LESSONS IN CRAP PARENTING, PART I

For all the carping that those who choose not to have children are "selfish," we are consistently reminded of parents who take selfishness to new heights. How much lower can you go than this? This just scorches to the root of my Army Wife soul.

by Anne Lu - Celebrity News Service News Writer

Garland, TX (CNS) - Hannah Montana proves every kid (and parent) would do everything to get tickets to her concert. An essay that won a 6-year-old girl four tickets to the Hannah Montana concert was fake, her mom confesses.

The essay entitled "My daddy died this year in Iraq" has been proven to be none other than a product of the mom's imagination. The sponsor of the contest was Club Libby Lu, a Chicago-based store that sells young girls' clothes and accessories. The company officials surprised the girl Friday at a Club Libby Lu at a mall in Garland. The girl won a makeover that included a blonde wig similar to Hannah Montana, airfare for four to Albany, N.Y., and four tickets to the January 9 Hannah Montana concert.

Company spokeswoman Robyn Caulfied says the mom had told the company the girl's dad died April 17 in a roadside bombing in Iraq. She identified the father as Sgt. Jonathon Menjivar, but the Department of Defense has no record of anyone by that name. The mother has admitted to the fraud.

"We regret that the original intent of the contest, which was to make a little girl's holiday extra special, has not been realized in the way we anticipated," Club Libby Lu CEO Mary Drolet says.

Drolet says the company is considering taking away the girl's ticket. They are currently reviewing the matter.

I sincerely doubt a 6 year-old girl came up with this feint herself, and I hope this mother and anyone else involved has their head bowed in shame, and that they fully intend to publicly apologize and forfeit their winnings. Maybe I'm just sensitive because Death #3900 was a 27 year-old USMA grad, or maybe any sane human--with dogs in the fight or not--would be sickened by this scam. I hate to see disappointed kids, but this would be a fine "teaching moment" about the consequences of deceit: "Here's what happens when Mommy lies, punkin..." All the Libby Lu sparkle dust won't make the rotten egg stench of this go away. Color me disgusted.