Michelle Duggar: Mother of the Year?

This latest bit of Duggar news seems to have people up in arms. A highly fundamental religious organization is naming Michelle Duggar "Mother of the Year" and presenting her the award in July. There seem to be two reasons why people are up in arms over this award. Number one is that Josie is barely out of the NICU (and now recently back in the hospital) and number two is the group giving the award itself.

Logic will tell you that the Duggars have no control over who gives them what awards. Of course they have the option to decline, however in this case they seem to have chosen to accept the honour. Blog comments from detractors seem to indicate distate with the acceptance because in their minds Josie shouldn't be traveling across the country so her mother can accept an award. They are acting as if this ceremony is happening tomorrow, not 3 months from now. They are also acting as if the Duggars won't opt out if Josie's health hasn't improved and she isn't well enough to travel.

One thing about the Duggars, for those of you who haven't watched them from the beginning: they are positive people. They look forward, they look onwards, they look upwards. It is not beyond reason that they would look towards something with positive thoughts and hope--after all they have been through. This is something they can "look forward to" while they have been dealing with so much stress and emotional upheaval. And once again, when the time comes 3 months from now and things aren't quite right with Josie, they can say "Sorry, we just can't come, but thank you for this kind honour."

The other reason people are having an issue with this award is the group giving it. The Vision Forum Ministries is giving a tea in her honour and charging $25/person, or something like that--who knows how much the Duggars get, if any of that. Apparently, they are pretty fundamental and conservative, so of course, those among us who are a bit liberal are supposed to be outraged. Now of course this private group can do whatever they choose--name whomever they want, whatever they want and do it whenever they want. Because they are a private group, their beliefs can be whatever they want them to be, within the law.

This is where I get confused. If this is America where we are free and where we celebrate our diversity, why is it when people choose to be conservative and fundamentalist, all of a sudden those who are pro-choice and liberal want to take those freedoms of choice away? I've always considered myself to be pro-choice, that way everyone can decide (and I'm not just talking about abortion here folks, pro-choice in religion, politics, same-sex marriage) and everyone gets treated fairly. But when it comes to groups like the one giving Michelle the award, all of a sudden it's the pro-choice liberals who want to shut them up and denounce them. Why does that seem wrong to me?

I was always taught that you should be willing to fight to the death to defend the right to speak even for those whose speech you oppose. Because that is what free speech is all about. Why else would I be defending a family like the Duggars when everything they stand for is everything I actually oppose?