Parenting

Friday, December 4, 2009

Crabmommy: The right to choose?

I believe every woman has a right to choose, but lately my belief has been seriously tested.

Crabmommy tries to steer clear of politics in this blog because who wants to hear anything serious from me? However, I'm making an exception today to question Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin's ability to use good judgment and make sound choices. With regard to baby names.

By now many women around the country have apparently been impressed with Ms. Palin's ability to juggle both Blackberry and breast pump. Yes, this lady has a whole lotta babies and yet she still finds time to shoot caribou and do a bunch of other stuff we moms can relate to.

More or less: Four women explain how they chose the number of the children they have.

But, Crabmommy readers, can you really in good conscience support a woman who deviates so seriously from the norm of tasteful baby naming when it comes to her brood? Okay, so two of her kids have names we can't make much out of: Willow and Piper. But then she's got a boy named Track. Why? Because the family loves track and field. And they have another boy named Trig -- you know, the Norse word for "strength." And then there's a daughter named Bristol, who is herself pregnant (at 17, and therefore doubly likely to call her child something dodgy too).

Are You Ready for Another Child? Take this humorous quiz and to find out if you're ready or not for number two, three or higher.

People, Crabmom is seriously worried. Are you telling me that someone who calls her kid Track is sufficiently level-headed to have her finger near the nuclear button? And I ask you, if these people get into the White House, what on earth is going to happen to baby names countrywide? Forget Utah and its weirdo baby names, our entire country would go nuts with the newly ordained Palin power monikers: as a result we'd see a nation spawning kids called Hurdle, Liverpool, and whatever-all novel names they can dream up. In short, it's going to be a baby-naming free-for-all, and I'm not sure our country can handle it.

Track. Trig. And Bristol? Bristol is a city in the UK, which means it's not even in the United States. Frankly I find that choice un-American. Which makes it unpatriotic. Indeed, one might even go so far as to say that Gov. Palin borders on immoral when it comes to this issue. All of which makes me wonder if we wouldn't be better off in a society that regulates our freedoms when it comes to baby names, protecting mothers against our own bad decisions?

What's in a name? As various monikers fall in and out of favor we can tell you the meaning, but not the motivation.

Tough call. I've been wrestling with this quandary all weekend. In the end, though, I'm staying true to my long-held principles. As such, I support Palin's right to choose, but with baby names like that she's not getting this mommy's vote.

Malia and Natasha (Sasha) on the other hand...

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Comments 11-20 of 62
  • Cryssi's Avatar
    Posted by Cryssi Wed Sep 3, 2008 6:44am PDT

    I went to school with a michael jackson and a john hancock. I think Bristol is also the name of a NASCAR track or something, maybe that's where Bristol came from...

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  • MissK's Avatar
    Posted by MissK Wed Sep 3, 2008 7:41am PDT

    Bristol is also a city in Connecticut. As for steering clear of politics, you've made it pretty clear that you've been indoctrinated into the cult of Obama. Since when is Malia a "mainstream" name??

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  • Disgruntled's Avatar
    Posted by Disgruntled Wed Sep 3, 2008 8:17am PDT

    Goofy kid's names are one of my pet peeves and my husband and I were joking about this the other day. I have trouble taking anyone seriously who names their kids Bristol, Track and Trig. We thought maybe Trig was short for Trigonometry. Bristol makes me think of both the city in England and the drug company Bristol-Meyers.

    Personally, I think parents who give their childen "creative" names are selfish. They're handicapping their kids for life because they want to express themselves. If you give your kid a name like Track or Trig, you know they're going to get picked on regularly at school and will have a much harder time being taken seriously as an adult. Name your dog Trig, not your baby.

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  • mom of 3's Avatar
    Posted by mom of 3 Wed Sep 3, 2008 9:44am PDT

    I went to school with a guy named Dougie Douglas and Roy Rogers. I myself have an unusual name, while the rest of the family has "normal" names. When my kids were born I gave them "old world names". Names are not what defines you - actions are.

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  • Linda's Avatar
    Posted by Linda Wed Sep 3, 2008 10:08am PDT

    Bristol is also a city in Tennessee. I see nothing wrong with the name Piper. I have two children and I love their names, others may not. their names are Meghan and Ian. What someone chooses to name their has nothing to do with what kind of job they perform.

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  • Crabmommy's Avatar
    Posted by Crabmommy Wed Sep 3, 2008 10:15am PDT

    Crabmommy here. For those of you appalled that I'd pick on the baby names as a reason to not vote for someone...ummm...the post is a JOKE!!!! I'm using the idea of "right to choose" to make FUN of a candidate who is opposed to abortion, which I find to quite an outrageous and disturbing proposition in this day and age.

    As for Miss K who thinks Malia (Obama's kid name) is odd: while not wildly mainstream perhaps, I would hardly put that in the category of Track and Trig. Give me a break.

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  • Sunnyone's Avatar
    Posted by Sunnyone Wed Sep 3, 2008 11:07am PDT

    My grandmother's names was Arizona, wish mom had named that insead of the boring name I have. Good grief, let it go people! Who cares what she names her kids.

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  • M's Avatar
    Posted by M Wed Sep 3, 2008 1:49pm PDT

    Actually there is a Bristol ib the USA. It's in Southeast Georgia in Pierce County. It's a really small town with just on red light but its there!!!!

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  • Rachel's Avatar
    Posted by Rachel Wed Sep 3, 2008 3:21pm PDT

    Omigawd ur only saying this because ur done naming your kids and you have nothing to worry about.no one wants to have their kids name pre approved thats soo stupid. a mother should be able to name her child whatever she wants not what the country thinks is exceptable.so wat if u name ur baby paris it doesnt mean their gonna commit treason and fight for france..DUH!!!

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  • mom of 3's Avatar
    Posted by mom of 3 Wed Sep 3, 2008 3:45pm PDT

    I had a client, female, named Gay. Not kidding! And she informed me that all the girls in her family had equally interesting names... Rainbow, Sunshine, and a few I can't remember... Nicest lady ever, names can be cruel but it all depends on how you look at them. Though, With a easy to make fun of maiden name, I named my kids with "normal" names...Tyler and Lilyana. I see the point, I just don't agree with it, look at Jason Lee's kids name, Piolet Inspektor, a lot worse than Trig!

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