LEAVE NOELLE ALONE

On Sept. 28, the Herald published a letter from Steve Abbott that questions
Jeb Bush's integrity in dealing with his daughter's problem. Mr. Abbott
said, "Noelle seems to be one of those people who likes to get high." He
then says: "I feel for Noelle."

It is utterly disingenuous to claim concern for the problems of a child of
a politician while using those problems to score political points against
her father. The children of politicians do not have a choice as to whether
or not to live in the fishbowl that their parents occupy and so they should
not become pawns in political attacks.

This applies to both political parties. Recently the son of a prominent
Democratic politician was arrested for driving under the influence. He,
like Noelle Bush, is entitled to a chance to get his life straightened out
without becoming fodder for campaign attacks.

While apparently news editors have decided that the personal troubles of
politicians' children are newsworthy, to use these troubles against a
candidate or officeholder coarsens the civility of our political discourse
in a most unfortunate way.

Raymond Androne,

East Manatee