OK, the Duggars.
by Primo Encarnación
I have spent a lot of time avoiding these folks. The whole Quiverfull movement makes me quiver. It falls right in line with all the other weird fundie perversions of Scripture, where the men act like gods, and the women are stepford martyrs with rubber wombs. I’ve avoided getting deeply into it, the same way I avoid reading about flesh-eating bacteria: intellectually I know it’s out there, but it skeeves me out and I don’t care to know more.
Then oldest spawn, Josh, was scooped up by Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council and given a job running their PAC. FRC is an anti-LGBT hate group (so identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center) and, of course, it seemed the perfect place for young Joshua to turn his family franchise into the big time political career his dad, Jim Bob, tried and failed to spark off his own after a brief stint in the Arkansas legislature.
Again, I ignore the FRC and Focus on the Family and all that other BS for much the same reason I ignore Duggar Dynasty: it’s a carnival sideshow, designed to separate credulous Christians from their widows’ mites.
Now it comes out that teenage Josh Duggar was a bit of a perv, molesting at least five girls including up to four of his yonger sisters. Growing up in such a household, learning that women are there to serve the man and prohibited most if not all forms of sex, except to set off your own population pipe bomb with your covenant wife – hell, it’s a wonder he didn’t turn into an axe-murderer…yet.
Again, I didn’t much care; yet another sex scandal among the holier-than-thou crowd… yawn. And this one was 12+ years ago, and the “molester” was himself still a pretty young teen. So, now his hate-friends don’t want him in their gang no more? Yay, my schadenfreude said, then rolled over and went back to sleep.
But then it got interesting.
As the Josh-is-a-perv story was getting legs, I imagine that tons of FOIA requests started wending their way towards the Springdale Police Department. But the day after the story broke, an Arkansas judge ordered the police records destroyed.
Hello, what have we here?
Here we have the reason why schadenfreude should wake up and pay attention, because this is no longer just an uber-christian TV family dealing with something that happens all the time to all sorts of people. This is now Watergate-y, where the pretty predictable crime, given the kid’s effed up upbringing, is now about to be overshadowed by the political cover-up.
I looked again at the timeline. Josh’s late-night gropes come smack-dab in the middle of his dad’s political career. Twelve years ago is when they allegedly stopped – 2003 – but March, 2002, was when the family first becomes aware of improper touching. In 2002, Daddy Jim Bob also runs for US Senate and loses in the May primary. In 2003 more of this comes out and Josh gets sent for “treatment.” In 2004, Dad runs for state senate and loses.
Around this time, as well, Josh was “betrothed” to the daughter of Jim Holt, another quiver-nut , who ran for the US Senate in 2004 and lost to Democrat Blanche Lincoln. In one of those three races – stories vary – the blame for the loss was placed by the candidate as “sin in the camp” and for years now – YEARS mind you – the rumors have been that Josh’s diddling of little girls was that sin. The betrothal with the Holt girl ended, and then in 2006, as all their “## kids and pregnant!” specials were about to lead to a big Oprah appearance, both Harpo Studios and a tipster contacted state authorities.
Jim Bob had submitted Josh to a lecture from a trooper friend later found to be a pedophile (as was also suspected of the founder of Josh’s little re-training camp, who left under a cloud for molesting women). But by the time the actual cops did some investigation, lo and behold! the statute had run on Josh’s documented crimes. All that remained were the ghosts of internet rumors, a tight-lipped community of homechurchers who know some of the story, and a police file which now no longer exists.
Folks, this isn’t about Josh. This is about the yearning for power by Jim Bob and others like him (Mike Huckabee, you are HIP DEEP in this mess) who feel themselves above man’s law and want to bring this country under their god’s law, one theocratic state at a time. And if their crazy, unbalanced methods create crazy, unbalanced children by the quiverfull, well, that’s all to the good, so long as they can place them in the halls of power. Josh was groomed – and re-programmed, when needed – to lead the next generation to the Promised Land, and wage war on the non-believers along the way, just like his Biblical namesake.
Flesh-eating bacteria seem cuddly in comparison.
“Skeeved out”, indeed.
1My wife spent 32 years working with abused and neglected kids. It didn’t take her long to figure out that the more fundamentalist religious the family, the more likely that the kids were physically, sexually, and mentally abused. And that it became a generational thing.
