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HelpRe: Names that are just...wrong.
in reply to a message by Laslow
Which historical figures parents decide to honor tells a lot about them. As others have mentioned, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and Osama Bin Laden are all historical figures, but they have been implicated with genocide and/or mass human rights abuses. While it may be true that most political figures can be viewed as controversial by somebody, not all public figures are tarred with the same brush or are guilty of the same things. Comparing George Washington to Vladimir Lenin is not going to fly with most people.
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At least originally, Lenin was used by parents with communist leanings. Even today, many self-identified communists view Lenin in a positive light. (I'm not defending Lenin; I'm just stating parents' motives for using it.) Over here, names like Lenin and Edison tend to be more common among the working class (though they do see usage by other social classes as well). I doubt most of the people are even aware of the less-appealing traits of their sons' namesakes.
Even a lot of well-liked historical figures aren't always viewed positively by everyone. For example, not all Indians see Mahatma Gandhi as a hero. He's hated by a lot of Dalits who see him as an elitist.
I don't want to turn this into a political argument.
Even a lot of well-liked historical figures aren't always viewed positively by everyone. For example, not all Indians see Mahatma Gandhi as a hero. He's hated by a lot of Dalits who see him as an elitist.
I don't want to turn this into a political argument.
This message was edited 12/8/2016, 3:18 PM
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