Tolerance will be required...

Adolph Hitler Campbell, age 3

Little Adolph, arguably one of the world's cute kids, was removed from his parents without explanation, by New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services, along with his sisters, Joyce Lynn Aryan Nation Campbell, 1, and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell, who will turn 1 in April. They have subsequently been returned to their parents without any reason offered.

For their part, the parents have said that they chose their children's names simply because they liked them, that they are not Neo-Nazi's, and everyone just needs to get over it. The couple said they're neither members of the Aryan Nation nor fans of Hitler’s atrocities, although the father, Heath, has Nazi tattoos and Nazi memorabilia.

"He did this stuff, yeah, but that was in the past. America had slavery and everything else,” said Deborah Campbell, referring to Adolph Hitler.

"I think people need to take their heads out of the cloud they've been in and start focusing on the future and not on the past," Heath Campbell said. "There's a new president and he says it's time for a change; well, then it's time for a change," he continued. "They need to accept a name. A name's a name. The kid isn't going to grow up and do what (Hitler) did."

Okay, even my cats know that adopting Nazi names was not what Obama meant by change. Overlooking that, however, it's a little disingenuous to slap names like Adolph Hitler, Joyce Lynn Aryan Nation, and Honszlynn Hinler on your kids and not expect blowback. And blowback is what they got from ShopRite, when they went to order a birthday cake for little Adolph. The ShopRite bakery refused to spell out Adolph's full name in frosting and a mighty argybargy ensued. The Campbells demanded an apology from ShopRite and ShopRite refused. Shortly afterwards the state of New Jersey grabbed the Campbell's kids.

I for one am sorry that this Neo-Nazi couple have turned out to be such pussies. Time was when a proud Neo-Nazi bunch would show up for a rally with giant swastika banners, their "Kill the Mud People" signs, loudspeakers, and no apologies required.They knew that 90% of most people would loathe them and that the ACLU would defend them if things got ugly. Seems to me that when you've got Nazi tattoos up to your armpits, give your kiddies Nazi-esque names, and have Nazi objects scattered around the house, your position is pretty clear. To whine that nothing was meant by it, that all this Nazi kerfuffle is in the dim past and we should all, like, chill is taking advantage of everyone's patience.

Me, I think the kid should have gotten his birthday cake and I don't think the children should have been removed from their home: legally, the Campbells can raise a whole Aryan Nation if they so choose. Anyway, didn't we already grab kids from the LDS-cult, only to wind up sending them back? And where are we planning to send them after we snatch them? We ought to be well past any pretense that there's some kind of family norm out there.

I suppose I'm reporting on all this just because Nazi-stuff tends to catch my eye. Being a Nazi seems like such a goofy thing to want to do. Why not re-enact the battle of Gettysburg instead? Or go bang on a horseshoe in Williamsburg, and kick it 18th century style? It makes about as much sense.

Of course, those activities don't get people nearly as pissed off.

And that's the whole point, isn't it?

Isn't it?