Is it abuse? Lindsay Lohan's story has hint of parents who made it worse.

There ought to be a special category in the "it's your fault, really" category for parents who use their children as a means to fame and fortune.

There would be a long list of parents who qualify -- and more than a few stories of child actors whose young worlds were altered forever because of the greed and self-absorption of their parents.

The poster child for that sort of preparation for destruction is Lindsay Lohan.

And the latest example of parents who just do not get it is her mother, Dina Lohan.

Of course, now, she says her 24-year-old daughter with the extensive drug and alcohol record and two stints in jail has made her own choices and that she is paying for that behavior. She also says she has tried to help her daughter get back on track.

And while some of the responsibility might actually fall now on Lindsay's shoulders, one wonders what happened for the first 18 years? What sent her spiraling toward this disaster life at such a young age?

Listen to Dina Lohan talk about how she had to let her 19-year-old daughter make her own choices and how unfairly Lindsay has been treated to get a clue. There is plenty of blinded by fame going on here.

Lindsay's story is tragic and a tale with a message for anyone who aspires to be famous.

Problems don't go away -- even with millions of dollars -- and no child is prepared to navigate fame without a solid set of values and a good role model.

Published in Editorials on August 13, 2010 11:04 AM