November 16, 2008 was a monumental day for the United State of America. For the first time in our nation's history, a black man was elected president. While I have an optimistic feeling that at some point the people living in this country will look back and think it was so silly that a black man had never been president before 2008, this day will always be important. On this day, the lives of 7-year-old Sasha and 10-year-old Malia changed forever.
Over the past 7 1/2 years, the First Daughters have literally grown up in front of the United States. As the spawns of two of the most powerful people in the country, making sure they were never involved in scandals was imperative. They were not allowed the same social media access as most kids their age for security reasons. And, speaking of security, imagine showing up to your first day of high school with the secret service following you around. High school is scary enough without a squad of big men in suits shadowing you.
Recently, both of the Obama girls have been in the news, but not for anything scandalous. Quite the contrary, actually. It's the type of stuff that would never make the news if they didn't have the last name they did. Malia has been scrutinized for skipping the Democratic National Convention to go to Lolla Palooza with her friends.
And Sasha has been in the news as it was reported she is spending the summer as a waitress at a restaurant.
So they're just like us, right?
Well, that's how their parents have tried to raise them. It was extremely important to both Barack and Michelle Obama that their daughters received as normal of an upbringing as possible. They go to high school proms and play in basketball tournaments. They work hard and study for tests; Malia will be doing one of the most normal things by attending college after taking a gap year. Most importantly, just like every other teenage girl, they still get embarrassed by their dad.
I believe that commenting on how the Obama girls spend their time is really none of our business. They didn't ask for this life, they're not celebrities. Let them live, and be the normal teenage girls they have every right to be.
