2 Boys Die, Mimicking Saddam Hanging

10-Year-Old In Texas And 9-Year-Old In Pakistan

(CBS/AP)  Police and family members said a 10-year-old boy who died by hanging himself from a bunk bed was apparently mimicking the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Sergio Pelico was found dead Sunday in his apartment bedroom in the Houston-area city of Webster, said Webster police Lt. Tom Claunch. Pelico's mother told police he had previously watched a news report on Saddam's death.

"It appears to be accidental," Claunch said. "Our gut reaction is that he was experimenting."

An autopsy of the fifth-grader's body was pending.

Julio Gustavo, Sergio's uncle, said the boy was a happy and curious child.

He said Sergio had watched TV news with another uncle on Saturday and asked the uncle about Saddam's death.

"His uncle told him it was because Saddam was real bad," Gustavo said. "He (Sergio) said, 'OK.' And that was it."

Sergio's mother, Sara Pelico DeLeon, was at work Sunday while Sergio and other children were under the care of an uncle, Gustavo said. One of the children found Sergio's body in his bedroom.

Police said the boy had tied a slipknot around his neck while on a bunk bed. Police investigators learned that Sergio had been upset about not getting a Christmas gift from his father, but they don't believe the boy intentionally killed himself.

A 9-year-old Pakistani boy also apparently hanged himself re-enacting Hussein's execution with the help of elder sister by tying a rope to a ceiling fan and his neck in his home, Agence France-Presse reported.

The boy's father said his children attempted to imitate the hanging while other family members thought they were playing in another room.

Clinical psychologist Edward Bischof, of California, said children Sergio's age mimic risky behaviors they see on TV — such as wrestling or extreme sports — without realizing the dangers. He said TV appeared to be the stimulant in Sergio's case.

"I would think maybe this kid is trying something that he thinks fun to act out without having the emotional and psychological maturity to think the thing through before he acts on it," Bischof said.

Family members held a memorial for the boy Wednesday in the apartment complex activity center. Gustavo said the family is trying to put together enough money to send Sergio's body to Guatemala for burial.

"I don't think he thought it was real," Gustavo said of Saddam's hanging. "They showed them putting the noose around his neck and everything. Why show that on TV?"

I feel bad for the boy, and how his family must feel.....

However....

Maybe the entire family should return to Guatemala and stay there

[diverinnl]

jh6379, parents not monitoring what their children watch or do is what is directly influencing children, not the Iraqis directly.

The reason this was not tried at The Hague was that no international crimes were charged against him by the UN or NATO. Had the UN gotten involved, like we asked them to, a trial at The Hague would have been possible.

Oh well, such is life.

[agnim]

"Texas Boy Dies Mimicking Saddam's Hanging"

MAKES GOOD SENSE!

WHEN THE LOST 'LEADERS' OF A NATION GIVE CLEAR AND PASSIONATE LESSONS IN VENGEANCE AND VIOLENCE WITH THEIR CAPITAL MURDERS, THEN THE YOUNG/WEAK MINDS WILL LEARN WELL!

Too bad it wasn't one of the bush children. The message against government killings would be more resounding.

[santo_marco]

Ridiculous! How come children were not hanging themselves left and right a couple of hundred years ago, when the governments were hanging people in public on a daily basis? I'll tell you why, if you're oblivious to the obvious...because PARENTS knew how to communicate with their children in all facets of life, whether it be disciplinary or in praise; in lesson and informal. That child was obviously a "special needs" child that required better supervision.

[yourpointis]

Agnim,
"Too bad it wasn't one of the bush children. The message against government killings would be more resounding"

I don't care HOW much you hate Pres. Bush, wishing this is just in bad taste. I wouldn't wish this on anyone, and feel sorry that the child died as a result of seeing something he didn't understand on TV. Something, in my opinion,needed to be explained quite a bit more than what it had been. You shouldn't wish bad things on someone's children that you aren't happy with. Geeze......

[jimibear]

I feel sorry for the family, and it's a shame this happened.

