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Here's maybe the craziest part, when you think about it - this all went down in 2005 or so. The show didn't start until 2008. They went on the air painting themselves as this perfect big Christian values family with the repeated molestation of their daughters by their son kind of buried in the background. They HAD to know this would eventually surface, didn't they?
Josh confessed to his parents; they took immediate action and received counseling; and reported it to the police. What more does society want? If society is so hard that it continues to throw stones even after a person is remorseful, gets treatment, and does a 180. . . they are sending the message there's no sense in anyone changing for the better because society will continue to tar and feather that individual for the rest of their lives.
Am definitely not condoning his actions; yet I applaud Josh and his parents for taking the proper steps to remedy the situation and ensure it never happens again.
I've thought there was something weird and creepy about this family since I first saw them interviewed on TV. I've seen only a few minutes of 19 Kids and Counting and (like all the other "reality" shows, from Kardashians to Honey Boo Boo to Duck Dynasty) I just couldn't subject myself to it nor understand it's appeal to anyone.
In googling, I came across Josh and Anna's fb page. The number of comments supporting him is disgusting. Things like, "This shouldn't even be in the news. It's done, over, and has been forgiven." "God bless your family. Every Christian sins. God Bless Josh and his family. My goodness, get over it people! Can you throw the first stone? I didn't think so!"
Some people have been drinking the koolaid for so long that they have no ability to even THINK anymore. They completely overlook multiple instances of child molestation, say God has forgiven Josh, so we can all sing Kum Ba Yah. Then they'll head back out to protest against those perverted gay people who want to get married and will be the ruin of American families.
I fervently hope this is the take-down this bizarre clan so richly deserves. I'm sorry for the sisters involved, but the adult ones should have escaped long since.
Josh confessed to his parents; they took immediate action and received counseling; and reported it to the police. What more does society want? If society is so hard that it continues to throw stones even after a person is remorseful, gets treatment, and does a 180. . . they are sending the message there's no sense in anyone changing for the better because society will continue to tar and feather that individual for the rest of their lives.
Am definitely not condoning his actions; yet I applaud Josh and his parents for taking the proper steps to remedy the situation and ensure it never happens again.
I agree, but when you are out there judging other families and bringing harm to them through your work, then you open yourself up to additional scrutiny. As the old saying goes, don't throw stones in glass houses.
Josh confessed to his parents; they took immediate action and received counseling; and reported it to the police. What more does society want? If society is so hard that it continues to throw stones even after a person is remorseful, gets treatment, and does a 180. . . they are sending the message there's no sense in anyone changing for the better because society will continue to tar and feather that individual for the rest of their lives.
Am definitely not condoning his actions; yet I applaud Josh and his parents for taking the proper steps to remedy the situation and ensure it never happens again.
He did not receive counseling; he got a summer job with a family friend. No counseling. NONE.
Never watch their show but I know they are known as a loving Christian family. This revelation only reveals that they are no different than any other family. Very sad for the sisters that were molested.
Yes, because every family has a member that is a child molester with parents that attempt to cover it up. All while spreading anti-gay bigotry and claiming that gay marriage will harm children. The Duggars have been outed as complete scumbags and hypocrites. They are also just the latest anti-gay bigots to have issues with their own sexual deviancy. Anyone that cares about sex as much as they do is almost guaranteed to have some freaky stuff going on in their own lives.
Another tidbit of information from this story, a police officer that was a close personal friend of Jim Bob Duggar (the dad) was asked to "counsel" the child molesting son. That friend is now serving 56 years in prison on child porn charges.
I expect the backlash from sponsors to be quick and brutal, their fifteen minutes is over.
Josh confessed to his parents; they took immediate action and received counseling; and reported it to the police. What more does society want? If society is so hard that it continues to throw stones even after a person is remorseful, gets treatment, and does a 180. . . they are sending the message there's no sense in anyone changing for the better because society will continue to tar and feather that individual for the rest of their lives.
Am definitely not condoning his actions; yet I applaud Josh and his parents for taking the proper steps to remedy the situation and ensure it never happens again.
Would you be this cavalier if you learned that the teenage boy next door had been molesting his sisters?...especially if the family went around tooting their own horn for what a wholesome, "godly" family they were? Josh has not received any treatment, and we can't know that he has "done a 180." That is not usually how child molesters work.
OF COURSE Josh is saying how sorry he is, and I'm sure he is sorry this came out in the open. He may genuinely be sorry and disgusted with himself and perhaps he has never and will never molest again. But we can't know that. Proper follow up (counseling, appropriate legal action, and justice) did not take place.
There is a middle ground between continuing to "tar and feather" him, and just wanting to sweep it all under the rug and pretend everything is fine. God help those poor girls, who probably feel this is somehow "their fault," and whose chances of having a normal, healthy sexual relationship have been damaged.
Josh confessed to his parents; they took immediate action and received counseling; and reported it to the police. What more does society want? If society is so hard that it continues to throw stones even after a person is remorseful, gets treatment, and does a 180. . . they are sending the message there's no sense in anyone changing for the better because society will continue to tar and feather that individual for the rest of their lives.
Am definitely not condoning his actions; yet I applaud Josh and his parents for taking the proper steps to remedy the situation and ensure it never happens again.
That is not accurate, the parents told elders at their church but did not report it to police. The police got involved several years later after an anonymous tipster alerted the producers of the Oprah show on which the Duggars had a scheduled appearance. Oprah sent the tip to child services who contacted the police.The parents essentially covered up the episode until the statute of limitations had expired. And the "counseling" that he received was from a family friend that was a construction contractor, not an actual counselor at all.
There is also lots of science that supports the theory that child molesters don't "do a 180" and are almost certain to continue molesting others. The parents actions in this case were shameful.
Here's maybe the craziest part, when you think about it - this all went down in 2005 or so. The show didn't start until 2008. They went on the air painting themselves as this perfect big Christian values family with the repeated molestation of their daughters by their son kind of buried in the background. They HAD to know this would eventually surface, didn't they?
The initial abuse went on from 2002-2003 and in that span of time, Josh molested 4 of his sisters (his 5 sisters were 4, 8, 9, 10, and 12 at the time) and another girl around the same age who was living with them. Papa Duggar did not report it until December of 2004 - and even then, he only reported it to a friend of his who was a cop and gave a stern talking to Josh. No charges filed. That cop is now in jail for 55 years for kiddie porn. The police investigated in 2006 when someone made an anonymous tip to the Oprah show that they felt was legitimate. At that point, it was past the statute of limitations.
To anyone who thinks this makes the Duggars like "any other family," absolutely not. Most families don't deal with their son molesting 4 of their daughters and a 5th victim by sheltering the son. He should have been removed from the home. The Duggars show that they valued their reputation or their golden boy, or both, more than 4 of their daughters. That is heinous.
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