The Duggars - 20th child discussion

[Civic]

Not only that, they've had their childhoods stolen from them. Did you see Michelle wakeboarding? She's highly athletic, and as a kid her parents fostered that in her- she got to roller skate, she got to cheerlead... she got to do all kinds of things she isn't allowing her kids to do.

Okay, I'm done now.

This. The Duggar daughters don't get to do many of the things their mother got to experience while she was growing up and during her teen years. I'm talking about wholesome activities that most fundamentalist families wouldn't have a problem with. Michelle relies upon them to help manage the house and care for the smaller kids so they miss out. Ma Civic has her faults but she always got one thing right: it was her duty to sacrifice for her children while we were growing up; not the other way around.

[duane]

I find the photo of the family posing around the casket--which appears to be open--while one very small girl peeks in and most of the rest smile for the cameras to be much more disturbing.

I agree. They look as if someone said "say 'CHEESE'!"

[Skittl1321]

Apparently, they were released without the family's permission. Ugh. People are jerks.

That actually makes me feel a little BETTER about the Duggars. It seemed like yet another attention whore move.

I hope these pictures never make it to their anti-abortion campaigns. I'm sure they will though.

[taf2002]

The family was obviously posing for a picture so I doubt they are upset at the "invasion of their privacy". Sorry, but I consider all cast members of reality shows famewhores, except for the talent show type. All those housewives & Jersey whores, I mean Shores, & Paris Hilton, & all the Kardashians...ugh.

[jenniferlyon]

I heard cousin Amy posted the pics on her Facebook page and one of her "friends" posted them elsewhere on the Internet.

[Ziggy]

Yeah, there is nothing creepy about the photos of little Jubilee. Just tiny, perfectly formed feet and hands. I thought it was beautiful.

What's creepy is displaying it during the funeral for everybody to see. Creepy and crass.

Apparently, they were released without the family's permission. Ugh. People are jerks.

Or that's what the family claims for PR reasons.

We'll never know.

[Beefcake]

I hope these pictures never make it to their anti-abortion campaigns. I'm sure they will though.

Well, baby Jubilee is obviously a baby to the Duggars and most of us reading this thread, so therefore she is a legitimate part of the conversation no matter what one's view on abortion.

And so is the healthy baby girl who's leaving an LA area hospital shortly (maybe today), ~three months after being born prematurely ... weighing 9 ounces.

[Skittl1321]

and most of us reading this thread.

Did you take a poll?


The baby in LA was born alive Jubilee was miscarried, or still born if you want to look at it that way. IMO she was a fetus, not a baby.

And while the Duggars can say the photos were released without their permission if they use them for campaigns (yet to be seen) IMO they will be exploiting yet another of their children (since obviously they classify her as such. Oddly, we never hear about Caleb.)

[duane]

Did you take a poll?

Speaking for myself, I consider Jubilee a fetus that did not develop into a baby due to being miscarried.

[DianeO]

Apparently, they were released without the family's permission. Ugh. People are jerks.

Well then count the Duggars as jerks too, because this was clearly created and released with their own permission:

Michelle's Letter to Jubilee

[Ziggy]

Speaking for myself, I consider Jubilee a fetus that did not develop into a baby due to being miscarried.

Same here.

Well then count the Duggars as jerks too, because this was clearly created and released with their own permission:

Michelle's Letter to Jubilee

Surprise surprise.

[taf2002]

Everything they do is for show.

[skatesindreams]

Well then count the Duggars as jerks too, because this was clearly created and released with their own permission:

Michelle's Letter to Jubilee

Talk about using a tragedy for "show/publicity".
UGH!

[AxelAnnie]

Well, baby Jubilee is obviously a baby to the Duggars and most of us reading this thread, so therefore she is a legitimate part of the conversation no matter what one's view on abortion.

And so is the healthy baby girl who's leaving an LA area hospital shortly (maybe today), ~three months after being born prematurely ... weighing 9 ounces.

I'm with you. Jubilee was no less loved than any of the other children. I think the pictures are lovely. And how fortunate they are to have them.

[Lanie]

Why is writing a letter to your baby disgusting and awful? They are probably trying to rectify the situation with the pictures and obviously, they are heartbroken. This is their 20th child, no matter what.

For the record, I was born at barely 26 weeks. My parents were counseled to abort me instead. Thank God I am alive--and I was born relatively healthy, too. Shocked the doctors who told my parents that I would die anyway.

[DianeO]

Why is writing a letter to your baby disgusting and awful? They are probably trying to rectify the situation with the pictures and obviously, they are heartbroken. This is their 20th child, no matter what.

Writing a letter to your baby is not disgusting and awful. The fact that she recorded it and put it on their website for the world to see/hear makes me think that the "letter to Jubilee" realistically had a much different target audience other than Jubilee herself. That's what I think most people are repulsed by. Jim Bob and Michelle asked for "privacy" in this time, yet they continue exploit their unborn deceased child in ways that show they are begging for attention. Complete hypocrites.

[numbers123]

I'd like to know if we were not discussing the Duggars, but another family who:

1. didn't have 19 kids and had a infant loss
2. didn't have a reality show
3. did take pictures of their baby in a casket
4. did post pictures of the baby on their facebook page for family and friends to see
5. did write and recorded a poem/reading dedicated to their infant and posted on their facebook page for family and friends to see/hear

would we still have the type of reaction these action? I don't agree with the Duggars having 19 or 20 kids, the choices that they have made to exploit those kids/lifestyle, but that doesn't negate the depth of infant loss that someone feels. I don't claim to know what their motives are or who the target audience is of displaying the pictures or poem reading, but I do believe that they are grieving parents/siblings of a baby who died.

[michiruwater]

But we aren't discussing that fictional family who follows those 5 things you listed. That changes things.

If it were a different family, yeah, maybe that audio letter would be considered sweet. But it's not a different family.

Everyone feels these sorts of losses at different levels, including the Duggars. They may feel the loss of this child more, or less, than you would have. But a family that has put their entire lives on display and done (what many consider to be) outlandish things to gain fame and attention is going to be treated differently when it comes to these things than a typical family would.

And, IMO, well they should be.

I also agree that it is hypocritical to ask for privacy and then post that audio poem. That's the opposite of being private about this.

[judiz]

My best friend had a stillbirth in her sixth month. She joined an online support group for women who lost infants during pregnancy or within the first year. I don't know if they are still there, but she was shown how to make a memorial website for her baby complete with letters, poems and for those possible, photos of footprints or the baby itself. This was in the days before facebook and maybe before myspace as well. The family may ask for privacy but they also have the need to grieve. My friend's way of grieving was to create the website, the Duggars chose facebook.

[nubka]

Why is writing a letter to your baby disgusting and awful? They are probably trying to rectify the situation with the pictures and obviously, they are heartbroken. This is their 20th child, no matter what.

Because nothing is private to these people. When they had camera crews in the hospital filming their preemie Josie, it totally turned me off, and I've never watched their show since.