That being said, Darwin had a theory about this sort of thing. If you haven't figured out by the age of 10 that hanging will kill you, perhaps it's just as well if that particular gene strain doesn't get passed on.

There is such a thing as personal responsibility, and the idea that peoples' stupidity can be excused or explained by what they see in the public media violates that concept.

[jimibear]

"Had the UN gotten involved, like we asked them to, a trial at The Hague would have been possible."

True, but it was hardly likely that the UN would get involved, since the invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam from power was in direct violation of UN instructions. It's not reasonable to expect that we can spit in the faces of the UN and the international community and enter into a war in violation of international law and the will of the world, then ask them to give it the stamp of validity by helping to try the leader we ousted.

[barb049]

the children need to avoid to watch bad things like 'SADDAM WAS HUNGING ALREADY" THE PARENTS SHOULD ADVICE TO THE CHILDREN MORE CAREFUL TO UNDERSTAND AVOID FROM DANGEROUS.... TEACHING THEM GOOD TO UNDERSTAND MORE TO LET THEM CALM AND PEACE.

[bunnybaum]

I feel very bad for the boy and for the family and I would not wish this on anyone, however, I think the family should have been more aware of the situation. The boy was probably a "special needs" boy and the mother and/or father should be careful what they let their children watch on television. Television is very influential on our children and we all need to monitor what they watch. My own personal opinion - I prefer the older type television shows that aired back in the 50's. At least that stuff is decent for the entire family to watch, unlike the "***" and "filth" that is on these days. Parents, start taking control over your children, know where they are at all times, who they are with, what they do on the internet, and what they are
watching on television.

[bildooreilly]

Thank the media and the government... Looks like TV killed the kid, isn't this the same concept behind banning guns? When you gonna ban that freakin boob tube? It kills more people than anything through sheer idiocy...

[susieq_13]

I feel bad for this family too, but some of you shouldn't be so quick to judge the parents. None of us know what goes on in other people's homes. That's my opinion.

[ecuadoriana]

Right on, santo_marco. Public hanging & firing squads used to be used as a DETERRENT, as a warning to others that crime doesn't pay. Now it is all done in secret, with too much care about the suffering that that defendent may or may not endure during the execution process. The death row guy (or gal) gets a specially prepared last meal, last cigarette, last rites, etc.- which is certainly a lot more than the victims received during their last moments.

The article comments on the true aspect of the influence of tv on children. Children do not truly understand the impact that violence & other negative graphic images have on them. This week the bad guy gets shot to death in the movie, next week he's starring in another. Dead, then comes back to life. Death isn't permanent. Parents are too hush-hush about the truth of death. And too much gloss-over about "going to live with god & the angels" makes death sound like a great place to be. Kids think "If that's where grandma is then that's where I want to be & I can come back next week!"

Oh, ncolsens, "Maybe the entire family should return to Guatemala and stay there" if it means not having to live here amongst cold-hearted racsists like yourself.

I have friends that live in Michigan and years ago they awoke to find their child dead, hanging from his bunkbed, he apparently fell out of his upper bunk in the middle of the night and his head slipped through a belt that was looped over the headboard, it was pretty sad. But this was not the case with the Guatemalan boy

[tfowler89]

This is so tragic. This should have never happened. We were just talking about the hanging of Saddam. I don't understand why with the all the channels on television that stuff like this can not be on CNN or MSNBC. All we see on local stations are hangings, hostage situations, police chases, school shootings, funerals...etc. If you have children that are able to stay home alone, you have no control over what they watch. If such events were broadcasted on news channels it is less likely for children to view it. Local stations can report the incident and then say tune into the following station for in depth coverage. I just don't get it. Everyone gets mad at things in the world but when kids are exposed to it on every station that can not comprehend what is going on, what do we expect. Children learn from what they see and hear.

