Fort Wayne, Indiana. Getty Images.
People of Fort Wayne, you seem to have the mentality of a 12-year-old. Which, by the way, NewsFeed totally appreciates.
When online voting to name the new government center in Fort Wayne, Ind. began, it soon became apparent that the leading choice was a former Indiana mayor who won four terms in the 1930s and 1950s, by the name of Harry Baals. Baals, if you haven’t already guessed, was pronounced “balls.” You can practically hear the snickering now, can’t you?
(More on TIME.com: Can your names make you a criminal?)
Unfortunately for everyone who is a huge fan of Baals, Fort Wayne city officials aren’t too keen on naming the building after the esteemed former mayor. “We realize that while Harry Baals was a respected mayor, not everyone outside of Fort Wayne will know that,” Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy told the Associated Press. “We wanted to pick something that would reflect our pride in our community beyond the boundaries of Fort Wayne.”
(More on TIME.com: Why do babies have the same names?)
Baals’ great-nephew, Jim Baals, has lived in Fort Wayne his entire life and doesn’t understand the city’s hesitation saying, “I’ve lived with that name for 51 years now and I’ve gotten through it. I think everybody else can, too.”
Hey, if Jim and the people of Fort Wayne are ok with the name Harry Baals adorning a government center, what’s the big deal? And really, NewsFeed can think of many names that would be much more likely to be ridiculed on late night television.
Then again, we also have the mentality of a 12-year-old. (via AP)