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Democracy denied: Fort Wayne building will not be named after Harry Baals

ByDarren O

Harry Baals news report

Fort Wayne, Indiana opened up voting to the public for the naming of its newest government building as citizens were allowed to make suggestions and then cast their ballots via an online site.  The leading vote getter by a landslide was in honor of former City Mayor Harry Baals.  For some reason the area government is backtracking from going with the public’s wishes of naming the building the Harry Baals Government Center.

Here is a news report filed by Fort Wayne’s News Channel 15 that explores this apparent injustice:

The initial discrepancy in the way the news reporter and government official pronounce Baals’ name was troubling.  The government representative pronounced Mr. Baals names as if it rhymed with fails.  However Mr. Don Austin, who was left dangling with this hot-potato-sack of a story by the Channel 15 anchors, repeatedly pronounced Mr. Baals’ names as if it rhymed with falls.  Not only were the elected officials in charge denying the public their democratic wishes but it initially appeared as if they were practicing revisionist history by disrespecting Baals’ legacy that hangs over the city too.

Austin not only proves his merit by giving Mr. Baals his propers but he also points out the hypocrisy of the government by showing us that there is already a drive named after him.  That would be H.W. Baals Drive as seen here:

H.W. Baals Drive:

H.W. Baals Drive

As Mr. Austin’s investigation into this harry Harry Baals situation deepens we realize that the Baals family and not the government were to blame for the change in pronunciation!  Since Mayor Baals time the family had changed the way the name sounds because of a certain connotation the word has in today’s society.  This is according to Jim Baals, Harry Baals great-great grandson.

In the end I think I’m going to side with Don Austin and his choice to respect Harry Baals’ name as it was spoken back during Harry Baals time as a pubic public official.  That would be the Baals that rhymes with falls Harry Baals.

Here is a file photo of the late Harry Baals:

Harry Baals:

Former Fort Wayne Mayor Harry Baals

I hope the government does the right thing here and what that is I have no idea. Maybe they should name the building the Harry Baals That Rhymes With Fails Government Center. What do you think?

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