It's Official - people are mad

[Guest guest]

An American veteran of the Vietnam war who lost his legal bid to change his

name to God has decided to call himself 'I Am Who I Am' instead.

 

The former Charles Haffey said he searched the Bible for a backup name after

a judge rejected his first choice in April. My first name, of course, would

be 'I Am'. He drew on a passage where Moses asks God who he is and is told:

"I am who I am or I will be who I will be".

 

"That's kind of wordy," the former Mr Haffey said. "So I'm just going for I

Am Who I Am as my full legal name. My first name, of course, would be I Am."

The 55-year-old said he hoped the name change would free him from feelings

of anxiety and rage that have plagued him since he served in Vietnam. "I was

fatally wounded in the mind and the spirit," he said. "I didn't suffer any

bodily injury. It's just what I saw, what I did. I killed myself."

 

Mr Who I Am turned to Christianity and was baptized in April. Not long

afterward, he decided he wanted to change everything, starting with his

name. Last week, he bought a tombstone to be inscribed with his old name. He

plans to plant it on his lawn.

 

He said it will read: "'Charles Walter Haffey, born Sept. 23, 1948, and died

Oct. 21, 1968, Republic of Vietnam.'"

 

Mr Who I Am is not the first person to have a name choice rejected by the

authorities.

 

Last month German officials refused to allow a Turkish couple living in

Cologne to name their baby boy Osama Bin Laden. The country's law states

that it is illegal for babies to be given names that could be offensive or

bring ridicule. German parents are not permitted to name their children

Hitler.

 

In Britain, last week a politician officially named himself after seafood. A

Labour MP changed his name to Haddock in an attempt to encourage people to

eat more fish. Austin Mitchell became Austin Haddock in honour of National

Seafood Week.