Pleased to meet you, my name's... Hitler

[Martha_Medea]

@KarlGauss

I can’t find a cite for it, but recall reading that in the 1930’s and 40’s, the people of Easter Island, quite isolated except for radio contact, and even then not understanding most foreign languages, made a habit of naming their boys “Hitler”. Apparently, they heard near-constant references to a certain Herr Hitler on the radio and figured he must be some big shot. :eek:

One reporter told a tale of being in a restaurant when a fellow walked in and was greeted by a loud, uninhibited, “Hola, Hitler!” Seriously.

This also happens in the rural areas here, and as a result there are people all over the place called Stalin and Lenin as well as Hitler, and for all I know Pol Pot and Osama bin Laden might crop up here and there as well.

This case is different: this lawyer and another, younger man whose name I’ve seen in the papers as well are from the urban, better educated sectors of society, who can’t have not known what they were doing.

Similarly, many old lefties have named their kids Lenin, Stalin, Engels and the incomparable ‘Sovietski’. Even if most people are not offended by this, it’s difficult to take people with these names seriously. Can’t they or their parents see that going out in the wider world with a name like that is a fucking liability?

@jackmanni

It actually used to be “fashionable” for dimwits to name their dogs things like Hitler (“Heel, Hitler!”) and Mussolini.

Comically enough this lawyer’s brother is named Mussolini. Which leaves little doubt about what was inspiring their parents.

@Bricker

Are there any Trujillo families in your neighborhood?

No, I don’t live in that kind of neighbourhood. I’ve never come across anyone with that surname in the DR, except for one TV sports presenter. The Trujillos are all in exile, or long dead.

I used to work with a person whose surname was Trujillo, and she came from another Latin American country. She had to come and work with colleagues in the DR and I heard a couple of hostile comments from people, based on her surname, even though I’m pretty sure there was no connection with the DR Trujillos.

Anyway, happening to have the same surname, especially a common surname, is not comparable to having actively chosen a name that will inevitably upset or offend some, if not all, people. It certainly strikes a raw nerve with me. As you may have noticed.

Call it prejudiced or petty, but I would not want him to be my lawyer.

Or my driving teacher, for that matter. In the city of Santiago there is a driving school called ‘Escuela de choferes Hitler’.

I can sort of see the funny side, but it still pisses me off.

[Lord_Mondegreen]

@Bricker

Are there any Trujillo families in your neighborhood?

[OT]
The CEO of Australia’s largest telco (Telstra) is Sol Trujillo.

Telstra was originally a government-owned enterprise which was partially privatized some years ago and listed on the stock market. Millions of Australians bought shares at the time.

Since taking over as CEO the company’s share price has fallen almost 25%. I suspect many investors will have very negative feelings towards his name - I don’t foresee many birth notices welcoming the arrival of Trujillo Smith.
[/OT]

[duffer]

@NurseCarmen

Hitler! Attilla! Pol!

Time for dinner!!

Actually in this case it would be:

Hitler! Hun! Pot!

Man, I’m the first to notice that? :eek:
Martha, is this really that upsetting to you? How old are the people that were given the name as newborns? And one question I have that may have been answered, are you in the Dominican Republic? (Not sure)

Why would you demand a person change their name because it was also used to call Evil in for his homework? Is it possible that some don’t think sharing a name equates having the same evilness? Is eveyone named Joe supposed to be ashamed for Stalin’s acts? It’s a name. Do we now hold it against a person what their parent’s name them?

Sins of the father and all that.

I can easily see someone in the US naming their kid Osama. That’s on the parents. If the kid grows up knowing that’s his name without knowing the association of it, why should he change it?

I think of the name Martha as being old, doddery, and outmoded. Change your name. Unless it is your name, which justifies my stereotype of you. Names mean everything. :rolleyes:

[Frank]

@duffer

I can easily see someone in the US naming their kid Osama. That’s on the parents. If the kid grows up knowing that’s his name without knowing the association of it, why should he change it?

I work with an Osama, and his attitude is, “It’s my name.” It’s a fairly common name among Muslims - not on a par with John or Joe, but fairly common - and I see no comparison with someone giving their child a first name of Hitler or Stalin or Pinochet or Bush.

[duffer]

@Frank

I work with an Osama, and his attitude is, “It’s my name.” It’s a fairly common name among Muslims - not on a par with John or Joe, but fairly common - and I see no comparison with someone giving their child a first name of Hitler or Stalin or Pinochet or Bush.

The comparison being I find Osama as detestable as Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin. I wouldn’t expect any of them to change their name based on the person that made us all aware of the name. Where did you miss that?

[duffer]

Never mind. Saw the inclusion of Bush. Says what you have to say on the subject right there, doesn’t it?

[Frank]

@duffer

The comparison being I find Osama as detestable as Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin. I wouldn’t expect any of them to change their name based on the person that made us all aware of the name. Where did you miss that?

Your comment that “it’s on the parents.” To choose a given name for a child that is from your cultural heritage is far different than choosing a given name that is a last name from a different culture. A more apt comparison would be the Smith’s, O’Reilly’s or Esposito’s naming their child binLaden.

