After reading Dan Rodricks' column ( "Why prevent immigrants from being president", Aug. 17) I wondered if he eavesdropped on my family's dinner conversation last weekend.

My husband and I have four children - three biological and one adopted. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a favorite conversation starter in our house. The answers have ranged from a Broadway star to a priest to NBA player to trash truck driver to writer.

Sunday night my youngest son, in all innocence declared, "I'm going to be president!" His sister informed him that no, he couldn't be president because he was born in India and you have to be born in the U.S.A. to be president. After thinking for a second my bright, earnest 3-year-old asked, "What else can't I be?"

Julie Neaman