Child Naming Restrictions

Message Effects- Fear

Child naming restrictions are slowly growing around the globe, some places faster then others. Even within the United States, naming restrictions can be found in states like Iowa, Nebraska, and New Jersey. However most states that do have restrictions are focused on the length of the name, the use of accents, and no numbers. Nebraska and New Jersey are the only two states that have restrictions that Prohibit names that are obscene. Many U.S. Citizens are against restricting names; some may argue that they fear in giving the government the power to reject a parents right to name their child, and then they are in jeopardy of losing more freedoms.

            Professor of Law at the University of California, Carlton F.W. Larson, wrote an article where he shares a legal analysis of parents' rights to name their own children. He talks about Americans and our fear of losing our first amendment rights, if we let the government reject names then we are letting the government walk all over the free speech clause. Larson also brings up the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that the government would be intruding on citizen's rights. The diversity within the United States creates havoc especially when it comes to forming laws. It seems that everyone sees this issue differently, but they all see the negatives that will be an outcome of change, so they choose to do nothing out of fear of what may be.

            Countries like, New Zealand, Sweden, and Denmark approach naming restriction with efficacy. These countries believe in the seriousness of the negative effects that certain names may have on children. The only way they can resolve this issue is to take the option away before more innocent children become victims. Some counties even supply a list of names that their citizens may choose from. For example, Portugal has a list of previously approved and rejected names that is used as a reference and available on the internet.

Letting fear take over, not allowing us to make a conscious look into the problem at hand is severely slowing down progression in any debate. Fear is a great tool to get what you want; however what you want is not always what everyone else wants. Fear is definitely a major factor in stopping more naming restrictions within the United States. Understanding that fear plays a role makes it easier to talk about the subject more, because fear is not real, it is a product of our imagination. It is essential to see that fear is not a valid reason to put a halt to formulating a solution for an on growing global issue.

Dramatistic Theory

            In the past few years a family from New Jersey has made waves that has progressed the debate of naming restrictions within the United States. The Campbell family if a great example of why naming restrictions is growing into a necessity around the world, having named their three children Adolf Hitler, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation, and Honszlynn Hinler Jeanne. The media coverage is really what made this story blow up, allowing for the situation to become dramatized. Many people want to know who, what, where, why, when, and how. The attention soon shifted away from the children and their names and moved to the parents and their backgrounds. The story just keeps going and today they are still battling for custody of their children.

Not many people are siding with the parents and their decision, especially after the fathers’ criminal background and his links to Nazism have come to light. Most people will try to identify with Adolf Hitler Campbell, who now has to live with the repercussions of his parents’ insensible mistake. We should be happy that the government rescued innocent young Adolf; we should be willing to do more.

            The Campbell family’s story has given us a reason to make a change. By finding out the background information on the family, it can be seen why the parents found their way to naming their kids after Nazi related terms. Burke’s "Pentad" answered questions that lead to the reasons why Adolf and his sisters had to be taken away from their parents. Using the Pentad can be extremely beneficial by providing more information to the audience and answering necessary questions that lead to their participation to the cause.