[Frank]

@duffer

Never mind. Saw the inclusion of Bush. Says what you have to say on the subject right there, doesn’t it?

Well, you should know my views by now, duffer, or else you haven’t been paying attention. Or else I haven’t clicked my sig yet in this thread.

Why should Osama or Saddam be detestable as a first name when Joseph or Adolf or August or George is not?

[Kolak_of_Twilo]

@Frank

Why should Osama or Saddam be detestable as a first name when Joseph or Adolf or August or George is not?

Sidenote: Harpo Marx was born Adolph Marx. Later in life he legally changed it to Arthur Marx.

[Jotun]

@duffer

I can easily see someone in the US naming their kid Osama.

I can too. Osama isn’t a very rare name. I knew two of them. I still think it’s a bit different than naming your kid Hitler. After all, Osama is the guys first name. I’m sure there are plenty of newborn Adolf’s out there.

[duffer]

Point taken on the Bush part. Got little knee-jerk there. Carry on.

[Jotun]

@Jotun

I can too. Osama isn’t a very rare name. I knew two of them. I still think it’s a bit different than naming your kid Hitler. After all, Osama is the guys first name. I’m sure there are plenty of newborn Adolf’s out there.

Whoa, where did I go wrong?
I could have sworn I was at the end of the thread. I post it and see that several other people said the same thing!

It must have been a long day

[ZipperJJ]

@Frank

I work with an Osama, and his attitude is, “It’s my name.” It’s a fairly common name among Muslims - not on a par with John or Joe, but fairly common - and I see no comparison with someone giving their child a first name of Hitler or Stalin or Pinochet or Bush.

Michael Bolton: Yeah, well at least your name isn’t Michael Bolton.
Samir: You know there’s nothing wrong with that name.
Michael Bolton: There was nothing wrong with it… until I was about 12 years old and that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys.
Samir: Hmm… well why don’t you just go by Mike instead of Michael?
Michael Bolton: No way. Why should I change? He’s the one who sucks.

[zagloba]

Anybody else here remember the Vic Hitler story line on Hill Street Blues?

[Martha_Medea]

Fine, some of you are cool with parents choosing to name their baby son ‘Hitler’ and for the unfortunate child to keep on using his name in adult life.

Let me ask this question - if I told you I have absolutely no Muslim or Arab heritage but had chosen to name my son ‘BinLaden Lastname’, *not *Osama, which is arguably a nice enough first name, whether or not you are an Arab or a Muslim, wouldn’t you take it as an in-your-face endorsement of what the more famous bearer of that name did to your people? And if you are not a New Yorker, or a citizen of the US, wouldn’t you understand them taking offence? I was not directly affected by the 9/11 attacks but I would feel offended and upset on behalf of those who were.

yes, duffer, I am in the DR. The Hitler/Mussolini brothers are immigrants, or sons of immigrants from the Middle East. I have no way of knowing whether they were born in the DR because there have been several waves of immigration from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinian territories. Draw your own conclusions.

[Martha_Medea]

My user name? I chose it deliberately because of its mumsy associations. Like the planet I inhabit, it’s mostly harmless.

Names are loaded with meaning IMO. How many threads here have raved and railed about idiot parents burdening their kids with ridiculous names?

Give me Madison, Xavion* or even Kajina** over Hitler any day.

*Real name from my home town.
**No one’s actually gone for that one yet but I live in hope.

[Uvula_Donor]

@Martha

Let me ask this question - if I told you I have absolutely no Muslim or Arab heritage but had chosen to name my son ‘BinLaden Lastname’, *not *Osama, which is arguably a nice enough first name, whether or not you are an Arab or a Muslim, wouldn’t you take it as an in-your-face endorsement of what the more famous bearer of that name did to your people? And if you are not a New Yorker, or a citizen of the US, wouldn’t you understand them taking offence? I was not directly affected by the 9/11 attacks but I would feel offended and upset on behalf of those who were.

I couldn’t fucking care less. Settle down, Francis.

[Knowed_Out]

I remember there was a case against a Neo Nazi a couple of years ago who changed his named to Hi Hitler.

He actually thought that’s what the Nazis were saying when they extended their arms to him.

[Martha_Medea]

@Knowed Out

I remember there was a case against a Neo Nazi a couple of years ago who changed his named to Hi Hitler.

He actually thought that’s what the Nazis were saying when they extended their arms to him.

Now that’s priceless.

[zweisamkeit]

@Martha

Let me ask this question - if I told you I have absolutely no Muslim or Arab heritage but had chosen to name my son ‘BinLaden Lastname’, *not *Osama, which is arguably a nice enough first name, whether or not you are an Arab or a Muslim, wouldn’t you take it as an in-your-face endorsement of what the more famous bearer of that name did to your people? And if you are not a New Yorker, or a citizen of the US, wouldn’t you understand them taking offence? I was not directly affected by the 9/11 attacks but I would feel offended and upset on behalf of those who were.

Yes, but what you’re upset about (before this post, anyway) were the people with those names, not the parents who named them. If he grew up with that name and was called it day in and day out, it’s his goddamned name. I think it’s not as easy to just switch to a new name as some people think (otherwise a lot more people who hate their names and say so daily would just pick a new one).