2Here’s my take on the Duggars, and reality TV in general: If it seems to good to be true, it probably is. TV is NOT real. Josh and his problems are undoubtedly the tip of the iceberg, and boy – it is one creepy iceberg!
3Okay, let’s see: We start with an environment where a woman thinks it’s a good thing to endure 19 (or more) pregnancies, where her role in life is mostly to produce more kids, and where her time is so fragmented among those kids that none of them can possibly get the adult care and nurturing kids need to survive—and then we are surprised when something goes wrong. Really?
I used to be a fan of zero population—2 kids per mom. Then I learned that maintaining “zero” population requires something like 4 kids per mom (because of folks who never have kids). I think the Chinese have it wrong when they limit families to 1 kid, but I think cutting out tax breaks after, say, 3 or 4, might give a few people important “pause.”
4….stepford martyrs with rubber wombs….”
Boy howdy, there’s a description we ought to be using against the Forces Of Darkness and their ugly views of women. Thanks once again, Juanita Jean.
5The kid was 17, not a young teen, the last time he was bused for finger f-ing his sisters.
6This should be about the victims. And those parents did not do anything for their daughters.
The father was in the legislature. This is a cover up plain and simple for the fathers sake and for his sons. Never mind the girls that were abused. They don’t count then and now.
And the evangelical leaders are saying out loud it is OK to break the law if you say you are sorry to Jesus. That civil law is not important and they are above it.
Why did I have to testify as a school nurse against boys in the same situation as Josh?
Because they were not evangelicals and above the law?
7daChipster … Wow!! Just Wow!! Thanks for your in-depth findings on all this!! Skeevy is an excellent word in regards to the Duggars.
8Nothing is crazier than religious-crazy.
9Blech. The Duggars came to the Texas Legislature, all however many of them, dressed identically and perfectly behaved, and just came and were PRESENT during the fight about legislation on women’s health issues. You know they have corporate sponsors, right? Regardless of your views on abortion and Texas law, the Duggars are from Arkansas. What were they doing all lined up in the Texas Legislature? And destruction of police records? Isn’t that kind of illegal?
10Someone at the court house or police station, saved a copy…
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/05/24/if-you-want-to-see-the-josh-duggar-police-report-for-yourself-look-no-further-images/
11“In one of those three races – stories vary – the blame for the loss was placed by the candidate as “sin in the camp” and for years now – YEARS mind you – the rumors have been that Josh’s diddling of little girls was that sin.”
So I guess they cannot accept that most people did not want Mr Duggar as their Senator. In their minds there has to be some Cosmic Reason. With a slice of Jesus, no less.
How can you reason with people who seem determined to not perceive reality?
12I am aware, of course, that the sort of thing Josh did happens. Since it happened in a family on the religious-right fringe, which considers all sexual thoughts, actions, questions, and feelings (outside of marriage)as sins–leaving Josh no outlet for his normal sexual urges–I’m not exactly astonished. What does bother me is not that he wasn’t taken into custody and labeled a sexual predator from the get-go, but that he and his victims got absolutely no counseling. I refuse to consider a couple of months helping someone remodel a house as “counseling,” no matter what Josh’s mother said. Jim Bob and Michelle placed their political ambitions above the needs of their (and other people’s) children, and that couldn’t be more wrong.
13intouchweekly.com
has the story with a good bit of detail–including a photo of the police report.
14I’m against fundamentalism in any religion, particularly when it is being forced upon the legislative process.
15The Quiverfull philosophy (or, more accurately, perversion) is based on the core concept that men are people and women and children are things.
16Do unto others….
Sorry, but as a Christian I will not abuse my, or other families children, women, or livestock. I don’t want to lie, steal, or shoot anyone (well, at least not in reality). I want to be free to express my faith, and believe in the right of others to worship as they choose. I love my spouse, and whole heartedly believe that opportunity should exist for everyone. What consenting adults do in private is their concern, just like my wife and myself.
In short, I won’t stoop to their level of “do unto”. I have better things in mind. Like thanking all veterans for their service…
17they turn my stomach.
18SteveTheReturned – that’s very kind but I am not Primo Encarnación. DaChipster is Primo – in more ways than one!
