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Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events


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Yes, apparently heaven is just one big insane assylum with nonsensical rules, constant bleating from the residents, who continue, even after death, to obsequiously praise and worship, beg god's favors and forgiveness, and into eternity proclaim their unworthiness. Oh, and harps and hymns.

And deep down we all know that if Jesus were walking the earth right now, he would distance himself from this "Duggar" group.

  • Love 11
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Oh yes, this is just what Josh wants and needs. We all remember how delighted he was with the 4th kid. He always looked like he had acid indigestion every time she went on her wanting a baby rant, and he developed the runs and vomiting I'm sure when informed that it had happened. I don't think he wanted to see another pee stick as long as he lived. He appeared to be a good father to the three he had, but he was played out, and honest enough to know it, but not forceful enough to enforce it.

I was going to add that I hope nothing unfortunate happens to ANYone with Josh obv not wanting all these kids and Anna wants 20+ of them.... His parents failed him on all levels. Its too bad they cant make their own choices. Josh needs to be free from endless children and needs to know how to prevent it. If he can figure out how to go on an Ashley Madison site and a couple of dates, then he can ask whoever showed him those things how to prevent more kids. And never tell mom and pops!
  • Love 3
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Yes, thankfully it's a tabloid hedging its bets by saying she THINKS she's pregnant. Which Anna never does. Bitch takes early EPTs for crissakes! She knows one way or another about a week after she ovulates. 

  • Love 1
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Yes, thankfully it's a tabloid hedging its bets by saying she THINKS she's pregnant. Which Anna never does. Bitch takes early EPTs for crissakes! She knows one way or another about a week after she ovulates.

The old tabloid 'Jennifer Aniston' technique. Edited by Kokapetl
  • Love 5
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And deep down we all know that if Jesus were walking the earth right now, he would distance himself from this "Duggar" group.

I'd love to see Jesus give them the sort of dressing-down he aimed at the Pharisees....or maybe go all "clearing the temple" on them.
  • Love 9
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With the amount of shame and stress Josh is carrying these days, could he even get it up, even if Anna somehow managed to not cry?

 

Ha!  The only shame he feels is in getting caught and the only stress is from counting the days until he's paroled from Jesus Jail.

 

Josh has always struck me as totally unrepentant.  He may be humbled, but it's more because he never thought he'd get caught instead of realizing he did wrong.

  • Love 10
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The really, really, really, really wrong part of me hopes that if Anna is pregnant it isn't Josh's. I know - that's mean.

but it would be John David's. Scandal!!!!! At least JD seems like a stand up kinda guy that would treat her a lot better.

  • Love 1
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but it would be John David's. Scandal!!!!! At least JD seems like a stand up kinda guy that would treat her a lot better.

I think JD would treat her better too. And honestly I think the kids would look the same coming from any Dugger male!
  • Love 3
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Yes, apparently heaven is just one big insane assylum with nonsensical rules, constant bleating from the residents, who continue, even after death, to obsequiously praise and worship, beg god's favors and forgiveness, and into eternity proclaim their unworthiness. Oh, and harps and hymns.

This is one reason I will never be "saved".  I don't want to spend eternity with the Duggars.

 

If Anna were smart (which she isn't), she would realize that the only way to save her marriage would be to get an IUD and let Josh have sexual intimacy with her without the stress and anxiety of knowing that every sexual encounter might result in another baby that Josh definitely does not want.  

  • Love 8
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Can you imagine Josh's ego if he did knock her up? He seems like the kind of guy who would be all macho about "his swimmers' being so effective with just the one shot. 

I can't wait for Josh to be back home, listening to Jim Bob's idiotic droning. Suddenly Josh just blurts out - "I've fucked more woman than you!". I'd love to see Jim Bob's face. I'd be Ok with TLC filming stuff like that.

  • Love 22
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Ha! The only shame he feels is in getting caught and the only stress is from counting the days until he's paroled from Jesus Jail.

Josh has always struck me as totally unrepentant. He may be humbled, but it's more because he never thought he'd get caught instead of realizing he did wrong.

I wish I could like this a thousand times. Smuggar would still be hooking up with Lord knows who if AM hadn't been exposed. I guess it's better he got caught now rather than when Anna had 10 kids.

