If the biggest question in the Duggar affair is "How in the world has TLC not cut ties with these people yet?", the second biggest is "Why did they sit on this for as long as they did?" Well, Patheos blogger Jonny Scaramanga stumbled on a possible motive. Under Arkansas law, if Josh had been forced to register as a sex offender, Jim Bob and Michelle would not have been allowed to homeschool their kids if he'd stayed in their home.
The relevant law was passed in 2001--ironically, when Jim Bob was still in the state house. Its text is pretty straightforward--unless the offender's parents get a waiver from a judge, they can't homeschool as long as the offender is still in the home. For the record, this is still in force today. It's hard to believe Jim Bob and Michelle weren't aware of this law. Not only was it enacted when Jim Bob was in the legislature, but the Duggars are among the biggest voices for homeschooling in this country.
Jim Bob said that he was well aware that Josh's actions were crimes However, he said he initially didn't go to the police because he didn't trust any government-sponsored programs to help Josh. However, if it is true that he was also trying to protect his right to homeschool, he and Michelle were really playing with fire when they finally went to the police in 2003. Remember, the third incident, in which Josh fondled his five-year-old sister, should have never even happened. After all, just a few months before Josh had fondled a girl who was babysitting his younger siblings. Any normal parent would have taken Josh in right then and there. So therefore, they not only faced the prospect of Josh having to register as a sex offender, but of being racked up themselves on charges of child endangerment and permitting the abuse of a minor--both of which are felonies. Although I haven't been able to find anything specific, it's hard to imagine that convicted felons would be allowed to homeschool anywhere in this country.
When I read this, I was absolutely sickened. Not just because of how depraved this potentially looks, but because it sounds very similar to something my ex-wife did. Many longtime Kossacks know that for three years, I was married to an abusive and controlling woman. After I left her, I discovered that she'd hit her son in the head out of anger, and had also done a number of other things bad enough that she could only see her kids on supervised visits.
My ex almost certainly knew that neither I or any other halfway decent guy would have married her had this been known. She also knew that had I found this out during our marriage, I would have thrown her out first and asked questions later. But just like Jim Bob and Michelle, she didn't have the guts to take her medicine and get help. I think about how we were actually talking about running an in-home day care at one point. The mere thought of letting someone run a day care after she abused her own kids enough that she couldn't be around them unsupervised is too damn obscene for words. Indeed, it's as obscene as not getting help for your son after he fondles a girl who isn't related to him--especially after he fondled girls before.