19I have seen way too many big religious families that are no way happy and rotten at the core. There are so many kids the parents can’t even give them normal routine parent custodial care. I’ve seen this lead to suicide and in one family, the loss of more than one child. Raising one child to be somewhere near normal is more than a challenge. Raising wayyyyyy more than one at a time is just plain freakin’ insane.
20LynnN, that is the best summation of the Quiverfull sect that I have ever seen.
21@16 & @20,
…and if women and children can be things, then so can the people that used to be property.
How anyone would wish to own another person, *sigh*.
22Right wingiest World Net Daily published a news article about the law suit filed by the ‘sex slave’ nanny Lourdes Torres who was sexually abused for years by Mister Big of the Quiverful cult, Doug Philips, husband & father of eight. As usual, the comments section is rife with support for Doug Philips & condemnation for his cult raised victim.
WND also posted an quote which rather belies their “’til death do us part’ devotion to their breeding mares:
“Voddie Baucham, a leader in the patriarchal and quiverful movement, explains the patriarchal men’s desire to be revered by younger women: “A lot of men are leaving their wives for younger women because they yearn for attention from younger women. And God gave them a daughter who can give them that.”
http://www.wnd.com/2014/04/pastor-accused-of-using-nanny-as-sex-object-2/
23**And God gave them a daughter who can give them that.”**
Oh seriously squicky!
24The judge who ordered the records destroyed should be brought up on multiple charges. What is his name? Of course he’s a Republican.
25“And God gave them a daughter who can give them that.”
I may throw up. How many abused daughters are there in that movement? More than we’ll ever know about.
26I told ya it was a creepy iceberg! There is a lady called April K who managed to escape her fundie cult and upbringing but not without scars. She writes a blog called Revolutionary Faith and it is very informative. I have led a sheltered life! I see our Elise Von Holten over.there – your comments are always so uplifting Elise; here’s to your new life and love!
27Keep in mind that a family friend said that the oldest sister, who was 12, wasn’t molested. At the time, there were 5 sisters, so that means the other four were molested. The youngest was barely out of toddlerhood. She was 5. 5!!!!
28That isn’t “innocent curiosity” or normal teen behavior. That is perversion at it’s roots and quite possibly we will hear from more victims, unless their deep pockets buy silence.
His preference for sisters 11 or younger meets the legal definition of pedophilia. But I am still wrapping my head around the 5 yr old. Poor girl.
I read that the judge who ordered the records destroyed was appointed by Mike Huckabee – quelle surprise!
29Sick! Sick! Sick! That’s the nicest thing I can say about the Dugger family. I can just imagine how much brow-beating the molested sisters have experienced from their parents to make them keep their mouths shut. Jim-Bob and Michelle remind me more of animal trainers than parents.
30Didn’t some right-winger recently claim that legalizing gay marriage would legitimize incest? (Rhetorical question–of course he did.)
Seems as though the Duggar offspring are doing fine with just the inspiration of a hetero marriage.
31@Gindy51 (#6) – Several years ago I was on a jury that dealt with a live-in boyfriend who did that to his girlfriend’s daughter. He’s doing 56 years now on 7 consecutive counts, and 85% of his sentence is mandatory time. Not a violent guy – just a sorry, stupid, semi-indigent child pervie who the wheels of justice crushed big-time. He’s in his 40s and will be lucky to live long enough to get out. Yet Duggar’s family has clout and Josh escapes practically scot free. Equal justice under law – there ain’t.
32http://reverbpress.com/news/us/cover-huckabee-appointed-judge-loses-police-report-child-molester-josh-duggar/
33The Duggars are perverts…no wonder one of the sons is as well. The senior Duggar gives me the heebie jeebies just looking at him, and his wife is a cow. Damn, I don’t know what the fascination is with these sick people! I’ve never watched that stupid show, thank God it’s off..never should have been on in the first place!
34The Duggar parents whitewash of their son’s transgression and their neglect of their daughters is disgusting, but I reserve some of my industrial grade fury for Mike Huckabee. The only thing he was left in my opinion is that he demonstrates is faith in his own conviction. Let us hope that his presidential hopes will fail … after he wins the nomination.
35The Huckabee judge (friend) that had the records destroyed –
36sounds really fishy, could that be the same person who hid all the info on the Huckabee kid when he was arrested for the torture of a dog and subsequent killing of it?
