Freedom by Any Other Name

As we all know, spring is a time of new life and beginnings. Ritenour students are celebrating the birth of new chickens. Dave Stokes and his family are celebrating the birth of their son. (I’m not saying those are totally comparable circumstances, just that they’re both examples of new life!)

Have you ever sat back and thought about the amazing freedom we have in this country to name someone who’s just been born? I hadn’t until I read this post on Freakonomics. Germany forbids extra-long surnames because German bureaucrats don’t like them. Those same bureaucrats approve the first names of new babies, too, and ensure that names are gender-appropriate.

The Freakonomics post lists a few other countries that regulate children’s names. I’m glad that the United States isn’t one of them. This is one of those quiet freedoms that don’t get a lot of press coverage, but that make up a part of human initiative and self-determination. Kind of like the freedom to enter your tractor in a parade.