Michael Cook: Family Council Destroys Their Credibility With Ridiculous Award

If someone abandons (rehomes) their adopted daughters and one of them is raped by their new guardian, it probably wouldn’t stop the Arkansas Family Council from giving them a “Power of Courage Award.”

Sounds incredibly harsh, but it’s true.

On Wednesday morning the Arkansas Family Council announced they planned to present their first-ever “Power of Courage” award to Representatives Justin Harris and Charlene Fite at a Crawford County Republican Party event where Senator Ted Cruz was scheduled to appear that day.

From the Family Council’s press release:

Even when opposed by the liberal media, Representative Harris has always held firm and stood tall in his faith. No one can deny Representative Harris’ faith has always led him while serving at the Arkansas State Capitol.

Ah, the old blame “liberal media” gambit from right-wingers wanting to avoid accountability. I guess it’s the “liberal media’s” fault that Justin Harris kicked his adopted daughters to the curb?

The Family Council press release goes on to say about Harris and Fite that they “demonstrated courage by standing strong in faith when situations were tough at the State Capitol” and “are consistently models of their Christian values in their homes, their communities, and their churches.”

I don’t agree with Rep. Fite on a variety of issues, but I still believe that’s a fair description of her.

However, for Justin Harris that’s a whole different story.

Exactly which Christian values did Rep. Harris display when he abandoned his adopted daughters to the care of someone who snatched away their innocence?

Which Christian values did Rep. Harris display when what he did, rehoming, was so bad that the State Legislature made it a crime after the Harris scandal came to light?

Apparently, the blowback against the Family Council was so intense that later in the day on Wednesday the Family Council reversed course and said they would not present the awards at the Crawford County Republican event.

Jerry Cox, president of the Family Council, said, “The organizers at the event asked us if we would not present the awards at the event. They felt that they did not want any necessary distractions.”

Cox claimed the decision to present the award to Harris at a later date had absolutely nothing to do with the Harris rehoming story, which has received intense national attention.

As Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers film series would say, “Riiiight.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKXZoSDUbK8

My guess on what really happened was either Crawford County Republicans came to their senses and realized that giving Harris an award was a horrible idea, or the Cruz campaign didn’t want the political optics of being onstage with the absurdly incompetent and controversial Harris.

My money is on the latter scenario as Arkansas Republicans, with a couple of exceptions, have not publicly criticized Harris and in fact have stood up for him.

When I think of courage, Justin Harris would be one of the last people in the state of Arkansas I would consider meeting that description.

By presenting a “Power of Courage” award to Justin Harris, the Family Council destroyed their credibility and proved they actually don’t give a flip about families.