AJC.com > Opinion > Woman to Woman > Archives > 2004 > September > 10 > Entry
Do children of well-known figures have a responsibility to the public?
Shaunti Feldhahn, a right-leaning columnist, writes the commentary this week and Diane Glass, a left-leaning columnist, responds.
Shaunti Feldhahn, a right-leaning columnist, writes the commentary this week and Diane Glass, a left-leaning columnist, responds.
Commentary
I believe everyone has a responsibility to the public, most assuredly including the kids of public figures. The offspring — small or grown — may not themselves be running for office or serving at a high level, but that does not matter. Like it or not, the closer you get to the public eye the greater the scrutiny you’ll be under. And the greater your scrutiny, the greater your responsibility to behave in a manner worthy of respect and even emulation.
Barbara and Jenna Bush should know that. But we’ll get to them in a minute.
Whether or not we are in the spotlight, all of us have a responsibility to our fellow citizens. Decency, selflessness, self-control and respect for others and for the law should be the expectation for everyone. Just as there should be no exemption from the Golden Rule for the average anonymous schoolchild, there surely should be no exemption for a young adult whose mom or dad is running for high office.
Rightly or wrongly, our public figures are held up as role models. Candidates for president, sports stars and Hollywood leading ladies and men — all are somehow elevated as those that others should follow. While we may lament this fact — especially when such people behave as altogether the wrong sort of role models – the best public figures come to terms with reality and simply accept that they have a responsibility to behave in a manner worthy of their position.
Their children need to do likewise. Especially when they are the children of someone who holds or is running for high public office. Because everything they do will inevitably reflect on their parents, and on the society of which they are a part. In an age when selfishness and rudeness run rampant among young people, it is even more important for the children of public figures to be – as quaint as this sounds – models of altruism and respect.
And that brings me to the twin 22-year-old daughters of our First Couple. As they were speaking at the Republican National Convention, I was embarrassed to watch the television screen. It is one thing to engage in a little gentle ribbing and self-deprecating humor (like that which their father used so effectively in his speech a few nights later). It’s quite another to repeatedly disrespect your grandmother to tens of millions over the international airwaves. I don’t care if the supposedly comedic lines were suggested by a speechwriter (reportedly, none other than close Bush adviser Karen Hughes, who should have known better): the twins should have refused to say them.
Barbara and Jenna are grown women, not ditzy 16-year-olds. And although they may have been out of the spotlight until now, they have been around high public office for a long time and are in no way political novices. I appreciate that they were trying to support their father. But I don’t believe they lived up to either their potential or their responsibility to the public.
Rebuttal
If we look to the Bush twins, what we see and hear supports the theory that children are a reflection of their parents. Barb and Jenna seem to be the mirror image of the party animal their father once was. The apples don’t fall far from the tree. But then again …
If we look at the daughters of Dick Cheney we see a different picture. One daughter stood next to her father during the convention while his daughter Mary, a lesbian, chose to stay in the audience. It was a conscious choice, according to news reports. Likely, she declined since her conservative father didn’t represent her values, her choices and her life as a lesbian woman. No doubt he raised her to represent his values. (It’s likely, too, that he raised her to stand up for her own values.) As an adult woman she stayed true to those values, attending the convention in support of her father but not standing with her father and denying the equality of gay Americans. Children are their own people apart from their parents. Mary does not owe her father public support for beliefs she does not share.
When discussing a child’s responsibility to the public, a burden by virtue of parentage, we aren’t merely talking about dutiful parental respect. Nor are we talking about the debt children owe their parents. We’re talking about public image. The assumption is that the more people identify with a public figure, financial gains and favorable ratings will soon follow. I’m sorry to break the news to you, but voting for a candidate based on his or her image is sort of like impulse buying at the grocery store.
Which brings us to my carefully planned grocery store analogy. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are so wealthy I doubt they’ve even entered a grocery store. The same is true of John Kerry. These people do not truly represent Americans. They represent the 1 percent of the nation with truckloads of money — resources that afford them the time and privilege to run for president. Their families are versed in the art of image, the American image, the image of the traditional family. It’s an expensive subterfuge, but it sells.
Image projects what we want to see. What do we need to see?
Dutiful children willing to sell their beliefs for the good of the masses? Sounds akin to propaganda and an insulting affront to our intelligence. Children should show respect to their parents and some honesty to the rest of us. They aren’t obligated to become carbon copies or political props.
Children may not fall far from the tree, but they do grow up.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Ronald Millsaps
September 13, 2004 11:14 AM | Link to this
As usual, I agree with Shaunti’s view. The Bush girls shouldn’t be taking shots at their grandmother. I’d like to see liberals spend their time opposing this, not supporting Mary Cheney for opposing her dad’s opposition to gay marriage.
Gee, I wonder what’s coming now. I guess Kenneth Blackledge and Mark Wood will start another tirade against me for opposing gay marriage. It’s sad the way some people try to change God (and then accuse people like ME for doing it. My, this is the pot calling the kettle black.) If you stand up against something wrong, you’re “judging”. However, if you sit back and tolerate the wrongs of the world, you’re giving back to society. I admire the people of the world who know better than to think so irrationally. Maintaining one’s patience amidst this kind of thinking is not easy.
