While millions watched that balloon soar across Colorado, worried to death a poor little boy was trapped inside, while who knows how much time and money was diverted to try to get him back, 6-year-old Falcon Heene was hiding in the attic.
And why? In the words of Falcon, on live national television (of course): "You guys [referring to his parents] said we did this for the show." The family has already been on TV's Wife swap twice. The three little boys have their own rap video, where there lines include bleeped out cuss words.
I was watching something on our local FOX network, when a news ticker scrolled across the screen. "Six year old boy trapped in a balloon, alone over Colorado" I instantly started channel surfing until I came across the King five "Breaking News cast" There it was. A shiny silver balloon floating high above the ground, hauling across the screen as if it was flying mach one. I could feel the fear building up inside me. I was afraid, for the welfare of that six year old boy. I remember thinking to myself," How long can a boy breathe in plain Helium and still be alive?" I must have caught the tail end of the situation, because there was no basket underneath the balloon when I got to see it.
The balloon descended to the ground, in a farmers field, ever so softly. I had regained hope for a second, that the boy would be alive. A perfect crash landing, in the field, the boy's chips were stacked in his favor. The police drove as close as they could, got out of the many cars and headed in that direction. I felt as if the entire world was holding its breath. The Balloon was secured, the door was open and the boy was nowhere to be found. How could the police, not have known that the boy would have most likely been in the basket below the balloon?
How else would they have not known. They were never told about the cargo department. Not until after the balloon touched ground and was cut open. I personally would have told the entire story from the beginning. Never would I have not told authorities about the cargo basket. Not to mention, the entire balloon was a family project. The kids would have been walked through its operation. Even little Falcon would have known that the Helium section of the balloon was off limits. Little Falcon would have some idea how high the balloon might go. How dangerous it would be to be trapped in the balloon. I just do not think he would have taken off in the balloon on his own. And now we all know he did not take off in the balloon by himself!
So for now at least, local authorities are saying they don't suspect that the whole Heene clan cooked up a hoax. More likely this was something subtler, though still insidious. It could be young Falcon, upon seeing that saucer take off, somehow got it in his head that he could do something "for the show."So the authorities believe that the six year old boy has enough discipline to sit in the attic awaiting the right time to come out.
I believe that when my son was six, he was extremely smart. I thought he was fully capable of pulling the wool over the eyes of the world. But then I woke up, and realized that my six year old son, wanted nothing more that to be the apple of his parents eyes.
What an indictment of the culture we have created - a culture in which even kids come to think that a potentially serious stunt is worth trying to pull off because it might make the talking heads chatter and the TV screens glow. This is a miss-guided life that the parents will end up responsible for the actions of their teen aged son or daughter. The parents have put way to much empasis into their childrens fifteen minutes of shame.
These Heenes, remember, are no ordinary family - and we're not talking about their balloon building. Richard and Mayumi Heene are creatures of the media, self-made C-list pseudo-celebrities. They volunteered to appear on ABC's "Wife Swap," where families trade mothers to try to deal with home-front problems.
These days, there are dozens - no, hundreds - of families like them. Even when cameras are not inside their homes, it seems, they are inside their heads.
So, little surprise that, after the balloon fell to Earth and Falcon emerged from his hiding place, the family chose not to close ranks and turn inward - but to feed the media circus, with interview after interview on national TV. On the "Today Show" and "Good Morning America," the boy vomited. In the midst of this interview, the father had to take a moment to re-direct the media from accusing the family of staging this entire situation. I felt that instantly made him look guilty. I thought damned there instantly this entire story was a big fat hoax. I do not understand why the balloon was half filled up. It was ready to fly. Yet it was not chained and locked down. Dad might as well of left a loaded gun in the boys toy box. I am not sure who wins the dumb ass award yet. I hope its me!
We cannot blame a 6-year-old boy for this. But we can blame those who created the climate around him. Mommy, Daddy, you need a time out. Maybe , just maybe, your butt should be warmed. I do not see how any part of this is okay. I sure would like to see these boys achieve greatness. I honestly believe that if Falcon actually feared his father Richard, he would have thought twice before letting the balloon loose, or hiding in the garage. I really do think Daddy had a little more than a family project in mind when they started working on this balloon. My children would have known from day one, that starting a fight over the balloon would cause serious punishments across the board. I would have made absolutely certain, my boys would have known weather or not it would have climbed empty or full.
I honestly think this entire thing was a stunt. Really well pulled off, yet in the poorest of taste. Richard, maybe you should step forward and apologize to the world, for the scare your family has laid upon us. All of our hearts went out for him. Now I feel like I am not alone is saying, I wish that the angels catch you before the devil makes his call.
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