Once a filthy, cheating, bloated asshole, always a filthy, cheating, bloated asshole.

eta: It's going to be hilarious to see the leghumpers backpedal from their outrage regarding his infidelity once the Redemption Tour gets under way.

Edited by Sew Sumi
  • Love 6
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eta: It's going to be hilarious to see the leghumpers backpedal from their outrage regarding his infidelity once the Redemption Tour gets under way.

And the inverse of that is how depressing it will be to see them normalize his molestation of his own sisters as "a mistake of a young boy" and something that's "not a big deal" and was "forgiven".

  • Love 9
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What is shocking to me is that no one in that whole stupid family is capable of seeing that the marriage is completely irreparable if they continue on the quiverful path. Josh wants sex that does not result in baby making. Anna submits to sex with Josh only for baby making. Those two very divergent ideas of sex and intimacy can simply never be reconciled. Sure, Josh will do his little redemption tour, and maybe he will be good for a while, but that (perfectly normal) urge to have sex without feeling sick to your stomach thinking about the stress of another child every time will never go away. (okay maybe once Anna goes through menopause).

I am an atheist and not religious so maybe I just don't get it, but surely even the most brainwashed quiver-dolt cannot rationalize endless "blessings" at the expense of a loving marriage.

  • Love 22
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And another baby will be proof of god's forgiveness of Josh - AS IF God doles out pregnancy on based upon some kind of weird Rewards Program.

And w/ JB & M producing 19, we all know thats not true.

  • Love 3
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And the inverse of that is how depressing it will be to see them normalize his molestation of his own sisters as "a mistake of a young boy" and something that's "not a big deal" and was "forgiven".

Oh, that's been their MO since Joshgate I broke. Nothing new in this.

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More "news" on the civil suit

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3401835/Josh-Duggar-s-sex-assault-suit-heats-judge-demands-porn-star-Danica-Dillon-prove-two-intimate-violent-paying-intercourse.html

"Josh Duggar may be in for a bit of a break in his sex assault lawsuit or about to have more details of his personal life go very public as a judge has demanded that the porn star who is suing him in court provide proof that the two had sex.

Danica Dillon filed a complaint in November saying Duggar manhandled her in a way that 'felt as if she were being raped' after allegedly paying her for sex.

Dillon, whose real name is Ashley Stamm-Northup, claims these incidents occurred in March and April after Duggar approached her while she was stripping at clubs in Philadelphia.

Duggar claimed he had never even met Dillon or been to the strip club she was at in his most recent motion, while also saying he had an alibi for one of the dates in question."

  • Love 3
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How did I not know that Joshie got sued in my hometown federal court?? JB must be beside himself, though it looks like he's retained a Pennsylvania lawyer for Joshie boy, rather than calling in a favor with an Arkansas law firm. Though maybe he doesn't want the Duggar name dragged through the mud any more in Arkansas that it already has been. (Not that any deposition given by Josh won't make the Arkansas news.)

 

I'm a litigator too (though not this type of litigation), and just looking at the papers: (i) I'm glad Josh's motion to dismiss was denied so now all the cell phone records, EZ pass records or credit charge charges showing his whereabouts etc. will HAVE TO come out and likely he'll be deposed as well; and (ii) Josh and Daddy Duggar better be 100% certain that when he said that he had NEVER interacted with the woman, spoken to her, gone to a hotel with her, and wasn't even in PA those 2 times -- they better be certain that he is 100% NOT LYING about this. Answers are verified under the penalty of perjury; if he and daddy cooked up a scheme to say these things while in their heart saying "well he didn't PURPOSE TO interact with her or go to a hotel with her" -- in the same way that they have spun being unfaithful to Anna = looking at porn -- if he stretched the truth on these answers and it comes out, he's going to be looking at an obstruction of justice charge in federal court, which won't be pretty.

How did I not know that Joshie got sued in my hometown federal court?? JB must be beside himself, though it looks like he's retained a Pennsylvania lawyer for Joshie boy, rather than calling in a favor with an Arkansas law firm. Though maybe he doesn't want the Duggar name dragged through the mud any more in Arkansas that it already has been. (Not that any deposition given by Josh won't make the Arkansas news.)

