Sarah Palin rants about the Josh Duggar scandal, but misses a ton of the key facts.
The former governor of Alaska took to Facebook to express her outrage at the way Josh Duggar is being treated in the media because, uh… Lena Dunham.
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“I’m not an apologist for any sexual predator, but I’m sickened that the media gives their chosen ones a pass for any behavior as long as they share their leftwing politics,” Palin wrote. “Case in point, they suggest Lena Dunham‘s sexual assault on her sibling is cute, and she’s rewarded for it with fame and fortune. Meanwhile, they crucify another, along with an entire family.”
Now, there are a lot of big differences between Dunham’s and Duggar’s cases, but one of the big ones: Dunham was 7 years old, Duggar was 14.
It is definitely a debate that has gotten heated. At what age should a minor know that touching his or her siblings is inappropriate? In my mind, 7 gets a pass, especially when it’s an isolated instance and mere curiosity. Fourteen is unacceptable, made even worse by the fact that the police report states the molestation was ongoing and getting worse over time.
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Another difference to note: Dunham was raised in a family that didn’t shun kissing, exploring or being curious about the human body prior to marriage. She wasn’t sheltered in the same extreme way Duggar was. So Duggar’s mindset very well could have been that of a much younger child since he was so sexually inexperienced. It could have been simple curiosity on his part. However, he admitted that at that age he knew what he was doing was wrong. He felt so guilty about that wrongdoing that he later confessed to his parents — meaning he was old enough to understand that touching his sisters was an inappropriate action.
But it’s clearly a matter of opinion since Palin describes Dunham as a “pedophile” — which, in my mind, is just crazy and proves the need for broader sexual education since a pedophile is someone who is defined as having an attraction to young children. Dunham was a child herself when this event took place. With Duggar, as a 14-year-old, his motives are still unclear, which I think is what has the public so concerned. Was this innocent curiosity? Or something more perverse? The police report does say that Duggar had more than seven instances of sexual molestation and his parents didn’t report him for approximately 16 months, even though the behavior was continuing and becoming worse.
Palin, despite the facts, thinks these situations are perfectly comparable. “Such obvious double standards applied to equally relevant stories underestimate the wisdom of the public, discredit the press, and spit on the graves of every American who fought and died for the press’s freedom.”
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She is no stranger to public scrutiny. But when you open your house up for the world to see via reality TV, you don’t get to just close the door again when people see something you don’t want out in the public. Such is the case with the Duggars, which is why Josh’s past has involved the entire family so heavily.
Palin needs to stop crucifying the media — which was just as critical of Dunham, most just found in her favor — and instead start looking at the facts, which are pretty horrifying when you know the truth.
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