BALLOON BOY CONTINUED . . .

SO - ALL THE SO-CALLED MANPOWER THAT WAS MOBILIZED FOR THE 'BALLOON BOY' EPISODE - REALLY NOW, IS FOUR AMBULANCES AND TWENTY SQUAD CARS SPANNING LOCAL, COUNTY, AND STATE POLICE, AND EVEN THE MILITARY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD - ALL REALLY NECESSARY TO PULL ONE SMALL KID FROM A BALLOON ONCE THE THING GENTLY DESCENDS TO EARTH? NO, IT MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT - ALL IT REQUIRES IS ONE PERSON TO DO SO, OR AN AMBULANCE, IF FOR SOME REASON THE CHILD IS INJURED AND NEEDS IMMEDIATE MEDICAL TREATMENT. BUT SINCE THE EVENT WAS TELEVISED, I WOULD HAVE TO STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT ALL THOSE BOYS IN BLACK AND BLUE WERE IN 'REALITY' TRYING TO SNATCH A LITTLE PIECE OF THEIR OWN FACE/CAMERA TIME THERE WHILE THE GETTIN' WAS GOOD; MAYBE GET THEIR MUG ON CAMERA, AS ONE OF THE BRAVE 'HEROES' THAT RESCUED THE BALLOON BOY - SEEMS THEY ARE, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, GUILTY AS WELL - OF THIS NEW PHENOMENON OF BEING 'FAME-HUNGRY', NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR GRAND . . .
IT REMINDS ME OF THE JOKE - 'HOW MANY POLISH GUYS DOES IT TAKE TO SCREW IN A LIGHTBULB?' - WITH THE ANSWER BEING SOMETHING LIKE SEVEN OR EIGHT . . THAT'S WHAT THIS THING IS REALLY STARTING TO SMELL OF. THE POLICE WOULDN'T BE TRYING TO THROW THE BOOK AT THIS GUY, IN MY OPINION, IF THEY DIDN'T FEEL MAYBE A BIT STUPID THEMSELVES FOR THEIR GROSS OVER-REACTION TO THIS EVENT, SOMETHING L.E.O.'S AND P.D.'S ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE BECOMING WELL KNOWN FOR IN THIS NEW ERA OF HYPER-PARANOID, POWER-HUNGRY, PACK MENTALITY MILITARIZED BULLY COPS, THANKS TO THIS ORWELLIAN, POLICE STATE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT IS UNFOLDING BEFORE OUR EYES MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY . . .
IT REMINDS ME OF THOSE YOUNG GUYS IN BOSTON, THE ARTISTS, THAT PUT UP THOSE BLINKING LIGHT VIDEO GAME DISPLAYS FOR THAT ADVERTISING COMPANY, WHERE HALF THE FORCE GOT SCARED THAT TERRORISTS WERE SUDDENLY ON THE LOOSE, AND WAS MOBILIZED WITH SWAT GEAR AND BOMB SQUAD MANEUVERS TO PULL DOWN ONE TINY BLINKING SIGN WITH RAINBOW COLORED LIGHTS.
DISREGARDING 'BALLOON BOY ' FOR A MOMENT - IN CASE AFTER CASE, WHEN THE DUST SETTLES AND THE TRUTH FINALLY COMES OUT, IT APPEARS THAT MOST OF THE TIME, THE REAL TERRORISTS TURN OUT TO BE ACTUALLY AGENTS WITHIN OUR OWN ADMINISTRATION, OUR OWN GOVERNMENT, AND OUR OWN COUNTRY. HOW CAN WE BE EXPECTED TO PUT OR TRUST AND FAITH INTO THESE PEOPLE, AND PLACE THE SAFETY OF OUR AND OUR FAMILIES' LIVES IN THE HANDS OF THE VERY PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTINUALLY EXPOSED AS CRIMINALS THEMSELVES?
I PROMISE YOU THAT THINGS ARE NOT GETTING ANY BETTER; ON THE CONTRARY, THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET SO FAR OUT OF HAND THAT IN A FEW YEARS YOU WILL THINK YOU ARE LIVING IN MYANMAR OR NORTH KOREA - AND THAT'S IF WE'RE VERY LUCKY . . .
SO I GUESS THEY WANT TO THROW THE BOOK AT THIS GUY RICHARD HEENE, FATHER OF 'BALLOON BOY', THROW HIM IN JAIL, AND THEN THROW AWAY THE KEY. AND FOR WHAT? I HAVE TO ADMIT I WAS PRETTY TICKED AT FIRST, WATCHING HIM FIDGET THERE IN HIS SEAT WHEN ASKED THE TOUGH QUESTION, THE ONE THAT FORCED HIM TO LIE IN FRONT OF HIS KIDS AND HIS WIFE AND THE WHOLE WORLD, BUT LOOK, HE MADE A MISTAKE. HE DOESN'T BEAT HIS WIFE, HE ISN'T A DRUG ADDICT OR DRUG DEALER, HE IS'NT AN ARMED ROBBER OR A THIEF - HE MAY BE A TAD ECCENTRIC, BUT WHAT HE IS REALLY GUILTY OF IS LYING, AND PROBABLY GETTING HIS KID TO LIE - THOUGH I DOUBT HE INTENDED IT TO UNFOLD THAT WAY. WE AS A NATION ARE SOMEWHAT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS 'REALITY-TV PSYCHOSIS' THAT SEEMS TO BE GRABBING HOLD OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE, BUT SOMEHOW THOUGHT THEY HAD A CHANCE TO BE A 'STAR'. I HAVE COME CLOSE TO THIS PHENOMENON MYSELF, IN MY HANGING AROUND WITH SEVERAL HOLLYWOOD PERSONALITIES AT TIMES IN MY PAST, BUT NEVER TO THE EXTENT OF ACTING DOWNRIGHT ASININE, MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE OR CRIMINAL, WHATSOEVER . . .
LET'S GO EASY ON THE GUY, PEOPLE, BEFORE WE GET ALL CARRIED AWAY AND PERMANENTLY TEAR APART A LOVING FAMILY. AS THE SAYING GOES - 'THE ONE AMONG US THAT IS WITHOUT SIN, LET HIM OR HER CAST THE FIRST STONE' . .
LET US MAYBE STICK HIM WITH A COUPLE OF REDUCED CHARGES, SOME MISDEMEANORS, MAYBE LOCK HIM UP FOR 30 DAYS, MAKE HIM DO A BUNCH OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, PUT HIM ON PROBATION FOR A FEW YEARS, MAYBE SOME SMALL RESTITUTION - THEY'RE GONNA WHAT? MAKE HIM PAY SOME CRAZY EXORBITANT $100,000'S AMOUNT FOR THE FIFTY GUYS IT TOOK THEM TO SCREW IN THE ONE LIGHTBULB? TRULY THAT'S THEIR FAULT, PEOPLE, NOT HIS . . .
BELIEVE ME - WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN TO BE HATING ON THIS GUY. THIS STUFF IS SPILLED MILK COMPARED TO ABOUT A HUNDRED OTHER THINGS I COULD MENTION RIGHT NOW . . .