A Child named Adolf Hitler

Many of you have probably read about the child named Adolf Hitler Cambell. His younger siblings are named JoyceLynn Aryan Nation and Honszlynn Hinler. The story hit the news when a bakery employee refused to write the child's name on a birthday cake. Since that time, there has been a great deal of attention paid to the parents and children of this family.

Children are the greatest gift given to human beings. They are our proof that good exists, laughter heals, touch is precious, love is real, and that we were created to learn and grow. They come to us vulnerable and innocent, and they arrive with an awesome responsibility attached. We are responsible to nurture and guide them, and keep them safe so that they can learn to nurture, protect and guide others.

Life is about legacy. We are all born, we live, and we die and what remains after we are gone is our legacy. There are legacies of great good in the world, and there are legacies of great evil and cruelty.

Life is about story. Story--stringing words together like pearls -- helps us categorize, describe, explain and give meaning to our lives. We as parents, scribble the first lines of a child's story when they are born. Part of that story is influenced by the name we give them.

Names carry meaning, whether a child is named for their grandmother, uncle, mother or father or named for a symbolic purpose, or because his or her parents felt a name was beautiful or unique. Whatever the meaning, names matter. They give an identity to a child and can sometimes alter a child's path. That being said, how could these parents choose to burden their innocent children with such traumatic and difficult legacies?

A child is not a political flag to wave through bullets of hatred, or a billboard on which to advertise your controversial beliefs. They are not targets we stand in front of us, or bait for potential rodents to feed on. These are children.

Is it possible that Adolf and his siblings can succeed in spite of their names? Is it possible that they can overcome the first dark scribble of charcoal, carelessly penned at the beginning of their life story? Yes, anything is possible. And if they do overcome the ugly mark placed upon them at a time when they were helpless and had no control, we can say, good does overcome. But for any parent to consciously choose to make a child's path sharp, brutal, dark and dangerous, full of potential conflict and judgment when they could have chosen so much better for their child, is in my opinion -- abuse.

Dawn Billings is the author of over 15 books on parenting, relationship and succees. She is a faculty member of iLearningGlobal.tv where her insightful and entertaining segments are translated into 5 languages around the world. Dawn is the CEO and Founder of The Heart Link Network www.TheHeartLinkNetwork.com an international womens networking organization, and www.TheHeartAlliance.com a social online community for women and creator of the new parenting toy/tool called the CAPABLES, which are a fun, easy, powerful and effective way for parents of toddlers to teach their children how to grow up to be extraordinary, contributing human beings.