http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/us/19balloon.html?scp=1&sq=balloon&st=cse
-Summary of the article-
On October 15, 2009, the spaceshiplike balloon which was made by amateur scientist, Mr. Richard Heene, floated out of their backyard carrying a 6-year-old boy, and it had been floated for two hours in the air. Also, because there was a fact that the balloon carried a boy, his father reported to police, then, the helicopter was sent away to go to the rescue of that boy. However, surprisingly, when the balloon caught on the desert in Colorado, the 6-year boy, Falcon Heene, wasn’t on the balloon. In fact, the 6-year boy, Falcon Heene, was just found alive and he was at his house. Moreover, he was found hiding in a box in the family’s garage. This news was told to the television company and transfixed millions of television viewers.
A few days passed, a story that transfixed millions of television viewers — about a child aboard a spaceshiplike balloon as it floated uncontrollably across the Colorado landscape — was concocted by the boy’s parents to gain publicity, law enforcement officials said. Also, local police in Colorado concluded that the balloon incident was all a hoax which is made by Heene Family. Jim Alderden, the sheriff said as below: “It was a publicity stunt. We have evidence to indicate it was a publicity stunt done with the hope of marketing themselves to a realty television show sometime in the future.” In addition, Sheriff Alderden said that among the charges being considered were three felonies: conspiracy to commit a crime, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and attempt to influence a public servant. The last carries a possible prison term of six years. The charges could also include a misdemeanor, filing a false report.
-My respond to the article-
I saw an interview to the Heene Family on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwKunktFx3M
It shows the video with the family had been surrounded by reporters in front of their home. Firstly, I couldn’t understand why mother doesn’t apologize to the people who were transfixed by this incident. When I think about this matter in terms of Japanese sense, I strongly expected mother to bow down and say “We deeply apologize for making a flutter. Thanks to the help, my lovely son came back to us. Thank you very much.” But she didn’t do anything like that and just laughing at the action of her son. I didn’t feel good because mother talked and laughed without a guilty look. However, I could understand the reason why the parents did not think about themselves. The reason is in the Falcon’s words. On “Larry King Live,” Falcon said to his father, “You guys said that, um, we did this for the show.” I don’t care this incident was an accident or hoax. In either case, I don’t think the children of Heenes will be a matured person under the protection of their parents.
I too was transfixed upon the story while the balloon was still in the air. (The news coverage was appearing live on both broadcast media and internet media; I, of course, was following this story on nytimes.com.) But as soon as I heard that the family had appeared on a couple of reality TV programs, I immediately became suspicious of the veracity of the story. And so it ends up that while the media, the rescue crews, and the public were following the balloon, the Heene family was chasing after fame. Finally, I wonder if, even though they may have to pay for their crime, they will make money in the end, due to their newfound notoriety.
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