[bildooreilly]

Television is a big propaganda/brainwash box, haven't watched that garbage in years, I don't find it very entertaining, more like condescending... Watching it is an insult to your intelligence if you have half a brain. This is the reason why a lot of people don't seem to know the difference between right and wrong anymore... television.. the *** a cancer on humanity.

[jimibear]

Good morning, bildooreilly!

Once again I agree with you. Television has replaced religion as the opiate of the masses, and in terms of selling stupidity, is even more pernicious and pervasive.

It does indeed embrace and teach stupidity, with the idea of breeding a more receptive audience of consumers. It also destroys the attention span by breaking everything down into 7 (or less) minutes between commercials. It then destroys analytical thought and discernment by constant bombardment with forceful instructions to "BUY! BUY! BUY!" the most appalling garbage imaginable. Among the resuting phenomena are Jerry Springer, Brittany Spears, gangsta rap, Joe Millionaire, WWF wrestling ... the list goes on. None of these could flourish in a society capable of thought and discernment. They are mental pablum designed to keep us stupid.

[jimibear]

(Cont.)

The sad truth is that most people would prefer not to think, as it's easier that way. Television embraces and promotes that philosophy, with the result that we have become a society of sheeple. We are, however, sheeple who buy a lot of stuff, and that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Look at the complete wastes of skin we elect to public office. Could a thinking electorate ever install Bush as president? I think not.

The broadcast media are gradually destroying the ability to think analytically or to grasp consequences of action, and this is a perfect example of that. If there is such a thing as "social Darwinism" (and I believe there is) then we, as a a society, are gradually rendering ourselves unfit for survival. This kid is just one example.

[bildooreilly]

Hey Jimibear, I was thinking yesterday after we were talking about the as above so below thing... here's their philosophy on that... good is bad, bad is good, light is dark and dark is light... as above so below.. kind of like the Yin Yang sort of dualist deal... they're all duality religions, except these people embrace both sides... They say oh but we're doing these good things... while that might be true they might be doing a few good things, but at the same time they're also doing many many really bad things..

[bildooreilly]

You got it Jimi, they're destroying peoples ability to think for themselves. Seems like a whole lot of people out there can't even think beyond what the little box tells them to... It's downright creepy if you aren't a regular viewer. I had my cable shut off about a year ago and hadn't watched it for 3-4 years before that. Didn't the nazis invent television in the first place? It's only being used for the most part as a brainwash box, and a powerful one at that.

[marcpcbs]

There used to be a rule we lived by called,
"Not In front Of The Kids".

We keep forgetting that children are extremely curious and literal and we need to remember that children are watching, listening and learning.

Young peoples entertainment today serves up more violence than I think most parents are aware of and the violence in our schools and on the streets is many times more than it ever was.

Now I know there's someone out there saying ?There's no connection" or "We have a right to watch anything we want". Unfortunately we will also pay the price.

We are counting the casualties in Iraq, we should also be counting the young casualties in our schools and on our streets.

[bildooreilly]

They don't call it television PROGRAMMING for nothing, that's exactly what they're doing, programming the brains of the mindless masses... what a bunch of violent mindless nuts people have become thanks to television.

[scully152]

For bunnybaum to say that "The boy was probably a "special needs" boy " is foolish. If Bunny has kids I am sure he/she has left her/his child alone in the childs room. I have 3 kids and I have done that. There is nothing wrong with having a child watch the TV, be it news or a chidlrens show...so long as the parent (or another adult) is there to explain why it happened and what not to do about the situation. santo_marco said because PARENTS knew how to communicate with their children in all facets of life, whether it be disciplinary or in praise; in lesson and informal. That child was obviously a "special needs" child that required better supervision." True, this child might have needed better supervision BUT it does NOT mean he was a special needs child. People are to quick to say someone is special needs. Special needs is someone who has down syndrome, Autism or something like that...educational needs (dyslexia, ADD or ADHD), to me, are NOT special needs, they are just educational issues that need to be dealt with.