 

I'm a litigator too (though not this type of litigation), and just looking at the papers: (i) I'm glad Josh's motion to dismiss was denied so now all the cell phone records, EZ pass records or credit charge charges showing his whereabouts etc. will HAVE TO come out and likely he'll be deposed as well; and (ii) Josh and Daddy Duggar better be 100% certain that when he said that he had NEVER interacted with the woman, spoken to her, gone to a hotel with her, and wasn't even in PA those 2 times -- they better be certain that he is 100% NOT LYING about this. Answers are verified under the penalty of perjury; if he and daddy cooked up a scheme to say these things while in their heart saying "well he didn't PURPOSE TO interact with her or go to a hotel with her" -- in the same way that they have spun being unfaithful to Anna = looking at porn -- if he stretched the truth on these answers and it comes out, he's going to be looking at an obstruction of justice charge in federal court, which won't be pretty.

Here's hoping that Joshley does perjure himself & gets to spend some time in the Big House, not Jesus Jail. That would stir things up. He could be roomies with Joe Giudice from RHONJ (who is Catholic from what we've seen on the show). Now that would be some great TV viewing. TLC & Andy@Bravo - are you listening?

  • Love 5
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Cisco's RU interview tonight is a SCORE! They found another "porn addict" who was raised pretty fundie and went to a Bible college, yet still succumbed once he had some independence. See where I'm going with this? Joshley started looking at porn again once Anna was stuck at home with Mack and Mikey (ie. "independence"). This guy came to RU maybe a week or two after Josh.

The kid said he was angry at first, but now he's a bible spouting fool. This is precisely how I see Smuggar coming out next month. At least for a little while, anyway.

  • Love 10
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I conceived my eldest on the 9th of December and had a positive pregnancy test on December 26th---it is definitely possible to know by this point. However, it's still so early and with any pregnancy, anything can happen---assuming she IS pregnant and theorizing that she potentially loses this baby---can you imagine what her mental state will be at that point?

I can't even imagine.

  • Love 3
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Darn it, I missed RU again tonight. I had the fundie handyman here from noon until almost 10 pm. He doesn't preach to me anymore. He even put a pain patch on my lower mid back bare skin. He could see what pain I was actually in. I'm glad he did that. If I do it myself, it gets wrinkled up because, you know, location. I felt so much better afterwards. It was better than him praying over it, let me tell you.

We were at a hardware store and my dog touched me in a way that hurt my back, and I put out a palm to him to have him back up. Dog then looked at handyman who said, oh no, you've been told. So it's good that he is observant and sees the little touch the dog did to me that made the back jerk, resulting in me saying nothing but giving the hand to the dog, and him knowing that. I'm taking care of his pit bull for about a week next month while he and his wife go on retreat. No charge. He charges me plenty for what I want done, but whatever. I don't have to charge him.

I miss seeing Cisco tho. Will have to see if I can spot the new guy. The regular guy who is always at RU would make me suicidal if I had to listen to him for any length of time. Fortunately you can mute the sound when he's on. But his tying the guy to the chair a couple of months ago made my mind fly off in several directions.

  • Love 3
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I can't wait for Josh to be back home, listening to Jim Bob's idiotic droning. Suddenly Josh just blurts out - "I've fucked more woman than you!". I'd love to see Jim Bob's face. I'd be Ok with TLC filming stuff like that.

Even better if Jim Boob comes back with "Wanna' bet?"

  • Love 3
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More "news" on the civil suit

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3401835/Josh-Duggar-s-sex-assault-suit-heats-judge-demands-porn-star-Danica-Dillon-prove-two-intimate-violent-paying-intercourse.html

"Josh Duggar may be in for a bit of a break in his sex assault lawsuit or about to have more details of his personal life go very public as a judge has demanded that the porn star who is suing him in court provide proof that the two had sex.

Danica Dillon filed a complaint in November saying Duggar manhandled her in a way that 'felt as if she were being raped' after allegedly paying her for sex.

Dillon, whose real name is Ashley Stamm-Northup, claims these incidents occurred in March and April after Duggar approached her while she was stripping at clubs in Philadelphia.

