The Case Against Junior: Part II or The Case Against Junior, Jr.

The father of Courteney Cox of "Friends" fame is Richard Cox. Richard. Cox. Okay. Not his fault. Sometimes in this life you draw the short straw.

But what could possibly explain Courteney Cox having a brother named Richard Cox?

Nothing but hubris and pure, uncut stubborn. Say what you will about Richard Cox, Sr. but this is a guy who was clearly very firm rigid well, he stood up for his beliefs er, he was a man who believed in stuff and kept believing in them even in the face of certain ridicule.

The very fact that I am ridiculing a man that was very possibly a wonderful person...probably a million and one times better than I could ever hope to be...is my attempt to further prove that it doesn't pay to be overly prideful when naming our children.

I can hear the reasons, "Its not like we'll ever call him Dick!" I'm sure the same thing was said by the adoring parents of Richard Hunt from my school days. But no matter how many times the diminutive Master Hunt quietly suggested that he preferred to be called "Ricky" the kids refused to comply. Some kids are like that. Especially the ones that are kids.

"We can't make decisions based on the juvenile behavior of others." Noble but then its always easy to be noble when someone else has to bear the burden of our cause.

"Its tradition and we are strong! We're the Family Cox! We can take a lic We can perservere. Its what we do."

I'm all for tradition. I even observe a few traditions of my own. But not at any cost and not at the cost of my child's self-esteem. Because, even with a name that doesn't invite teasing, life is "nasty, brutish and short". Life will test them and give them obstacles to overcome without my help. Isn't part of our job as parents to help smooth the way for our children? I'm not saying we should get down and iron the road so its completely flat but maybe just not throw bits of broken glass down onto the path. And then hide their shoes. Just saying.

If, in your own childhood, you had fallen out of tree in such a way that it caused your nose to take a wicked dog-leg left that led the other kids to call you names and just generally poke fun...and if you managed to overcome that and live a happy and fulfilling life...would you then look at your infant son and say, "Son, I love you. I want you to be all that you can be. My horribly disfigured nose made me the man I am today. The kind of man I want you to be. So, you're probably not going to like this but just hold still while I..."

No. You wouldn't do that.

But Richard Cox, Sr. might.

Whatever the surname, Richard Sr. and Richard Jr. present a troubling twist on the problems of Jr. addressed in my last post. Old Dick and Young Dick? Big Dick and Little Dick?

I knew a man named Dick Skinner. This is a real story and not an urban legend like Ura Hogg (though there was an Ima Hogg), or Nosmo King or Placenta. I had a feeling that this might not be as uncommon a name as I would hope it to be so I (foolishly, very foolishly) googled the name.

I don't recommend doing that.