Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address warned us about the dangers of the "military-industrial complex".
John F. Kennedy offered this challenge: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
And what memorable oratory did Bill Clinton leave for us? "I did not have sex with that woman!" Or, "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."
It seems that Jim Bob Duggar is taking lessons on semantics from our forty-second President. That is ironic, in a way, because about the only thing he seems to have in common with Clinton is Arkansas roots.
But it seems that for a self-professed Christian, he's doing everything he can to emulate Bill from Hope's respect for the truth. Now, I can't fault him for defending his son: Most parents would do the same for their kids, even after those kids have done the most unspeakable things. Still, I have a hard time hearing a defense, whoever may make it, of someone who takes advantage of someone else sexually.
He says that when his son Josh molested his sisters, who were adopted, "it was nothing like rape." Rather, he insists it was "just inappropriate touching over the clothes" while the girls "were sleeping". According to Duggar the Elder, the girls weren't even aware of what he had done. In contrast, the police reports state that at least one of the girls woke up during the incident.
Now, almost anyone would agree that touching a child's private areas--whether or not there is clothing or anything else between the toucher's hand and the child's privates--constitutes sexual molestation. In fact, most people--including most clinicians--would agree that it's molestation if the person, of whatever age, being touched can't or doesn't consent.
And, whatever we might say about the State of Arkansas, it defines sexual molestation as rape.
As a transgender woman and someone who survived childhood sexual molestation and sexual assault as a young adult, I find Jim Bob Duggar's dissembling particularly offensive. You see, he and his wife have been propagating the lie that all transgenders are pedophiles as part of their campaign against transgender equality.
I wonder how they define "transgender" and "pedophilia".
Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address warned us about the dangers of the "military-industrial complex".
John F. Kennedy offered this challenge: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
And what memorable oratory did Bill Clinton leave for us? "I did not have sex with that woman!" Or, "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."
It seems that Jim Bob Duggar is taking lessons on semantics from our forty-second President. That is ironic, in a way, because about the only thing he seems to have in common with Clinton is Arkansas roots.
But it seems that for a self-professed Christian, he's doing everything he can to emulate Bill from Hope's respect for the truth. Now, I can't fault him for defending his son: Most parents would do the same for their kids, even after those kids have done the most unspeakable things. Still, I have a hard time hearing a defense, whoever may make it, of someone who takes advantage of someone else sexually.
He says that when his son Josh molested his sisters, who were adopted, "it was nothing like rape." Rather, he insists it was "just inappropriate touching over the clothes" while the girls "were sleeping". According to Duggar the Elder, the girls weren't even aware of what he had done. In contrast, the police reports state that at least one of the girls woke up during the incident.
Now, almost anyone would agree that touching a child's private areas--whether or not there is clothing or anything else between the toucher's hand and the child's privates--constitutes sexual molestation. In fact, most people--including most clinicians--would agree that it's molestation if the person, of whatever age, being touched can't or doesn't consent.
And, whatever we might say about the State of Arkansas, it defines sexual molestation as rape.
As a transgender woman and someone who survived childhood sexual molestation and sexual assault as a young adult, I find Jim Bob Duggar's dissembling particularly offensive. You see, he and his wife have been propagating the lie that all transgenders are pedophiles as part of their campaign against transgender equality.
I wonder how they define "transgender" and "pedophilia".
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