Mom-daughter births a celebration?

I recently read the story about a mother and daughter giving birth the same day: big picture, smiling, doting mothers, even the doctor was in there. How cute, I first thought. How sad, after I read the story. Appears she is a 16-year-old girl (child), and we give it big press since she gave birth the same day as her mom — how joyous! No husband, no means to support the child most likely, and years of hardship finishing school and becoming independent (although she’s going to live with Mom).

Your editors were at asleep at the wheel on this one. We have so many other inspiring stories, stories young people can aspire toward, raising them up, but you choose one in this case lacking moral values, especially during the time of Christmas. I talked with my own 13- and 15-year-old daughters about the article, sharing with them that there was no joy in this story, and that no one should think based on the sensationalizing by the writer that this was a “newsworthy” story. I don’t want my teen daughters thinking that’s cool, I want a child too.

I do wish the mother and daughter the best and most certainly the innocent children they brought into this world, but celebrate it under the circumstances? Come on!

Curt Rothlisberger

Palatine