Sarah Palin: Why She Named Her Son Trig And What This Means

So by now we all know that Sarah Palin is a rather odd individual. From the notes on her hand at the Tea Party convention ("lift American spirits", really?) to her claims that Alaska's proximity to Russia gave her foreign policy experience, Palin is of questionable intelligence by even some Fox viewers' standards.

But her recent admonition of Fox's own Family Guy show after they used a character with Down Syndrome to poke fun at the former Governor, not her child, brought to light a potentially interesting character feature.

The Palin's child, Trig, whom she carries around, to quote the actress with Down Syndrome who played the aforementioned character, "like a loaf of French bread...for sympathy and votes", has, of course, Down Syndrome. What is interesting, is the potential reason for naming him "Trig".

Sarah Palin claims Trig is a Norse name meaning both "truth" and "brave victory". Trygg is indeed Norse for "truth" while Trygve is Norse for "brave victory" but at the same time, Sarah's father, Chuck Heath, claims Trig was named after his great-uncle who was a Bristol Bay fisherman, in Chuck's words.

Not one for conspiracy theories, I had originally believe this because, why not? Even though, as I have found, Chuck was born in California, moved to Idaho after meeting Sarah's mother in Washington, and was a teacher in Idaho until moving to Alaska when Sarah was a toddler. There's a chance Chuck's great-uncle pulled a Jack London and ventured north in the 1860's to fish amongst Seward's Folly. But I just the other day stumbled upon another term for Down Syndrome, Trisomy-G.

This would normally mean nothing except for the Palin's penchant for naming their children after either their surroundings or their experiences.

Children with Trisomy-G are sometimes, in the essence of brevity, referred to as Tri-g or "trig" babies.

My theory, corroborated in part by Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic, is that she did not name her child after any Norse words, suddenly breaking from her observational naming habit, but that she continued with that habit and thought "Oh, "trig" babies! That's cute!" and thus named him so.

Keep in mind the following:

Both parents have admitted that Track Palin was named Track because Chuck Heath was a track coach and Sarah loves running

Todd Palin is also a pilot and Piper is both a manufacturer of planes (think "Piper Cub") as well as a type of bird.

Bristol, well, Bristol, Alaska is a place they both love.

More shocking, however, is that Trig's middle names, Paxson and Van, are named because (their words) Paxson is a beautiful area that is great for snowmobiling, Todd's pride and joy, and Van is a neat way to make his name sound like, I kid you not, Van Halen. Trig Paxson Van Palin.

Considering, then, the origins of the other names, it is not at all unlikely that Sarah and First Dude gave their latest child a heartwrenchingly accurate name in Trig.

Remember again, like Andrea Friedman (the Family Guy actress with Down Syndrome) said of Sarah's display and think of the proper way to carry a child. It is acceptable at times to carry a child the way she does Trig but not for long periods of time. The reason, I see, for her carrying him that way is to show off his face and thus, garner sympathy.

To them, Trig is a showpiece whose purpose is to be shown off and have names that either conjure "snowmachines", an 80's rock group, or simply and most importantly, the child's condition.

This is important, in case you had yet to guess, because Sarah Palin is tapping into a conservative movement that, for some odd reason, suddenly feels disenfranchised now that we have a black President who is attempting to assure that they all have healthcare. Palin will likely try to run in 2012 while claiming to come from "small town America" while holding "real values". She is quick to criticize anyone (on the left) for using "the R word" yet she has most likely callously named her child after a rock band and his condition.

Would the name Cleft be acceptable for a child with a cleft lip? Absolutely not.

Trig Palin is a human being but to his parents, he is a "gift from God"....to use as they wish.