Duggar claimed he had never even met Dillon or been to the strip club she was at in his most recent motion, while also saying he had an alibi for one of the dates in question."

Re the bolded. How do you prove you had sex with someone after this much time? How are the Cosby women providing proof? Just curious.

  • Love 4
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You don't provide proof; you just provide enough evidence that makes what you claim more probable than not by a preponderance of the evidence.  If there is proof Josh went to the strip club, proof he withdrew a large chunk of money, proof he texted Danica, etc etc, than that makes the claim that they had paid-for sex more likely than not.  

 

Personally I think that when Josh got that fancy job in DC and had extra money that he definitely spent some of it on strippers and whores.  After all, he deserved it.  

  • Love 4
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Of course divorce isn't an option as far as anyone is concerned, but if Anna does come to her senses and says -- enough -- and walks away, the sad thing (one of many sad things) is that she will be thought of as a total outcast who was not Christian enough to do her wifely duty of putting up with Josh's $hit. I bet no one from the family would be allowed to interact with her. That's sad bc as bad as everything is, in watching the specials -- when she was just with Jana, Joy Anna, Jinger, etc. cooking or just hanging out, there were moments where she did seem happy. Of course as soon as Josh's name came up or the memories from being in Jessa's house came up -- she got teary. But in other moments, it looked like she was enjoying the bond/sisterhood that they share and let's be honest, while I'm sure they're not allowed to say it to her -- it's probably comforting to her to be around people who think Josh is a douchebag and it's HIS fault, not hers -- which I think the sisters do believe even though it goes against their parents' wishes for how they interpret this.

 

If she were to ever walk away and this was a "normal" family, it would make sense that she could live someplace nearby so Josh could see his kids once in a while, and the other Duggar daughters could come and go and just hang out with her -- after all, they are the kids' aunts. Though all of this is probably far too rational for the Duggars anyway.

  • Love 7
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"I'mmma about touch you inappropriately with my fist, old man!"

Imagine the show that would be possible if TLC finally dropped the gloves and showed the Duggars' family dysfunction. And we know there's probably a lot of it, don't we?

  • Love 6
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Anna is going to stay until she cracks up and ends up babbling in a corner. No one simply walks away from a cult like this and just starts up a new life. The group cannot tolerate the embarrassment and disruption to the hierarchy. Members will stalk, harass, and threaten her until she is defeated and returns. Guilt and fear are powerful motivators and extremely difficult to push away. As has often been mentioned here, Anna is in an especially difficult position: she has four young children, no job skills, no solid outside support system, and no vision of a better future. I'm she's thought about walking but quickly pushes those thoughts out of her head.

  • Love 11
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I don't even know if Anna has realistically thought about walking. Maybe she thinks of it like a fantasy once in a while, the way normal people fanaticize about quitting the job, selling all their stuff and going to live in the Caribbean or something and then snap back to the reality that the mortgage needs to be paid and the kids' college won't fund itself. I bet if Anna ever thinks about it, she likely “laughs it off” in the back of her mind, and not realizing that in 2016 – women totally can leave and be on their own.  Thing is – she went from her father’s trailer to Josh’s house and has NO idea how to take care of herself.  Everything from finding a job to figuring out how to pay for daycare for 4 kids, to rent an apartment, and how to get WIC if she just can’t make ends meet are all beyond here because she has no exposure to the real world.  If this kind of thing happened to someone like a Bates daughter, they wouldn’t be AS lost bc they held (minor) jobs before marriage, had friends etc. so they aren’t as unexposed and isolated.  Anna does have a sister who is a single mom, but in her current situation where she’s being kept in prison (i.e. the girls’ room) – she’s being isolated from anyone who could help her or put ideas in her head.  And I don’t see her being saavy enough to grab her cell phone and wander out to Ben’s old warehouse or say she’s going to Jessa’s but just not go so she can park her car on the side of the road and talk to her sister (or even someone like Amy who lives in the real world) for a half hour.

  • Love 2
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Even though Suze was accepted back into the fold, IIRC she was initially shunned by her family for getting pregnant out of wedlock. It seems as though Ma and Pa Keller have no problem throwing their kids to the wolves if they stray from the Gothard rulebook. I can't see Anna getting a lot of support if she chose to walk away from Josh. With four kids under six, there's no way in hell she'd be able to afford full-time daycare and she has no work experience. The girls' dorm is probably her safest option, no matter how much it sucks.

