Meet the Duggar’s

October 23 2007, the next airing of Discovery’s special on the Duggars. I’ve got it marked on my calendar.

I was introduced to the Duggar family via Hearts blog Women’s Space: In the margins.

There is a huge controversy swelling over the Duggar family in part because well they have 16 children, and don’t seem to have any plans on slowing down. But on closer inspection it is about so much more than that.

The mother of 16 has been disparaged for everything from her hairstyle (a mullet) and manner of appearence, she’s been depicted as a pig, her vagina as a clown car. She’s been called white trash, brainwashed. Why? because of her choices in life. Choices that are not so different from other large families and other religions.

Heart opened up a conversation with the simple question, why-is-michelle-duggar-fair-game?

I’m currently trying to read up on the facts of this fracas, and in the meantime have been blindsided by certain similarities between this woman, the “quiverfull” movement (as introduced to me by Heart) and the early life of the woman for whom this blog is named. (Story on the side bar for those who are interested.) Or you can read this featuring her here.

I felt absolutely punched in the gut when I read Heart’s post about the movement and what they had sent to Andrea Yates just prior to Andrea murdering her five little children.

Modern Mother Worldly was very, very lazy.
All her children drove her crazy.
The Bible told her to spank and train them.
But society said she must never constrain them.
The fruit of rebellion she did now see.
On the day of judgment she will have no plea.
Modern Mother Worldly cast in hell!
Now what becomes of the children of such a ‘Jezebel’!

– From the tract entitled, “Perilous Times,” sent to Quiverfull mother Andrea Yates shortly before she killed her five children

And with that I’m off to retreat into the world of work.