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Huckabee defends Duggars over Teenage Molestation Accusations
- Thread starter leibowde84
- Start date
A teenager misbehaving is something like joyriding in the 'rents car or drinking alcohol with mates or even partaking in some drug experimentation. Molesting prepubescent kids is heinous and abhorrent. Not something to shrug off as teens being teens or boys will be boys. That's just plain ****ed up. Though if the perp is young enough, (as in like 13 or something) one could argue that it could point to said perp being a victim of sexual abuse themselves.
OK....I searched around, & found that he was 14 & 15 when he did something to some girls who were something years old.
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To me, it doesn't matter how reasoned his response to these allegations were. It doesn't matter that he was a teen. What matters is that he did it. As a survivor of rape, I can honestly say that it would no matter one damn bit today if my grandfather apologized to me and my family. What he did was beyond inexcusable, just as this Duggar person. Add to that that this family is one of the most socially irresponsible I have seen in all my life and no excuse excuses them. not to mention that Huckabee is not someone I would consider a positive on the side of this family. I don't see him defending Steven Collins...I think that is the man from Seventh Heaven who molested kids, or Bill Cosby. Why this family? Why not others? Its all about political clout. And that simply disgusts me.
Can I join you after I go puke for a while?
A teenager molesting CHILDREN. So yeah, that is horror. I will refrain from further comments as I would be warned if not sent packing.
How old were the children?
(Remember that he was a child at the time too.)
What did he do?
So far, the thread (& my search) is silent on these questions.
OK.....I found some specifics about sexual contact (haven't seen the victims' yet).
Some thoughts....
- Huckabee's "defense" isn't....ie, it doesn't excuse or condone the acts.
Huckabee defends Duggar over molestation accusations | OnPolitics
- Claims of "rape" are unsupported.
- The perp was a child too, which is far different from an adult doing the same things.
- The 'responsible' adults who knew of the acts, & didn't report them to the cops, deserve scrutiny for this failure.
Bombshell Duggar Police Report: Jim Bob Duggar Didn’t Report Son Josh’s Alleged Sex Offenses For More Than a Year - In Touch Weekly
- Children (including teenagers) have really immature brains, & deserve different treatment from adults (25 & older) who commit the same crimes, eg, theft, murder, assault. Their potential to become safe citizens is greater.
Brain Maturity Extends Well Beyond Teen Years : NPR
- I don't trust churches & religious communities to police themselves regarding crimes.
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Aye, his age (at the time) is relevant. Without excusing what he did, the culpability of a child is different from that of an adult.
But I see salivation at the prospect of being able to infer mere jocular pranks from the word "misbehavior". (I might've used the prefix "mal" instead, but the word, "malbehavior", doesn't exist.) Straw men will be soon be erected & attacked....."apologist" will be wielded. Triuimphant sanctimony will be felt.
Ahh so it was just a bit of dark humor to **** with peeps? I suspected as much, but the whole molestation thing is hard for me to be jovial about. And I like dark/black humor.
Carry on.
I don't know what the underlined phrase means.
It isn't a "jovial" issue.
But I was sarchastic about some extreme reactions to the OP & link therein.
I read reports from the Washington Post and CNN, none of which reported the ages, although it was stated that the children were 'prepubescent' meaning that they were well below the age of consent. He was 15 when this occurred and it did state that some of the children were sleeping, which also removes the issue of consent. And the fact remains, a 15 year old with overt proclivities to molest children, and they were children, is a sexual predator in the making if not one already. I simply can't fathom his wife defending this man. There is not one bloody excuse for such behavior on this planet. And that you seem to be trying to find ways to excuse or defend him disgusts me. What further disgusts me is that the courts are refusing to release any information, and we do have the freedom of information act, on the ages of these children, I would never expect names but why the cover up of their ages? The whole thing smacks of cover up to the highest levels.
After I specifically said I don't excuse such behavior, your inference is really off the mark.
To criticize over-reaction to wrongful acts is not the same as condoning them.
JS, I'm a fellow survivor of rape and sexual assault. I share your sentiments. I think we need to stick together when it comes to stories like this and the injustice that we witness afterward.
How is it over reaction? Have you ever had a child that was raped? My child....CHILD...was raped. She was eight years old. To imagine not over reacting is unimaginable to me. She was destroyed by that action. I had several good friends offered to find the SOB and kill him outright. Because I am Buddhist, I said no. However, there are days I regret that. And do you know what that prick got for a sentence? 2 g****amn years! And do you know what he did when he was released? He raped and murdered a two year old because he tore her up so badly she bled to death. So spare me the overreaction bull merde. It deserves over reaction.
Mystic, I am so terribly sorry you too, were abused. So was my 8 year old daughter. I can't fathom not sending this man...and I use the term loosely, to prison. Where, if karma has any input, he gets his comeuppance in spades.
I just saw this about your daughter. ****, I'm so so sorry.
You're doing great by continuing to speak up. Because one of the things used against survivors is by silencing them or by dismissing their experiences or by using their trauma/PTSD against them. When we are silent, and we don't point to crimes of sexual violence as real, only that is how we can be complicit in it being perpetuated. So we have to keep speaking up about the violence, the trauma, the pain, the shame, and how survivors are many times re-victimized by the justice system and the culture currently in place.
I speak up too. If you can imagine it, I'm standing right by you. Thank you so much for sharing your story, for sharing your daughters story, and for your courage and her courage to speak up and to fight against injustice.
Marisa
Well-Known Member
I disapprove completely of having more children than you can care for and thus turning your children into little parents far too soon. I personally see that as cruel and neglectful. I further disapprove of forcing your children to grow up with a TV camera in their faces because that's the only way your parents can afford to put a roof over your head and feed you. The child molester in the family can rot in a hell of his own creation for all I care, the four sisters he molested get no reprieve from the infamy of forever being one of his victims.
I think perhaps it's time to revisit a statute of limitations on child predation.
ETA: I'm not impressed with Huckabee's defense. Who is speaking for the victims? Society, in calling for a sexual predator to be held accountable for his actions. One wonders how long it might be before he offends again, if he hasn't already. I want present and future victims to know its not okay to prey on children even if you're a child yourself.
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The OP & linked article are about Huckabee's defending the Duggars. But the quotes attributed to him merely stated support for the family. What I see (which differs from what some others focus upon) is a misrepresentation of Huckabee's intent.
- That he's called a "douche bag" is an over-reaction to what is at worst impolitic support for a family in his state.
- That "rape" is used in a discussion of what (according to all links I've seen so far) of touching is inaccurate inflaming.
I've not had such a tragedy in my family, which would explain our different reactions.
I can only imagine your family's pain.
Nonetheless, we do have a responsibility to avoid making this into something it isn't.
Btw, like the size of my text....big enuf?
(My vision ain't what it once was either.)
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More things....
- A big problem is when religious communities believe that re-dedication to faith can cure criminal predilections. Perps need to enter the legal system, imperfect as it is.
- One of the State Troopers involved is now serving time for child porn. This doesn't bode well for proper handling of such cases.
- A big problem is when religious communities believe that re-dedication to faith can cure criminal predilections. Perps need to enter the legal system, imperfect as it is.
- One of the State Troopers involved is now serving time for child porn. This doesn't bode well for proper handling of such cases.