Family Fears Little Adolf Hitler Won't Come Home


By Karen Araiza
NBCPhiladelphia.com
updated 8:48 p.m. ET June 3, 2009

Little Adolf Hitler Campbell’s future may be shaped by two huge events he had no control over -- the name his parents gave him and the day last December when a grocery store refused to put that name on his birthday cake. Adolf was only three. Now, his family says the fury over the cake episode may cost Adolf and his young sisters the one thing kids count on the most -- their parents.

Adolf’s sisters also have names associated with Nazis : JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszylynn Hinter Jeannie Campbell. After the controversial birthday cake story made headlines around the world in January, the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services took all three kids out of their parents’ Milford home.

An aunt, speaking on behalf of the family, says they’re all afraid now that the children will be put up for adoption. The big question is: Why?
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"I think the names were a big part of it. Adolf Hitler, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation? Their names had a lot to do with ther being taken," Jeannie Coverdale told NBC10's Doug Shimell Wednesday. She is speaking on behalf of the couple so they don't break the gag order in the case.

Parents Deborah and Heath Campbell, who received death threats after defending the birthday cake request, said in January they heard rumors that someone made an anonymous and what Heath called a false allegation of child abuse against them.

Right now, the Campbells get to visit their kids twice a week but Coverdale say five months after the kids were taken away, no one has given them any kind of detailed explanation.

"They're not giving Heath and Debbie any information or telling them how to gain their kids back," Covendale said. "I truthfully think that Youth Services will put the kids up for adoption."

State officials are not supposed to talk publicly about cases involving minors in order to protect the children. Dad, Heath Campbell said the agency told him in January the children were removed because they were in "imminent danger."

The Campbells, in interviews, have continually denied being Nazi sympathizers or anything of the sort. The couple has defended the names of their children saying they found them in baby books and reserve the right to name their children whatever they like.

“A name is a name,” Heath Campbell said last December.

Coverdale also defended the names earlier this year with this analogy:

“What about tomorrow night when the President of the United States stands up and says, is forced to say, my name is Barack Hussein Obama. How’s that going to hit the world?” Coverdale said. "I'm saying the one with the middle name he has, was a terrorist.”

She says it’s “no different” than having a name like Adolf Hitler.


So, a very controversial story. What's your take on this???

 

That analogy comparing this to Obama is very weak. Hussein is an old Arabic name that means "handsome one" chosen by his father. Plenty of good men from the Islamic world had that name.
Furthermore, I doubt that he (Obama Sr) picked the name to honor Saddam, or any other infamous Islamic leader for that matter. UNLIKE THESE TWO that clearly decided to be proud of their genocidal hero and their white supremacy and then showcase that pride to the world by branding their children with those names.

Still, I'm not too sure if pulling them out of the home, and violating basic freedom of speech and parenting rights, is the right thing to do here.

EDIT: ALdof Hedo??

 

Hmm, I don't think so POP. A nazi is the furthest thing I could ever possibly be.
I agree with you that Hussein dig is certainly nothing in comparison to naming your children after possibly the most reviled man in history and what he stood for.

I Posted the article, as I often do, to stimulate debate on a very controversial subjects and this story has more than one issue at stake. Firstly, there is the issue of the naming of the children and the implications of that decision, but then there is also the issue of removing children from their parents because of perceived deviance from social norms. Both, I believe very worth of debating.

Something not many people realise: In australia children born of inter racial marriages between Caucasian and the indigenous aborigines were still removed from their parents and put into white families up until the 1980s. A truly shameful reflection of the societal norms of that country.

 

I've a question.

Here in Germany, you have to go to the municipal administration to register your child and all that. If someone would want to name their kid Goofey or whatever, they wouldn't register the child with that name. My guess is that it would be the same for the names mentioned in the report.

How does it work in the U.S. or other countries?

 

Not sure how it works in other countries, Jule, but that seems a little fascist to me. Who is the state to decide what people can call their children?

 

as much as i think the state shouldn't have that much of a say... in this case a little state intervention over the childrens' names could have helped a lot.

you've got to be a real sick shit to call your kids "adolf hitler" or "aryan nation".

 

I'm not saying that I agree with their choice of names, but there are lots of things I don't agree with and lots of things about me that other people don't agree with. That is what makes the human race such a fascinating group to be part of.

 

Yet think about it. What seems a nice joke or whatever to the parents may hunt the kid all his life till he or she can finally change the name when turning 18.
It's not like all weird names are forbidden. But some of them are and should be. Would you want to be called Adolf Hitler, chair, tree, or whatever?
And if someone would want to name their kid Tyler for example, they'd have to give a second name that clearly shows whether the child is male or female.

 

seems fair enough to me, as it seems to be in the interests of the children... bob geldof and frank zappa may have had a problem naming their children if every country followed this though

 

I think most people would agree with you. Just think of some of the names that came out of the 60's. Frank Zappa was a class example with a couple of his offspring: Moon Unit 1 and Dweezle. I would hate to be landed with a terrible name, but my point is, who are we to dictate what is ok or not?

And I did change my name when I was 19, both first and surname, but it had nothing to do with how bad my birth name was.


Damn you BS, you got in b4 me

 

I would agree with you if it would be about you chosing your name. But it's the kids that would have to suffer and that's just not fair.
I have great parents, they selected great names for my and my sister. But not all kids are that lucky.

 

it's a point to be considered that most parents do think they're giving their kids good names... like my parents gave both my brother and i christian/hebrew names that are rich in meaning... did we both like them? no, we both hate our names and have used nicknames and shortened versions forever lol.

 

While I agree the kids may suffer, I stand by every parent's right to name their child as they see fit. So I guess we will just have to agree to disagree on this.

 

It would take me ages to make a decision! :excited:

 

A famous German actor (Till Schweiger) names his one daughter Emma Tiger. So you see, they can name their kids as they see fit, yet there has to be one "normal" name at least.

But yeah, we agree to disagree.

 

So how long did it take to choose Jule? Your stuck with that one for life too!

As I am stuck with being a single minded pleasure seeker (which I am not) But the name I chose when I legally changed it, is a good one that I am happy with

 

Didn't take long since it's a nickname used in real life as well. But you'd have to see me trying to set up a new e-mail address!

 

So, how many people are there in Germany? How people do I have to ask, excuse me, do you know where Jule is before I can find you?

 

Which means you're denying the child's right to have a name which will not serve to give them horrendous abuse throughout their entire lives.

 

Depends! If you ask my friends, they'll tell you pretty quickly.