[santo_marco]

Thank you, Ecuadoriana. God be with you.

ncolsens - it's a good thing you were not 10 years old watching the news...being the "special needs" person you are, you might have ended up like this one. I think you know where your path leads for you have strayed too far to ever return.

agnim - the fiber of your heart and spirit is dust. Just as you will be in the afterlife as there is no place for you in His kingdom.

[jimibear]

"Now I know there's someone out there saying ?There's no connection" or "We have a right to watch anything we want". Unfortunately we will also pay the price. "

Careful, marccpcbs - next you'll be suggesting that there is such a thing as cause and effect, or that actions have consequences! Then someone might realize it's a bad idea to sign up for that 7th credit card when their first 6 are already maxed out. ;-)

It's all tied together, sad to say. The breeding of consumers leads to the destruction of respect for the individual or society.

[bildooreilly]

If you want to really look at where the "Media" came from and the philosophy it's based upon you have to go back to the Mede empire who ruled what was the world then through deception around 600-700BC from their city Media. They're even mentioned in the Bible...


Isaiah 21:2

2A grievous vision is declared unto me; the TREACHOROUS DEALER DEALETH TREACHOROUSLY, and the SPOILER SPOILETH. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O MEDIA; all the sighing thereof have I MADE TO CEASE.

[santo_marco]

scully - do you have any degree in any form of education? Special needs...is just that; special needs. In any degree that a child has the ability to carry out the irrational so late in development (or lack thereof) has a special need for attention which is not normally required to one of that age. Do not try to set parameters on a word that is so fundamental. Not all words require measurable indicators to justify it's usage. God be with you.

[grazinggoat]

Send the bill for funeral and inhumation to Walking-Liar and his dwarfs in Iraq. By the way why wouldn't the a$$hole who took the video-clip be hanged as well?

[jimibear]

The main thing the consumerist/living on credit society leads to is the disconnection of rights and responsibilities, really. As you say, people have the right to watch whatever they like. They also have the responsibility, though, to make sure their kids understand what they're seeing or (better yet) to switch it off. I am disgusted by the idea that a parent would allow their child to watch a hanging in the first place.

But if you advance, through a multi-billion dollar advertising industry, the idea that "you can have it all, you can have it now and pay for it later" (which "later" often becomes "not at all" when people default) is it any wonder that people soon think they have the "right" to do whatever they like and that nothing bad will result?

Our consumerist society, primarily through TV, is destroying vital mental processes and grasps on morality in the name of making a buck. People have all sorts of "rights" now which are actually privileges, and they think they don't have to earn them.

[marcpcbs]

Something that many of us don't understand is that when we are born, we are literally "Blank Chalkboards", that get filled in by our parents and the society we live in. and we learn from there. We aren't born with a sense of right and wrong, good or bad or real and unreal. Every different society teaches these things to it young in its own way. Because we have forgotten this, we are handling our kids educational process is if we were bulls in a china shop. The media will through anything in front of our kids if they think they can make a buck.

At birth our kids only know that they need.

We supply the rest

[goldsummer]

My condolances to young Sergio Pelico's family Although it his death is tragic , it serves as a reminder to us as parents to talk over the news evernts with our children and make sure they understand completely what has happened by answering thier questions with honesty.

[dwc2003]

This unfortunate incident is no different than the person who grew up watching all the killing on tv and movies. They become adjusted to it as seeming like normal behavior, especially while running the streets and seeing others doing the same and idolizing the ones who make videos and call people all kinds of names. Kill someone and make yourself look like you are somebody. Now someone will notice me. I'm a bad *** and you better pay attention to me. It don't hurt to kill, I don't feel a thing, just like on tv. Sorry for the tirade. I could go on for days. Continue all the political correctness and we are all subject to a continuing full lifetime of this type of behavior.

[jimibear]

Yep, marcpcbs, "Tabula rasa" was the phrase the Romans used. If they got it 2000 years ago, why can't we?

Society is getting more and more stupid (or at least horribly ignorant), and unfortunately so many people have now embraced that comfortable ignorance that they have no concept of what it feels like to have knowledge, and no desire to know.

