What's In A Name

Good morning. So, with everything my family has done throughout the years, and they have done plenty to annoy, they have never done anything that would make me seek to hide my identity. Sure, I had a great-grandfather who modeled himself a bit of a "robber baron". I had a grandfather who claimed to serve in WWII, while sailing his boat around Long Island for the "Coastal Defense Force" searching between drinks and dinners for U-boats. I have a brother, who, while running for Congress in Georgia, chose to bring his sidearm with him to a campaign rally in a public park (makes it a bit tough to kiss the babies but looks macho for a decidedly representative crowd). Heck, I have done a few "amusing" things in my day (ask my parents if they defined them the same way), including being "detained" by the Heritage, SC peace officers for a fraternity stunt that involved a birthday suit celebration on Jim and Tammy Faye Baker's front lawn (you remember them of the religious televangelist set). All this aside, I am very proud of my heritage and family. My oldest is named after my great grandfather: Bear. My youngest has a middle name representing his "naval" grandfather. In general, my wife and I pay tribute to and enjoy the facts of who and where we come from and belong to in our lineage.
So, how about Harry Reid's son? You know Harry Reid. The Senate Majority leader. The Senator from Nevada who is waging a real battle to keep his seat (for what would be a 5th term). The man who seemingly hates everyone, especially Wall Street types. The man who enjoyed his air time in 2008 featured with the likes of Pelosi, Waxman, Waters and the rest of the 'illiterati" questioning, if not grilling, intelligent individuals who had stepped into the breach to try to solve a national crisis. The Harry Reid who's son, Rory, is running for governor as the state's democratic candidate. The same Harry Reid, who's son, Rory, in running for governor but has evidently chosen to go the way of the Brazilian footballer in shunning his last name in any mention of his father or family. Can't you picture the campaign posters and adds: "Vote for Rory" and "Paid for and Approved by Rory" who happens to be some sort of suit and samba wearing left winger (both party and position) with a mean header and a bending kick. As one political pundit said: the family ticket "Plays into the narrative that this is not about Nevada, this is about the Reids". Evidently, this about recognizing when your family is an albatross around your neck and running for the door. Despite his father's longevity in local and national politics (maybe worth another discussion about term limitations), here is a son who wants to be disassociated from that legacy. Not even when my dad rooted for his prep school alma mater, Trinity Pawling, against my Taft did I consider becoming a one-named lad (not the least of which because with my last name I would have sounded like a pole dancer from Tallahassee - no offense to pole dancers or Tallahassee). If Rory wants to be only Rory, I can only imagine the wave of single named children emerging from their childhoods in the modern Sodom and Gomorra just down the I-95 corridor. Go get them, Malia Ann and Natasha.