Journal Entry
January 29, 2009
Theresa Smith
What’s In a Name?
Recently there has been much controversy surrounding a Hunterdon County couple, Heath and Deborah Campbell, who have named their three children names that are affiliated with either people from the Holocaust or Nazi terminology.
The entire situation, which resulted in the children being removed from their home by New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services, began when the mother of three-year-old Adolph Hitler Campbell contacted a supermarket in New Jersey to order a cake for her son’s birthday. Due to the child’s name, the supermarket refused to write “Adolph Hitler” on the cake causing the family to have to travel to Pennsylvania to a Wal-Mart that agreed to fill their order for the cake.
If a family names their children after a notorious historical figure or group of people, does this warrant the state to move in and take drastic precautions? I don’t believe that politicians and government agencies should interfere with a parents right to name their children anything they want. However, having the child’s welfare in mind, a parent should consider how society as a whole will interact with their child based upon what name they choose for that child.
Since the mother wanted the child’s first and middle name on the cake, instead of just the first name like most people request, leads me to believe that the request was being made for shock value and media attention. The parents also made it a point to mention that children that were of mixed races were invited to the party. This comment in itself can be viewed as a racial comment.
People in the United States are told that we have certain rights based upon our constitution. Although I do not agree with the names this couple have chosen for their children, Adolph Hitler, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation, and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie, I don’t believe they should be questioned regarding their parenting skills unless some form of abuse or neglect is confirmed. So far the media has not indicated the exact reason why the children have been removed from their home since there is an ongoing investigation.
Last night on the ten o’clock news on channel five, the father, Heath Campbell was interviewed. He was requesting that his children be returned to him and his wife since they did not suffer any type of abuse. There was a gag order in place, which Mr. Campbell ignored, which could prove to be detrimental to his case against the state. However, the court hearing that was to take place today involving the custody of all three children never took place. No one knows why at this time.
Is anyone really concerned about the children? My thoughts are that their peers will ridicule these poor children the entire time they are in school. They will be beaten and teased without mercy. If they do not change their names by the time they become legal age they will face racial ridicule every time they try to reserve a hotel, try to vote, apply for a job, a license of any kind, apply for a credit card and any other application that requires a full name. Although this type of prejudice is illegal it is difficult as a society to differentiate a person from the picture that comes to mind whenever you hear a name such as that of Adolph Hitler. Even the name Adolph, without the last name, brings the monster from the past to mind. I would never subject a child carry the burden of having that name. Children have rights too and I am sure if given the choice none of those children would willingly choose those names for themselves.
UCC Honors HRS103 