"Who cares what happens in the real world, as long as I can sit on the couch, supersize my a$$ on Chitos and beer while watching 'Survivor', then drive my SUV the 2 blocks to the convenience store during the commercial for some diet soda?"

That's no sort of life for a human.

[ecuadoriana]

Even though this comment is not directly related to the article, I do want to add that I find it ABSURD that there are now tv programmes & videos that are geared towards babies as young as 6 months. That goes hand in hand with the push for ADD medications for younger & younger children.

I want to scream every time I see a car with video screens in the back seat (one for each child). What happened to looking out the window & observing the real life that's around us?! Kids seem to not be able to live for 5 min. without being fed a constant stream of stimulation.

When I was a kid, back in the ancient days of the 1960s, we brought along colouring & puzzle books, travel board games, joke & riddle books, drawing pads & pencils. The car trip home was a good time to write those thank-you notes & postcards. We talked, sang, & laughed. We siblings fought with each other, too. But we learned conflict resolution darned quick because dad followed through on the threat that he'd turn the car around & we'd spend the day doing chores rather than at the beach or grandma's house.

[randalds]

Agnim,
"Too bad it wasn't one of the bush children. The message against government killings would be more resounding"

I don't care HOW much you hate Pres. Bush, wishing this is just in bad taste. I wouldn't wish this on anyone, and feel sorry that the child died as a result of seeing something he didn't understand on TV. Something, in my opinion,needed to be explained quite a bit more than what it had been. You shouldn't wish bad things on someone's children that you aren't happy with. Geeze......
Posted by yourPOINTis at 10:33 AM : Jan 04, 2007

You're right of course. Now if was George W. Bush himself however. That would make me stand up and cheer!

[jimibear]

"You're right of course. Now if was George W. Bush himself however. That would make me stand up and cheer!
Posted by RandalDS "


So would I, RandalDS. Unfortunately, Georgie Jr. has handlers who are in loco parentis to him, who make sure he doesn't kill himself through his own stupidity. Remember the pretzel incident?

I'm pretty sure the words, "Now Mr. President, don't you think 3 lines are enough? You know you can't sleep if you do too much blow" have probably been uttered more than once in the last 6 years as well. What a national disgrace and embarrassment that man is.

[zibulki]

I find it amusing the article is about a boy killing himself after seeing the pictures of the hanging and there is a picture of Saddam in a noose at the top of this article.

The TV media should have ratings just like movies do. Ratings would definitely be mostly R rated, I'm sure.

[michaure]

Non-American from what i can tell... now really did we lose anything from this? Stupid parents i say, need to teach children the difference between reality and make believe i hold the parents 100% accountable. Then again where these people even suppose to be our country...

[agnim]

"I don't care HOW much you hate Pres. Bush, wishing this is just in bad taste. I wouldn't wish this on anyone, ....

Now if was George W. Bush himself however. That would make me stand up and cheer!

Posted by RandalDS at 12:34 PM : Jan 04, 2007"
Get a grip!
This is not about hating anyone or 'wishing'.

If wishes were horses ....... buy them. LOL

If children had to die emulating the evil examples of state murder, then the hanging children of those behind the state murder may give the state murders a pause!

Our dear biblical leader would relate to the example of the Pharaoh of the biblical bull. The Pharaoh refused to cease his state evils until HIS child started paying for the old man's karma! LOL

[agnim]

"That child was obviously a "special needs" child that required better supervision.

Posted by santo_marco at 10:26 AM : Jan 04, 2007"

ALL children are 'special needs'!

They need that their governmental leaders NOT give them CLEAR LESSONS IN VENGEANCE AND VIOLENCE AND STATE MURDER!

[agnim]

"The TV media should have ratings just like movies do. Ratings would definitely be mostly R rated, I'm sure.

Posted by zibulki at 12:46 PM : Jan 04, 2007"
Good point!

But guess what?

