avowed pledge to support her daughter through this difficult time?

In accepting the invitation from McCain, Palin has not fulfilled her parental responsibility to protect her child. She should have sacrificed her ambition so that her daughter's struggle with the road ahead could be conducted out of the national limelight.

ANNE E. BICKFORD
Bedford