Excelle

Last week, the nation was taken on a wild goose chase for a missing child.

This week, everyone's talking about whether or not the Heenes will be charged with staging an elaborate hoax, and whether or no they are fit to be parents.

With all their storm chasing and hoax-plotting, are these two fit to be parents? If the allegations prove to be true, are the Heenes putting their children in harm's way? Or would we be putting the children in harm's way by taking them away from their family?

What do you think?

 

I really don't think that they should lose custody of the children, yet make them pay for all expenses incurred while this whole  "drama" was on-going.  For the parents to use this innocent 6-year old to gain the attention of a television network is simply awful, yet when the child admits it was for the show, the parents are like "What??" "Oh! Sorry, he does not know what he is talking about!!"

What have we as parents, family members and neighbor stooped to??  Interesting stories, turn off the television and turn to your Bibles., you want action and adventure, it is all in there!!!  We have become a society that is obsessed with money and getting ahead of everyone else.  Enough is enough!!

I think they can do better getting counselling or see an psychologist than taking their children away.

I say if they can't afford to pay in "cash". Have them do volunter work, at a shelter, childrens home for abused children or reality children : ) Make them pay back the community that so quickly came to their aide !

I agree with LizzieJ and Ricki, I think the parents should pay AND receive some councelling, but it would not be right to take their children away.  It's hard to believe they would put them in actual physical harm - the kids look both healthy and happy.

No, they shouldn't loose custody.  I believe that the parent and children should be able to seek some type of support: family counseling.  They were just trying to make a buck in a fallen economy.  Perhaps they also need some financial planning counseling.  They went about their quest the wrong way.  But that doesn't make them bad parents, just desparate ones. 

I just returned from the National Convention of the Navy Wives Clubs of America in San Diego.  During our convention, they found the body of the young girl who was missing in Florida.  Some of our Florida clubs are very invovled with the Missing and Exploited Children's organization.  Maybe this whole family should spend some time with this organization helping to look for Missing and Exploited Children to find out how the families really feel when their children ARE missing or exploited.  They may even find out how we felt when we found out it was all a publicity stunt exploiting their own child.  If they children are taken away, the parents will just have more kids and repeat this behavior.  They have to learn that this behavior is completely unacceptable and unfortunately the children have to learn too because so far they have been taught that it is acceptable by their own wonderful, thoughtful parents.

I don't think the children should be taken away from the parents - yet.  The family situation should definitely be monitored.  I think volunteering or community service would be very helpful in teaching them that they are part of a community and can't think only of themselves.  They should also be required to make whatever monetary restitution they can for the costs involved in the "rescue."  The government is cash-strapped as it is without having to waste money and resources on hoaxes.

First of all, OF COURSE NOT!  How insane!  There are children in much worse situations...hunger, filth, neglect, sexual and physical abuse...and these parents (the Heene's) are being threatened with having their child taken away, all because of a so-called hoax, and put into a situation of which no one knows what will happen!  There are children who are abused, neglected, and even murdered, every single day that are in foster homes, which are supposed to provide what, safe haven!! 

Having that child taken away from his parents who obviously loves him very much, no matter that they may have exercised some bad judgment (what parent hasn't) and thrown into a situation of which he knows not one person and, of which no one will ever love him as much as his own parents, would be the worse possible thing that could happen to that family, not to mention the child alone!

Secondly, I personally don't believe it was a hoax.  The law enforcement officials have caved in to public opinion and changed their story, and I guarantee you the so-called confession, by the wife, that the situation was a hoax was also taken out of context.  There isn't a doubt in my mind that these parents sincerely thought their child was in that balloon!  I don't care how good an actor one is, there just is no way to fake the emotional relief Richard Heene showed when speaking of "being sorry he yelled" at his son...!  Forget the comment the child made about doing it "for a TV show"...at that point the child was probably so confused by all the media attention that he no longer had any idea of what "show" he was even speaking.

Get real, folks!