Guest: What’s in a name?

I received the following as a “Guest blogger” submission from Peter Pimkus:

There is all this curiosity about names: Who are the anonymous posters? What, however, does a name tell us? Do we know the ideas a person has from their name? Do we know their profession or their education? Do we know their expereices in life or what their interests are?

Brown, Patel, Pennington, Harrington, Castro, Emmanual, Santiago, Smith, Capone, Sosa, Clemente, McNeil, Schultz, Kowalski, Carr, Stoneham, Rosser, Prescott Bush, George Bush, etc. What pictures come into our heads as we read these names? And do we see who they are or just the images that the names create from our own experiences? Is the name male or female? Do they have white or dark skin? What is their hair color or are they bald, old, young, single, married or dead or alive?

Often, from a name we think we know their heritage, or their race, or even their religion. From a name, we may think we know if they are rich or poor. We may think we can tell their neighborhood or their intelligence. We may even think we KNOW them because we know their name. I hear many say, oh they must be German, or Italian or Irish, or Mexican, or Jewish or I know the family or I know the wife or brother or mother or sister…So, what does this tell us about THEM?

So, to those that are more interested in thinking they know me, I say, listen to what I say, to the thoughts, concerns, ideas, or questions I have, and then you MAY be more accurate in knowing me but even then, I doubt it…

Attacks on people are used to silence them and while that is wrong, we see it used even at the highest levels of our government. We see the “explanation” for the comments made by people as only being because of who they are and then no answer is given, just the inference that no answer is needed because of who they are. Or, because someone said something, they’re labeled as some kind of kook and that is how they are “perceived” or viewed for anything they ever say again.

If you like George Bush and he said something, would you accept it more willingly and universally than if you didn’t like him? Would either be correct? Should questions be asked or is the information all that you need to “know” the facts? I say that assumptions lead to misunderstanding and do a disservice to everyone. Yet, that is what is being asked here. To let us judge you because of who you are and not by what you say or the questions you ask is what is wrong with society. We need to listen to, question, and respect each other for who we really are.