The media (like cigarette and alcohol makers, etc) are run GREEDY, SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED business type who have removed themselves from societal responsibilities; and have no problem sacrificing the lives and well being of children just to make the next buck!

[agnim]

Posted by jimibear at 10:47 AM : Jan 04, 2007'

You have managed to make it past '10' years into adulthood(?) with the mentality of a *** (don't ask us how); so it is only fitting that ALL the other children should have their fair shot at adulthood without the society showing them how to murder themselves. LOL

this is ridiculous. That boy was simply stupid. I hate to say it, but we as a society believe that ignorance=innocence with children. A ten year old by is dead because he and an older sister (meaning a teenager) actually believed that they could fake a hanging and not have anyone get hurt.

We need to teach children in a real way that what we see on TV should not be copied. I tell my daughters 5 and 6 that if they walk in the street, pretending to be an X-Men character isn't going to save them. They will die.

Now, it would hurt me if they chose that, but at least I know they knew. I'm considered sinful for the truths i tell my girls: where babies really come from, ***, a war that was unapproved, what we are doing to Iraq, all of it.

Kids need reality!!!!!

[jimibear]

Agnim, I'm really curious as to why you feel it necessary to send a gratuitous insult my way, particularly as my posts are largely in philospophical agreement with your stated position.

That doesn't say much for your own mentality, does it?

santo_marco

that boy wasn't a special needs child. He, like every other child in the world, saw something on TV and thought it would be cool to try.


The problem with this is his sister (who should be ashamed of herself) actually helped him commit suicide, probably because she thought it was cute.

When I was little, there was no seat belt requirements in cars. There was also no bicycle helmet laws. The kids who rode their bike in the street and took a chance of being hit, sometimes died. The smart kids rode on the sidewalk.

If my daughter did this, even at 10, I would hate her. I would be mad that she chose to do something so stupid and as a result, i didn't have her anymore.

I would also blame only her, because I have taught her that doing something someone else does is dangerous. That boy, sad as it is, was of sound mind and body. He did something stupid and like kids when I was growing up, his choice cost him his life.

I am very sad for the family, especially his sister.

But that's it.

[jimibear]

Amerigirl, you are to be congratulated. Far too often, "sin" is the name given by sanctimonious idiots to the truth. The best way you can protect your children is by informing them. How people who claim that untruthfulness is a sin justify lying to their children is beyond me.

[agnim]

"ya know...you really cant blame anybody about what unfortuntely happened to the boy...he could have been watching , for instance, CSI.

Posted by yotis_hootis at 12:12 PM : Jan 04, 2007"
Don't be obtuse, guy; your CSI isn't given the kind of intense attention by the WHOLE WORLD IN CONTINUOUS FASHION!
Moreover, 'truth is really stranger than FICTION'!

Thanks to American maniacal media, Saddam Hussein has been firmly lodged in the American and the world's psyche for many years. And this barbaric and sadistic murder of an OLD MAN only add to the impact on people's minds!

Young and are weak minds ARE very vulnerable; because 'the fear of death' takes a while to jell in young minds.

[us59pizza]

You can see this kind of irratic behavior everyehere! It's becoming almost commin. If you want to protect your children from unthinkable acts of violence & perverson, post moral rules, & live by them as an example. For more info visit reclaimamerica.com
Uncle Steve

[jimibear]

Michaure, multiple postings of your posts doesn't make them any less distasteful.

I see you are talking about "those people" and "our country" here, and about how the Asian victim of the school shooting was "black" under than story, about which "no one should be surprised".

How do you see to type through that white hood?

[us59pizza]

This kind of behavior is common place these days. It's all the time & everywhere. If you love your children, your country, even yourself, visit reclaimamerica.com Live by example, it's the best you can do.
Uncle Steve

[meateater2]

Come on. If you don't want your kids to watch that kind of thing, then don't let them watch it. Or, at least watch it with them and explain that the person is gone forever. A 10 year old should know the difference between the news that is real, and a T.V. show that isn't. It is totally up to the parents to explain it to them.