Patriocentricity Is Broken

I’m reasonably certain that anyone even remotely interested in reading Scarlet Letters, has heard about the recent child molestation scandal surrounding Josh Duggar. Oceans of digital ink have already been spilled over this story, asking and re-asking the same questions. Did Josh truly repent of what he did? Is Josh a danger to his children? Did the Duggar parents handle the situation wisely? – and plenty others besides these.

In the few days since this story broke, I’ve read not only the redacted police report, but also various responses to the situation, both from the pro- and anti-Duggar “camps.” And after mulling things over for a while, I think I’m ready to add my own drop or two of ink to the flood, for whatever that might be worth at this point.

So Much More, p. 23-32 – Part 1: A Tale of Two Snakes

IMPORTANT ADDENDUM (11/8/14): A&E fully explain their concept of submission and how it relates to gender in chapter 4. Please read this post for the entire picture.

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“If red touches yellow, it can kill a fellow. If red touches black, it’s okay for Jack.”

This is the rhyme I learned as a child to tell the difference between the eastern coral snake and the scarlet kingsnake. It was never of much practical use to me, since the eastern coral snake lives in the South and I live in Connecticut, but it’s good to know anyway for one simple reason: the eastern coral snake has powerful neurotoxic venom, while the scarlet kingsnake is harmless. Thus, it’s important to be able to tell the two species apart quickly should you encounter one of them in the woods.

The Influence of Older Children on Younger Children (TBB)

The “TBB” in the name of this post means that it is part of The Big Box series. If you’re new to Scarlet Letters, read the introductory post to see what the Big Box is all about.

Well, readers, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. (At least I’ve been waiting for it. Eagerly.) As soon as this post goes to print, this “series within a series” on parenting will be over, and I will not have to listen to S. M. Davis again for at least six weeks or so. Honestly, I never thought I would prefer Doug Phillips to anybody. But I suppose stranger things have happened – and as those of you who’ve stuck with me for the past three Big Box posts will remember, Davis took exquisite pains to outdo himself (and caused me exquisite pain in the process).