The thing you have to remember about destruction of police records is that the police report, which everyone seems to have a picture of, and which has been redacted, is only the “top sheet” of the whole case file. Everything, including any notes NOT transcribed into the report, or subsequent interviews, or recordings, or transcripts, or contact lists, or indications of uncooperative witnesses. or internal email etc etc are ALL GONE.
This not only prevents us from knowing anything more about the investigation of Josh, it also has destroyed evidence for any potential obstruction of justice on the part of the parents or any other adults.
Around the dates in question, a letter was written to the Duggars about all this – from whom? saying what? – which we can infer included many details. The Duggars stuck the letter in a book, and forgot all about it, until they loaned out the book with the letter still inside! This seems to have led to the eventual police involvement.
If that letter, a potential smoking gun for ALL concerned, was in the police file, it is also now all gone.
Again, this is not about Josh. His sins while working for FRC are more recent, were done as an adult, and have hurt more lives than his sisters’. Duggar defenders focus on his mea culpa, and inexcusable behavior and blah blah blah. Anyone attacking Josh is barking up an unassailable tree.
The real culprit in all this are his father, and his political friends and his coven of practicing warlocks, who enrich themselves at others’ expense and treat women like dirt, like garbage, like breeding stock. Their religion blames women for the effect they have on men, and excuse the men for giving into their nature. Sound familiar? Let me give you a hint:
Those clothes they dress the girls in? Call that look…
“American Burqa.”
37Check out this bunch, best friends of the Dugger’s.
http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/united-bates-of-america/
38Sterilization (male and/or female) after two is looking better and better all time. At the least there wouldn’t be so many gaudy, bad-taste uniforms!
39Jim Bob Duggar very publicly stated during his campaign for U.S. Senate that he thinks incest should be punishable by death…prior to incestuous Josh getting caught by Daddy Duggar.
http://web.archive.org/web/20030210014933/http://www.jimbob.info/position.html
40Oh, Spritey! GREAT find!
41Nothing as humbling as having kids do stuff you can’t stand.
42Meanwhile the parents oughta pay more attention to the safety of their daughters and neighbors’ daughters etc.
43Thanks Aggieland Liz for your nice words!
44April and I have a lot in common, a crazy Fundie background being the least of it.
My religion is the one the Dali Lama endorses, “Kindness.” That is the one that I feel does the best job, for women, children and men. Without kindness we will fail as a country.
Many harsh lessons that we learn in life can be ameliorated by
kindness. It is either love or fear, that is what I really believe.
The one thing I have experienced from the ultra religious is cruelty and a hard line belief in their own self-righteousness…and the Duggars exemplify this in their ideas about gays and sexual behaviors in general. there is no kindness towards women in that belief system, because “brood mares” are not human, just machines for producing males. Girl children are not as valuable as males, as evidenced by the throwing of a young girls (as young as a five year old) under the bus, to save their 14 yr old son. As an abused 3 year old, I was not valued as my brother was. I know this story inside out. The minor children should be removed from their custody and they should go to jail.
Chip,
Normally I’m a big fan of yours. I share every ounce of disgust for the power players that you have. But you laid a big old turd here, and I gotta call you on it.
You said:
“Now it comes out that teenage Josh Duggar was a bit of a perv, molesting at least five girls including up to four of his yonger sisters….Again, I didn’t much care; yet another sex scandal among the holier-than-thou crowd… yawn.”
Banging your comely secretary while bragging about how faithful you are to your wife is a sex scandal. Molesting your sisters, at least some of whom were pre-pubescent at the time, is a hateful, destructive act. It’s a crime and a horror inflicted on those girls, and their parents have barely said a word about them.
Neither did you.
I saw a great line that summed it up for me: the daughters were nothing more than props in Joshua’s redemption narrative. Well, it seems to me that they’re nothing more than props in your political schadenfreude here.
Everybody’s having a blast either attacking the menfolk or defending them. It seems the only people giving a turd about the victims are those of us who, whether as children or adults, know what it is to be a thing used for someone else’s foul purpose without your consent.
I long for the downfall of the religious right as much as you do. (I have more to lose if they get in power than you do, given that I’m a female-type-person and all.) But I’ll be damned if I’ll disappear the victims or minimize their violation for any political or religious agenda, even my own. When you talk or write about this again, please remember that there are real people at the center of this, and they’re likely still in pain and in jeopardy. They come first.
45