My take on the Duggar family news.

[RandySF]

I am not going to guess what was in 14-year old Josh Duggar's heart and mind when he sexually molested his younger sisters. Was it malice? Was it a kid growing up having no idea what he was feeling (I somehow doubt dad sat anyone dow for "the talk&quot and what was appropriate conduct?. And, not knowing this, it is hard for me to put the full burden on Josh. Father Sean, however, is a different matter. Yes, he called the police, but happened after that? After the officer (whose boss likely had ties to the family) gave him a "talking to", the family's solution was to send him off to a relative's house instead of taking him to a counselor who would have been ethically bound to respect their client's confidenrtiality. THAT is the most toxic element of the story. And what about the sisters? Did they have anyone to talk to besides their warped parent? Somehow I don't think so. And is what makes the Duggars and their allies so sinister.

[liberal_at_heart]

1. It is heartbreaking to think those girls didn't have anybody but their parents to go to.

They were probably told that God would want them to forgive and forget, and that was probably all they were told. These people clearly don't understand sex and therefore don't have a clue about the psychological ramifications of sexual assault.

[world wide wally]

2. They understand sex enough to have 19 children

What they DON'T understand is life.

[MADem]

3. My first thought was this this is probably a VERY dysfunctional family on a good day.

My second thought was "I wonder if that pervy little shit is MODELING BEHAVIOR HE LEARNED FROM HIS PAW....?"



That would create an imperative interest in keeping everyone's--the kid's, his victims', the mom's, etc.---mouth shut.


I would hope that's not the case, but kids often do copy their parents. It's a common theme in Public Service Announcements!

[Warpy]

4. What was in his mind? That his sisters were THINGS with no rights of their own

so he could do whatever he wanted to. His whole upbringing has pretty much reinforced that world view, it's a toxic way to bring up children.

Fundies think anybody with connections to gawd will fix everything and are superior to people who have actually learned the right things to do to help other people heal.

They never seem to realize that most pedophiles wrap themselves in the flag and hide behind the cross to throw people off their trail.

I really hope they get kicked off TV, disgraced and humiliated. Holding that bunch of freaks up as some sort of role model has long been unconscionable. Now it's obscene.