The Duggars Are Displaying Both Ignorance and Immorality by Campaigning for Todd Akin

The Duggars are actively campaigning for Todd Akin in his bid to continue to represent his district in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is the same Todd Akin who stated that women rarely become pregnant through rape because the female body has ways of dealing with such indignities and can shut down ovulation or employ other measures to protect itself, thereby negating the need for any discussion concerning a woman's right to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy that occurred as a result of rape. Since, in the words of Akin, the possibility of conception as a result of forced intercourse falls somewhere between highly unlikely and virtually impossible,  any discussion of   need to end a pregnancy that occurred as a result of rape is supererogatory.

This is the person the Duggars are publicly supporting.  if anyone thinks JimBob's and Michelle's brand of ultra-conservative religious fanaticism is harmless, he or she might wish to think again.  A person who even completed lower division high school science requirements should be too knowledgeable to offer such an ignorant assertion.  Even the staunchest of pro-lifers can, for the most part, recognize the ludicrosity of Akin's bizarre claims.

On the other hand, the Duggars have a devoted following. Some of the Duggars' fans will still recognize stupidity for what it is, and will, despite their fondness for the Duggars, vote according to their senses of logic and of right and wrong. Others, however, while they're not in overabundant possession of IQ points, might have avoided making dangerous choices in voting, but will be swayed by the Duggars' support of Todd Akin.

Segments of our population show stupidity when it comes to allowing themselves to be unduly influenced by the opinions of celebrities. This is true with regard both to liberal and conservative points of view. If a person wishes to buy clothing based on what bands or styles a celebrity wears because he or she admires the celebrity's sense of style,  that is rational behavior. Likewise, if a person chooses to use a particular toothpaste because a celebrity who happens to have nice teeth endorses the product, there is some logic to that course of action, although anyone who believes that the celebrity has beautiful teeth because of his or her toothpaste, and not because of the costly cosmetic dental procedures, he or she is, in my opinion, naive, but there would at least be a cause/effect relationship on which the person's reasoning was based.

On the other hand, celebrities are fond of injecting themselves into our nation's election process by endorsing candidates. While celebrities' first amendment rights, like anyone else's. allow them to express themselves politically or in virtually any other regard, people who are influenced by the political opinions of entertainers, athletes, or other celebrities positively scare me. why would anyone care, except as a matter of curiosity, who George Clooney or Ted Nugent  endorses in a political campaign? Why do we as Americans give celebrities credibility and a prominent platform for expressing their political views? Does anyone honestly believe celebrities have more knowledge than do average citizens in regard to which candidate is best suited to fill a public office? I can understand not watching an entertainer's television appearances, not going to see his or her movies, or not purchasing a musician's recordings if one is put off by the entertainer's brand of politics.  I'm not necessarily recommending this course of action, as I personally prefer to keep politics and entertainment separate and distinct, yet I could understand someone else making a choice to boycott an entertainer because of his or her political actions. The reverse, on the other hand,  makes no sense whatsoever. Why would anyone allow his or her vote to be influenced by how celebrities, who have no more and no less political knowledge than do the rest of us? It's unfathomable.

The Duggars are offering their time and fan base in support of a candidate whose knowledge of biology wouldn't get him as far as tenth grade. Some of Missouri's voters will undoubtedly be swayed by the Duggars' support of Akins and will vote accordingly. While I'm glad I don't live in Missouri, this gives me limited consolation. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives, can effect legislation that affects the nation as a whole/  People of Missouri, please use your brains when casting your ballots.

P.S. Todd Akin's parents are first cousins, once removed.