Don't blame Palin for daughter's pregnancy

Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin’s unmarried teenage daughter is pregnant.

So what?

I don’t understand why this pregnancy is an issue in the upcoming presidential election. I’ve read many comments, reports and opinions in the past few days from people who think this information calls Palin’s values and abilities into question. How insulting to hard-working, loving moms everywhere who have watched a child make mistakes.

I, for one, am not an avid Palin fan, but I don’t think a wayward child is any reflection of a parent’s aptitude as a politician or a human being.

I know many amazing parents whose children have gone astray at some point — including my own. But even when I was caught up in youthful errors, it was not my parents’ fault. They did everything right — sometimes kids just need to make mistakes, have life experiences and come home when they’re ready. At least Palin says she will give her daughter “unconditional love and support” as she “faces the responsibilities of adulthood.”

What do you think — should Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy be an issue in this campaign? Perhaps more importantly, should parents be blamed for their children’s poor choices?