By Lyrazel
September 13, 2004 11:45 AM | Link to this
It is awfully conceited to think a family is for display purpose only but isnt that how politician families are viewed? Do public figures have no duty to protect their children from the onslaught of media paparazi? When is it time for politicians to assume parental responsibility to their children? Never? Personally I think it is more disrepectful to parade ones family as trophy for a campaign. Dianes closing statement about Barbara and Jenna being used to politics is sad because if GWB & wife worked so hard at campaigning and politics they were never home and these kids had a life of hotel suites full of strangers and Secret Service babysitters. It seems a terrible lonely life for a child not getting any parental attention unless they act up. One has to ask how good a parent politicians actually are. We are always shocked by wives/children of politicians having eating disorders, drinking or drug problems and why should we be? Its a rough life. I admired them who kept their families out of the circus of media attention, who allowed kids to be kids and not little adult spawn. This debate of children being voices for their parents is ludicrous because the children/wives will not be making issues into law.Will these kids ever have privacy in their lifetime? It must be hideous to have to grow up where everything you do, say, smoke, wear and eat, dont eat, is front page news. How hurtful the media can be! I pity them more than I despise their parents—whoever—their parents are. These kids have zero responsibility to the public.
By Lyrazel
September 13, 2004 12:44 PM | Link to this
So sorry to have confused Shaunti opinion with Diane. Pardon. Ronald, my dad used to say: Dont bite the tail of a dog unless you want to get bit.
By Janet Billy
September 13, 2004 04:08 PM | Link to this
I AGREE WITH SHAUNTI FELDHAUHN THAT CHILDREN OF PUBLIC FIGURES SHOULD SHOW RESPECT FOR THEIR ELDERS AND PEOPLE IN GENERAL. SO, WHY DID JOHN KERRY’S DAUGHTER APPEAR - AND I DO MEAN APPEAR - IN CANES IN A DRESS SO FILMY THAT HER BREASTS WERE SO VISIBLE?
JENNA AND BARBARA BUSH ARE PILGRIMS COMPARED TO THAT RACEY AND DISRESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR!
By Tim
September 13, 2004 04:36 PM | Link to this
They are not running for public office, they do not deserve the scrutiny that goes along with running for office! The Bush twins can say what they want and the Kerry daughters can wear what they want! Simple as that!
By CONNIE
September 13, 2004 04:48 PM | Link to this
Hey, Hey, Hey,,,,,Stop the swearing, even on paper! I think maybe it’s back to 3rd-grade English class if people can’t express themselves without profanity - written OR spoken! Come on, you pinheads, your book of the month should be a dictionary or a thesaurus (need I explain that one to you?)
By lyrazel
September 14, 2004 07:50 AM | Link to this
Pardon? Connie where are you finding all these swear words? Overall I would say responders to this are articulate, opinionated and can use a dictionary and a thesarus as well. Perhaps you were commenting on some other column? Personally I dont get my wig in a twist when someone drops a profanity because sometimes its the only word that fits.
By Administrator
September 14, 2004 09:51 AM | Link to this
The offensive entry was deleted from the forum.
By Ronald Millsaps
September 14, 2004 12:04 PM | Link to this
Lyrazel, those boys started with me, not vice-versa. If you’re going to mind someone else’s business, you need to do more research.
I find it hard to feel sorry for the Bush girls. I have no real respect for either of them. They came across as a couple of empty-headed, shallow, unreasonable young women. (The fact that they like “Sex and the City” doesn’t surprise me. TBS—we don’t need that show!!) I’m sorry if they’ve had too much media scrutiny for their tastes, but it pretty much comes with the territory. I guess they don’t understand the concept of not having the scrutiny removed at their liking since they’ve always had silver spoons in their mouths.
By Vincent
September 15, 2004 08:58 AM | Link to this
Who really cares? The issues facing this country are far more critical than the off spring of famous people. Good grief, people. Why aren’t we demanding to know who the Director of The Mint will be? Why aren’t we furious that Bush has never mentioned Bin Laden’s name in any State of the Union Address? Or that Saudi Arabia gave a one million dollar painting to the Bush Presidential Library? Bush has given ZERO dollars to hire more INS agents. There is a debate about allowing illegal immigrants driver’s licenses, and the ban on the sale of assault weapons was lifted. If we truly care about the safety of our people, why even discuss the rights of illegal immigrants in the first place? Shouldn’t they be deported? Someone better think about that now that they can buy assault weapons.
By Noel
September 15, 2004 12:58 PM | Link to this
I find both of your comments remarkable regarding Barbara and Jenna’s speech at the Republican National Convention. For one, this must have been a great privilege as I did not see any other recent college graduates have the opportunity to speak before the convention. With this solomon opportunity before them, I was very surprized to hear what they said.
I fully expected Jenna and Barbara to address the convention and say: Fellow Americans, Republicans, we stand before you in support of our father and his policies to protect this great nation from terrorist’s. With this in mind, Jenna and I are announcing that we plan on enlisting in the U.S. Army and the United States Marine Corps. Since we are highly supportive of Dad’s polices in Iraq, upon completion of our basis and advanced infantry training, we are requesting to be assigned to Iraq where we will be looking for WMD and helping in the peace effort.
By Ronald Millsaps
September 15, 2004 02:43 PM | Link to this
If John Kerry wins the election, the Bush girls might look back and think the “problem” of media scrutiny wasn’t so bad after all. They also might look at their adolescent performance at the convention and realize they didn’t exactly help their dad’s campaign.
By Connie
September 16, 2004 10:09 AM | Link to this
I do not expect the children of famous people or high profile people to be role models, they have their own idenity to keep up with and do not need the pressure of trying to be a role model for the world to see. We are blessed that the president daughters are not good examples to follow, nor is their father, their apple did not fall far from the tree and the tree that they came from is clearly rotten.