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Keller @ Large: Children Of Public Figures Are Always Off-Limits

BOSTON (CBS) - By now you've probably heard about the saga of the local sports radio talk show host who infuriated Tom Brady and what seems like most of the public by using a very disparaging adjective to refer to Brady's five-year old daughter after she appeared in the video "Tom vs. Time."

Here is a portion of Brady's initial response.

"It's very disappointing when you hear that with my daughter or any child, they certainly don't deserve that," he told WEEI.

Related: Brady Doesn't Want WEEI To Fire Reimer

You can say that again Tom. But the sad truth is, that foolish host is not the first to violate what used to be a strong taboo.

Back in the day, the minor children of a president were considered off-limits by the press, and negative remarks about them were rarely if ever heard.

But that changed by the early eighties, when a young Amy Carter drew public criticism at times.

And by the time 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton reached the White House, the likes of Rush Limbaugh and the Saturday Night Live writers felt free to openly mock her.

Sasha and Malia Obama were called classless for showing their boredom at the annual turkey pardoning.

And the unrestrained vitriol unleashed by social media has resulted in 11-year-old Barron Trump being targeted by Twitter trolls.

It's bad enough that every public misstep of grown presidential children is seen as fodder, even if they never sought a public profile.

No wonder so many good people pass on public service for fear of the toll it might take on their families.

But the gratuitous insulting of a five-year-old girl for the crime of seeking her father's attention?

If we thought we had hit bottom, we were wrong.

Share your take with me via email at keller@wbztv.com, or you can reach me on Twitter, @kelleratlarge.

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