7 Year old Hero Carlos and 911 Dispatcher Monique Patino
(Photo by Damian Dovaganes /API)
(Photo censored by Discovered Media & Publications for protection of child's identity)

Commentary by Socrates Mentor, Editor-at-Large
(Discovered Media & Publications) Published: March 10, 2010

Norwalk (Los Angeles), CALIFORNIA -  Proof this country above almost every other nation in the world is obsessed with the media, fame and not withstanding infamy regardless of the potential damage or risk to others.

Carlos, a 7-year-old boy who by all accounts seems like the most adorable child any of us could ever imagine as our own was thrust into the media spotlight when he dialed 911 during a home invasion robbery.

Around 08:30am this morning three armed men entered his home, and threatened his parents at gunpoint.  Carlos's quick thinking took his sister to hide in the home's bathroom and called 911 for police via cellphone.  The 7-yr old stayed online with 911 Dispatcher Monique Patino until discovered by the Home Invaders.  When asked who he was on the phone with, Carlos told him he called 911, and the three men fled the scene shortly after.

Actual 911 Recording transcript

Dispatcher: What happened? Where you at?
Caller: Um...Norwalk

Caller: "Can you come really fast... please please

Dispatcher: "Can you tell me what happened?"

Caller: (heavy breathing) They come, they open door, and they have guns shoot my mom and dad.

Dispatcher: Right now?

Caller: Yeah, "Can you come really fast bring the cops

Dispatcher: "Listen to me hun I have them coming okay.

Dispatcher: "Listen to me take a deep breath, I already have police coming.
Caller: "and bring soldiers too... a lot of them."

Dispatcher: "How old are you?
Caller: I'm seven years old.

Dispatcher: seven? OK, listen to me, where at in the house are you?
Caller: Inside the bathroom.

Dispatcher: Inside the bathroom? Who's with you?
Caller: Its my sister.

Dispatcher: How old is she?
Caller:  six years old. please come really fast, hurry up! OK! Thank you. (heavy breath)..OK they bring the guys (screaming/yelling in background)

Dispatcher: (Hey, we need you guys to hurry up on a home invasion, he's saying they shot his mom and dad on the phone there's a 7 yr old and there's screaming in the phone...and they just broke into the bathroom and took the kids)

That very same afternoon Los Angeles County Sheriff arranged a press conference.  In which, Carlos, the boy, was rightly hailed a hero and the news media went into a frenzy covering the story with every imaginable form of photos, video and radio coverage displaying images of this brave and very adorable hero.

What I am most intrigued, amazed and appauled at was, in a country where parents are put in jail, have their children taken away, too often putting the children 'at danger'  into foster homes that will cause years of additional mental and physical trauma under the premise of 'Child Endangerment'.

The underlying reason law enforcement and government does this?
For the well-being and safety of the child, of course!

I guess law enforcement and government interest in the well-being and safety of a child only goes so far. Especially if there is a media opportunity to be had.

Three armed men that invaded his home at gunpoint know where he lives, and if there was any question as to the identity of this child. there is not now.  Thanks to having his face splashed on every media outlet possible by LA Sheriff's pride in telling the story of this scared child that did the only thing he knew to stop these men, not worried about reprisal or the home invader's efforts to 'eliminate witnesses'.

REMEMBER, THESE GUYS ARE STILL 'AT LARGE', 'ON THE LOOSE'!

I guess we will just mark it as yet another opportunity to throw caution to the wind for sake of publicity.  Just another example of our 'do as I say not as I do' American society.

Where it is OK to expose a minor, with the permission of his parents to not only be exposed to every pedophile, home invader (including the three that invaded his home and still on the loose).  So now everybody knows what this child looks like.

The unwritten rule of media is victims usually are protected from media exposure by media not using an image that clearly identifies the under age minor victim, an actual name or identifying feature...to protect the well-being and safety of the 'under 18 years old, minor status child'.  More adventurous new media outlets will even go as far as blacking out or digitally distorting a child's face.  The exception to this ethical rule is when the child is missing and needs to be found.

In this case, everyone knew where this child was...including the bad guys.

So, is the next move arresting the parents under California's 'Child Endangerment' laws?

Do we call 'Posse Comitatus' and arrest the dispatcher, law enforcement officers and media for the conspiracy to committ these crimes against the well-being and safety of the child?

Absolutely not!  Why?  Because putting your life or the life of another at jeapardy for '15 minutes in the lime lite' of the media.
I guess that's why shows like "Jackass' where people put their lives at risk of injury and death for a few laughs are so popular.

However, I missed the point where exposing an underage minor to the dangers of the world brings any laughs.

I guess America truly is a "Jackass Nation".

To all the Jackasses out there, your time has arrived.
I guess the term 'Media Whore' is finally... A Good Thing'?

I would say 'may God save you', but that might be considered by some as 'too offensive'.

By the way, was it only me that noticed in every media and news byte, Carlos' parents were nowhere to be found and no images of them were to be found.  I guess they had to protect the parents, since they were victims of a violent crime.

Please contact Socrates Mentor with your thoughts and comments:

SocratesMentor@DiscoveredPublications.com

Because America can't Protect itself

United Nations Children's Fund