Before I start, I just want to offer a disclaimer of sorts that these are my opinions around a very controversial issue. More information can be found in various news articles. I sincerely hope that those who were victims of this, and similar situations, have found help and that precautions are taken in similar situations so this does not happen again. One of my friends linked me this article which you may find interesting.
The Josh Duggar molestation scandal has come out of the blue over the last few days and has caused various reactions: shock, surprise, "well, with 19 one of them was bound to be crazy".
A lot of people would do anything for their family - people lie, cheat and steal frequently for the ones they love. Had Josh Duggar molested children outside of his family, I would comprehend - not empathise with, but understand at least a tiny bit - why his parents hadn't reported him to the police. Yes, it's wrong; yes, it's disgusting; and yes, it needs to be punished; but people frequently do crazy, wrong, and stupid things to protect their family. It doesn't make sense, but sometimes the love you have for people makes you do incredibly awful things.
However, out of the five girls (not women, girls) that Duggar molested, four of them were his sisters. And yet, his parents did not report him to the police. Yet he was allowed to live in the same house as his sisters. This was not one occasion, this was four (at least), and yet his parents valued the comfort of themselves (living a scandal free life) and their son over the safety of their daughters.
While there has been widespread outrage over the Internet about this revelation, the comments on the TLC post announcing that the show has been cancelled tell a different story. "Let those without sin cast the first stone :(" "I am so very sad! It's the only show I watch! The Duggar family is wonderful! The situation happened 12 years ago and was dealt with. No reason to punish Josh or the Duggar family now. I am disappointed in this decision." "Why would you do that. It's a great show. Admitting to his mistakes just shows that they are just like the rest of us..."
I, for one, find these comments mind boggling. While I admittedly had to scroll past other comments in support of the decision, there were plenty condemning TLC for cancelling the show. The comments opposing the decision had two distinctive categories: firstly, that the Duggars shouldn't be punished, and secondly, that Josh was so young when the molestations occurred that they should be forgotten about.
Many people believed that the Duggars shouldn't be taken off air, after all, it was Josh that made the mistake, right? However, while Josh was responsible for his actions, it was the Duggar family that covered it up. It was the Duggars who decided that no, they wouldn't (initially) report their child to the police. Instead, he got sent away to a church camp (which turned out to be hard labour for a family friend), and when they reported him a year later, no charges were laid and the police officer they reported him to actually ended up being jailed for child pornography.
Commenters also believed that fifteen was too young, that when one is fifteen, they are still a child. But do you know what? Fifteen years old is old enough to know better. Fifteen years old is old enough to know that touching your sisters and another girl inappropriately is not okay. When I was fifteen, I was in year 10. I was picking what subjects I would do that would, to some extent, set me up for what I studied for university. I had a job. I knew right from wrong.
The most bizarre comments though, were the ones that protested that Josh Duggar was innocent. When someone releases a statement saying "[T]welve years ago, as a young teenager I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends..." the general consensus is that they are guilty of what they are being accused of.
On TLC: while I do support their decision to cancel the show, I can't quite comprehend why this wasn't done sooner. Off screen, the Duggars champion multiple anti-gay and anti-abortion causes. Although this hasn't been shown in the show, this channel still made the decision to support a family whose oldest son, in June 2013, became the executive director of the Family Research Council's legislative action branch (he has resigned from this position over the last few days because it turns out that even people who are anti-LGBT and anti-abortion are also opposed to child molesters).
The hypocrisy of this family is disgusting.
The Duggars identify as independent baptists from the "Quiverfull movement" (the specifics seemed to change over different articles I read) and before I go on, I want to assure anyone reading this that I have nothing against any religion. While I'm not going to go into my personal beliefs, I think anyone and everyone should be able to practise whatever religion they want. The issue that I have is when religion is used to justify hatred, discrimination and oppression.
In a February interview with Today magazine, Michelle Duggar said that a woman should always be available to meet her husband's demands: "Anyone can fix him lunch, but only one person can meet that physical need of love that he has, and you always need to be available when he calls" (link). In August of last year, Michelle Duggar recorded a transphobic phone call for voters in Fayetteville, Arkansas, encouraging them to vote against a proposed anti-discrimination bill that would allow transgender people to use whichever bathroom they felt the most comfortable in. Duggar proclaimed that "I doubt Fayetteville parents would stand for a law that would endanger their daughters or allow them to be traumatised by a man joining them in their private space. We should never place the preference of an adult over the safety and innocence of a child" (link).
So basically, if you are a boy, you count more than a girl. However, if you are a girl and you can be used to stop equality in its tracks, you are quite useful. If you are a transgender person identifying as a woman, you should not use the bathrooms because you will molest the girls in there. However, if you are a son who admitted to doing the same thing to his sisters and another girl, you can carry on your merry way. I feel like these attitudes are more than a little dated in this world.
They seem like the kind of family someone needs to give a reality TV show to, however, thank goodness it has been cancelled, because this is the last thing I feel like watching.
