The media’s reporting and “sensationalizing” of Josh Duggar’s newly-revealed past acts of molestation against underaged girls — including his sisters — show its “own insensitive bloodthirst,” according to presidential candidate, Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
In a Facebook post Friday, Huckabee affirmed his wife Janet and he support the Duggar family and chastised the media for a lack of consideration for the victims and lack of forgiveness.
“Josh’s actions when he was an underage teen are as he described them himself, ‘inexcusable,’ but that doesn’t mean ‘unforgivable,’” Huckabee wrote. “He and his family dealt with it and were honest and open about it with the victims and the authorities. No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story. Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things.”
The former Arkansas governor argued that the law protects minors and since Josh was a teenager at the time it was appropriate for the molestation information to remain private.
“The reason that the law protects disclosure of many actions on the part of a minor is that the society has traditionally understood something that today’s blood-thirsty media does not understand—that being a minor means that one’s judgement is not mature,” he wrote.
Huckabee continued, writing that Josh’s actions do not need a defense, however his actions of redemption and life as an adult is “testament to his family’s authenticity and humility.”
He went on to take issue with the media’s coverage of the incident.
“Those who have enjoyed revealing this long ago sins in order to discredit the Duggar family have actually revealed their own insensitive bloodthirst, for there was no consideration of the fact that the victims wanted this to be left in the past and ultimately a judge had the information on file destroyed—not to protect Josh, but the innocent victims,” he wrote.
Huckabee concluded with an explanation of Christian grace and forgiveness.
“Janet and I love Jim Bob and Michelle and their entire family,” he wrote. “They are no more perfect a family than any family, but their Christian witness is not marred in our eyes because following Christ is not a declaration of our perfection, but of HIS perfection. It is precisely because we are all sinners that we need His grace and His forgiveness. We have been blessed to receive God’s love and we would do no less than to extend our love and support for our friends. In fact, it is such times as this, when real friends show up and stand up. Today, Janet and I want to show up and stand up for our friends. Let others run from them. We will run to them with our support.”