This thread has totally gotten off track :D

No one is saying that you can't name your kid whatever you want.

They are saying that parents should probably (emphasis on probably, because we can't force anyone to do this) think about the name they chose for their child and how it might effect them in the future.

NO ONE can deny that studies have been done. The one I read and saw on 20/20 was with african americans who had what people would consider "typical" african american names. These participants put up the same resume on monster.com. The resumes with their "white" names (i.e. Michelle, Heather, David) got more hits than the "real" resumes. Of course every company was told at the end about the study and they all released statements that they "don't discriminate".

But guess what we live in a world that discriminates.

People will discriminate until the end of time. We can't change that. They are going to discriminate on your name, the color of your skin, the color your eyes or hair. They will discriminate on whether you have money or not. The type of clothes you wear.

What people are arguing is that parents should think about this and give their children a name that might eliminate some of the discrimination. That they should think about it ahead of time.

Does that mean they have to? NO

Does that mean everyone has to agree with that line of thought? NO

But yet people are still arguing over the point!


It's totally fine if people don't want to think about the names and how it might effect their child in the future. But it is also fine for people to think about the name and how it might effect their child in the future

I think Ms. PacMan would be a good name for a girl.
Maybe Tron or Destro if it's a boy.

I agree that there are obviously other developmental factors when it comes to children. However, I think it is pretty dangerous to minimize the role of parents (I'm not saying you're doing this, I'm just saying its an extremely poor decision if the development community were to put forth this idea without also emphasizing that parents are still a huge factor). There is already a noticeable lack of good parenting in this country and far too much dependency on other sources (schools, society at large). I just think putting out the message "don't worry about it, you're not that big a deal in their lives anyhow" is a very dangerous proposition in a society already plagued with irresponsible youth (and parents).

This is lame excuse to justify hate. Period. That's lame and you know it. Instead of being the "bigger person", the "better person" and making that difference in people's lives you'd rather trivialize their being.

Just because it's the easy thing to do, I guess we just do it because we don't want to be better people than simpletons.

I guess this is what happens when the "Me.com" generation grows up. So selfish, run over anyone different...

Uncalled for.

AKAMonet,

Are you saying that it's hateful even to notice that people might be treated differently because of their names or it's hateful to say it's a parental duty to choose a name that will minimize the bias a kid faces?

I think it is hateful even to notice that people might be treated differently because of their names.

How are you going to enforce the "duty of the parents naming children" in any kind of US court?

Its hateful to notice a fact? Crazy.

So you agree making judgements on people based on their names you have deemed inappropriate on a resume without having ever met them?

Notice is looking at a name on a piece of paper.

Not noticing one's hate? Bigot...

This is ridiculous. It is hateful of us to accept the FACT that your name could be a disadvantage to you in society?

Give me a break.

So, I take it you do not have a Ethnic name?:confused:

I wasn't thinking of it being enforceable at all. It seems to me that there are a lot of unenforceable things that others recognize as duties of good parents: reading to kids, sending them to school ready to learn, attending parents meetings at school, etc. They go way beyond what's required to avoid charges of neglect or anything "enforceable," but society seems to think that good parents do them.

I don't think that it's bad parenting to give your kid a unique name. But I can see that the flip side of "parents should consider this" is the idea that "you didn't consider that, so you're a bad parent," and I was wondering if that's what you were angered by.

I don't think it's hateful to notice discrimination.

I think it's hateful to discriminate on the basis of race.

But I don't think that saying, "hey, naming your kid that may set him or her up for more discrimination" is in itself a hateful statement. It would be hateful to discriminate that way yourself, and it may be stupid to think your opinion matters in what other people name their kids.

That has nothing to do with it you moron.

Oh damn, my name is Michelle and Heather was my parents' 2nd choice.

Why am I so white :(

I'd respond to this if it made any sense. Are you attending the Tom Earp school of writing?