The controversial Duggar family members of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting are the victims of hate, ridicule and bullying, according to one high-profile backer.
A nice photo of the Duggar family of TLC fame. They sure do have a lot of children! 19 kids and counting, one might even say.
Led by parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and first-born son Josh Duggar, the family has a long history of fighting gay marriage and other LGBT initiatives.
Josh Duggar loves gay people, he says, but through his work as a political activist, vows to stand by his convictions and beliefs and fight for what is right.
In his mind, that means not only no same-sex marriage, but fighting anti-discrimination laws aimed at protecting LGBT citizens in their native Arkansas.
Actions like these have incurred the wrath of many Americans in the media and online, who have accused the Duggars of being bigots and bullies.
Former (and perhaps future) Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee believes that the Christian reality TV stars are the ones being bullied, however.
In his book God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy, he calls the Duggar kids "every parent's dream" in their "attitudes toward each other, their parents, and their chores."
"I've marveled at the exemplary manners and behavior of all their children," raves Huckabee, a close family friend and former governor of Arkansas.
Despite the virtues of Josh, Jessa, Jill, Jana Duggar and the like, they "have endured relentless and vicious ridicule from the snobby and snotty sophisticates."
Bullies "exemplify their own jealousy of how well behaved the Duggar kids are compared to the little hellions and yuppie larvae created by the critics of the Duggars."
The Duggar parents often accompany their kids on dates in order to maintain "accountability" and "keep things from going in the wrong direction," per Jim Bob. The girls are fine with this, as being alone with men puts them in grave "moral danger." When the parents aren't available, their older siblings will often tag along, making every date a group date and a family affair.
The Arkansas-raised family has faced their fair share of fan backlash in recent months, but also enjoys a great deal of support locally and nationally.
Last fall, nearly 200,000 people signed a petition to cancel 19 Kids And Counting after Michelle Duggar got involved in a polarizing political campaign.
The show hasn't been axed, and won't be - it's more popular than ever for the network - but the sheer number of signatures is impossible to ignore.
Michelle claimed transgender individuals "endanger" and "traumatize" kids in a recorded message to help defeat an anti-discrimination bill in Arkansas.
Then, in November, the parents called for married couples to share kissing photos on Facebook, only to delete all photos of gay couples kissing.
Later that month, Josh Duggar, the executive director of the Family Research Council Action, led an anti-gay marriage rally in the family's home state.
Petition organizers say the Duggars "have been using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering against gays and transgendered people."
Huckabee counters that it's the non-believers who employ the very same tactics against the Duggars simply for standing up for the religious beliefs.
Do you agree with him, or feel that their actions cross a line? Is the truth somewhere in between? Should we all just get along? Discuss in the comments ...
Be available. Anyone can fix him lunch, but only one person can meet that physical need of love that he has, and you always need to be available when he calls. - Michelle Duggar
Be available. Anyone can fix him lunch, but only one person can meet that physical need of love that he has, and you always need to be...
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