Privacy and A Parent’s Open Letter to Malia and Sasha

One of the concerns that President-elect Obama and his wife have expressed is the smooth transition for their children into the national and international spotlight. The goal is to maintain as much normalcy as possible, in the light of heightened security and media interest. The presence of a Secret Service detail has become a fact of life for these two young girls. Privacy then becomes a challenge for two adolescents, growing up in the White House.

Because privacy is such a concern now and for years to come, it is somewhat puzzling why President-elect Obama would allow publication of an open letter to his daughters:

link: ‘What I Want for You — and Every Child in America’

The letter, of course, is eloquent and superbly crafted. However, does it not invite further media attention and less privacy for these two young girls? Perhaps this could have been made public in a future presidential library. The open presentation of such a communique to Malia and Sasha Obama, at this time, does not enhance the process of guarding their privacy. It would seem that this letter would foster exactly the opposite and not shift attention away from the youngest future residents of the White House.

Catherine Forsythe