Reality Comes A-Knocking

Every so often, people get what’s coming to them. The so-called “Ballon Boy” parents are two such people.

Both parents were sentenced to jail time, the father for 90 days and the mother for 20, respectively, in addition to four years of probation. They were “given strict probation conditions that forbid them from earning any money from the spectacle for four years…The Heenes’ probation will be revoked if they are found to be profiting from any book, TV, movie or other deals related to the stunt.” (I saw no reason for why the father was given 4.5 times as much jail time.)

This is very good news. America is a great country, but we are overrun by the people who a) want to become famous without trying hard and b) news media professionals who would rather pay attention to flashy and “soft” news as opposed to hard news. Perhaps a few more “failed and jailed” cases like the Balloon Boy parents’ and the Wendy’s finger case from a few years ago will encourage fewer frivolous lawsuits and attention-getting schemes that break the law, endanger people and put an unnecessary strain on public and private resources. (On that note, one of the few good ideas I thought former Senator John Edwards had was a three strikes law for lawyers who took frivolous lawsuits.)