What's the Right Punishment for Balloon Boy's Parents?

Time Magazine by Nancy Gibbs | Oct. 19, 2009 (News Analysis)

Hoax is such a flimsy word, far too feeble to describe the wickedness of which the Heenes, Richard and Mayumi, now stand accused. Theirs was sleight of hand for the soul: now we see it, now we don't; now we watch in horror and fear for their child's life, a 6-year-old boy, frightened, cold, lost in the clouds; now we learn he was up in the garage attic with snacks, while Mom and Dad auditioned for their 15 minutes of fame. Full Story »

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4.1
 by Michael Bugeja - Oct. 19, 2009

Nancy Gibbs, author of this Time piece, is an exceptional writer. You may be sick of balloon boy, but Gibbs' literary style and incisive prose are worth reading, including her conclusion: "In the meantime, we can thank all the people who tried to help a child they thought in trouble; and pity those children; and pity, especially, the next child who needs our help, if we pause and wonder if the screams we're hearing are for real, or for reality."

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