Idiot Parents and Nanny Government
Some years ago “the artist formerly known as Prince” changed his name to a bunch of unique symbols not found anywhere else. At the time I thought he was being a total oik, and was doing it to be as annoying as possible. After reading this I wonder if he wasn’t being ironic and was actually years ahead of the rest of us.
No, the government shouldn’t have rules about what you can name yourself or your children ... because you should have a tiny little bit of common sense. I guess that’s too high an expectation for some people these days.
Couldn’t agree more, I knew a woman named Precious, she is in her forties now. The name probably sounded real cute when she was first born. She is a college professor. Can you imagine if she were a doctor? Can you hear a receptionist saying, “Precious will see you now”?
However, it is none of the governments business what I name my kids. Just more big brother. I assume most students still read Orwells “1984”, but very few seem to realize it is increasingly upon us. Have the same problem with seat belt laws, trans fat bans, smoking bans, gun bans, “public” schools etc.
Inch by inch we are giving up our freedom.
“A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away.” --Barry GoldwaterPosted by DixieKraut
06/21/2007 at 09:21 AM
Precious? That's precious! That kind of name is still better than some of the modern ones designed to
piss off white folksshow uniqueness and sound kinda african.I once worked with a guy from India named Brilliant. That lead to all sorts of fun.If Christ Had Not Died For Thee Thou Wouldst Be Damned Barebones. Went by Damned Barebones. Wonder when people’d say, “Well, I’ll be damned!” if he didn’t say, “No, that’d be me!”
Great idea for a vanity plate, bad idea for naming a human being.
Imagine a teacher taking roll....
billy?........here!
2hot4u?.......here!
jimmy?........here!
IM1RU2?.......here!
PU55Y?........here!
bobby?........here!
NAW T?........here!
PUCK U?.......here!I used to go to school with a cute strawberry blond (natural!) named Prudence - her nickname was Pookie. Go figure.
As for the rest, no kidding. Parents aren’t doing the kid any good if they give him or her a terminally unique name. Then again, it really shouldn’t be any business of the state. Fools on both sides...........sigh.
As far as I am aware the NZ government is socialist and this is par for the course with these control freaks. Personally I think the parents are schmucks for inflicting this stupidity on their child but it’s none of the government’s business.
I do agree that the government should have no say into what one’s children are named.. HOWEVER (And, I like my howevers), They should be open to lawsuit by their children when they get a name that is a combination of letters that is unpronounceable by anyone with the ability of speech. These names seem to have no use, other that having to ask them how to spell it 32 times while trying to take an order, or just to put it in ones cell phonebook.
This is just another form of child abuse IMHO. Ask the boy whose hippy parents named him ‘Sunshine Wildflower’.. (not me, a friend of mine!) It does not work like Johnny Cash’s ‘Boy named Sue’
Take my word for it…Heard of a woman naming her newly born daughter Placenta. Seems she liked the way it just rolls off of your tongue.
"Good grief, is everything about their lives managed this closely by the government?”
Unfortunately, yes.
I returned to NZ nearly 3 years ago after 15 years away and whilst I love the climate, environment and people, I am desparately unhappy about the government and, in particular, the way it has crippled our economy.
Regarding its interference in our lives, this is a very socialist government. Indeed, many people half jokingly refer to NZ as a communist state.
Our two most prominent politicians, Clark the Prime Minister and Cullen the Finance Minister, have never - yes, never - worked in the private sector. Both have become millionaires from the public purse and love nothing better than to tell NZers how to live their lives. In addition, Clark has never had children so she has no understanding of family life.
Thankfully, it looks like they will be turfed out in the elections next year and we will have a conservative government led by a self made millionaire who was brought up by a solo mother living in a state (government funded) house. John Keys has a social conscience, but he also realises that we have the good sense to manage our own affairs best.
Unfortunately, the damage caused by three terms of a Labour government is considerable and will take some time to correct.
Posted by edinburgh
06/23/2007 at 03:50 PM
edinburgh: sorry to hear about the sad state of affairs in your homeland. hopefully the new government is able to reverse course.
Despite its horrible track record, socialism’s slow creep has infected every corner of the globe.
America has been trending toward socialism for decades. FDR put into place a social security program that can never be dismantled. Not only is it deficient in meeting the needs of seniors, its getting more expensive and lurching toward bankruptcy at the same time. Now socialist leaning politicians, media, celebrities and voting blocks are demanding the government run health care. Lord help us if the government is running that large of a segment of our economy.
Just because you are born in one country, it doesn’t mean you have to stay there. Unfortunately, the planet feels a lot smaller these days and there doesn’t seem to be many places in the world where the government isn’t sticking their grubby paws into your pocket and offering a whole lot in return.
People should have names that don’t require proficiency in 1337(that’s pronounced “Leet” by the way). Then again, it’s not the government’s place to handle this.
As for names that parents create for their children, I think it’s charming ... as long as the names remain pronounceable and not overly bizzare.
The kid in New Zealand?
I think they’ll call him what they want to call him,
and he’ll respond to what he wants to respond to.
06/21/2007 at 05:24 PM
06/22/2007 at 02:23 AM