  • Love 3
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She asks a good question. She can also go to her nearest convenience store, buy a bag of dicks, and eat them for basically letting the Duggars off the hook in her interview. Not a single pressing question, and few to no follow ups. Their story was transparent BS. Shame on her for being a PR person instead of a journalist.

 

It is my mission to use this line at least once in this upcoming week. 

 

How did I not know that Joshie got sued in my hometown federal court?? JB must be beside himself, though it looks like he's retained a Pennsylvania lawyer for Joshie boy, rather than calling in a favor with an Arkansas law firm. Though maybe he doesn't want the Duggar name dragged through the mud any more in Arkansas that it already has been. (Not that any deposition given by Josh won't make the Arkansas news.)

 

I'm a litigator too (though not this type of litigation), and just looking at the papers: (i) I'm glad Josh's motion to dismiss was denied so now all the cell phone records, EZ pass records or credit charge charges showing his whereabouts etc. will HAVE TO come out and likely he'll be deposed as well; and (ii) Josh and Daddy Duggar better be 100% certain that when he said that he had NEVER interacted with the woman, spoken to her, gone to a hotel with her, and wasn't even in PA those 2 times -- they better be certain that he is 100% NOT LYING about this. Answers are verified under the penalty of perjury; if he and daddy cooked up a scheme to say these things while in their heart saying "well he didn't PURPOSE TO interact with her or go to a hotel with her" -- in the same way that they have spun being unfaithful to Anna = looking at porn -- if he stretched the truth on these answers and it comes out, he's going to be looking at an obstruction of justice charge in federal court, which won't be pretty.

 

Fingers crossed! I honestly think he and LAWYR are arrogant enough to think there isn't enough proof. The longer someone lives a double life, the more arrogant they get/guard comes down, the sloppier they get. The fact that Josh was so easily found on AM speaks volumes. It wouldn't surprise me if Josh was operating at his sloppiest when these incidences occured. 

  • Love 4
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She's not that pitiful.  She's been exposed to plenty of other people.  There are the prisoners to start with, the TLC people, those she met in DC, on and on.  She and the others could do more if they wanted to.  

 

Yes but exposed to and friends with are two different things. Yes -- she hasn't been locked in a room for the last 27 yrs, so she has seen people before. Yet -- these fundie families have such a herd or "us vs. them" mentality that I question how much she's interacted with or befriended anyone she's met. Do you really think she got to be acquaintances or friends with any of the prisoners her dad ministered to? Or do you think she went along once a month, stood sweetly next to her dad, and then came home and said -- we are SO blessed not to have the kinds of problems as those women??

 

Same with DC. That was her best opportunity to make friends since she didn't have a built in family network there, and yet I kind of doubt that it happened. Sure they shot a few dinners and music classes to show how Anna was out there in the world -- yet it looked made for TV to me bc when she was shown talking to those women, she was asking very basic questions you ask a perfect stranger. I hope she really did make a mom friend or 2 in the neighborhood who she had coffee with a few times and chatted with on the playground when she took Mac and Michael. Bc in this kind of situation many women in the DC area --which is pretty liberal and not particularly religious -- would be ok having someone like Anna who they've had coffee with 5 times reach out and say -- look I think you've seen on TV what's going on with my life, I really want out but I have no clue where to start, is there any chance you could make a plan/checklist for me bc I don't even know what to do?? I can see most women saying yes and spending their time helping someone. And yet you can only make that ask IF those women at least know you a little -- you can't be that mom who they've seen at playgroup once and never spoke to.

She's not that pitiful.  She's been exposed to plenty of other people.  There are the prisoners to start with, the TLC people, those she met in DC, on and on.  She and the others could do more if they wanted to.  

 

Edited by cereality
  • Love 4
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It is my mission to use this line at least once in this upcoming week. 

 

 

Fingers crossed! I honestly think he and LAWYR are arrogant enough to think there isn't enough proof. The longer someone lives a double life, the more arrogant they get/guard comes down, the sloppier they get. The fact that Josh was so easily found on AM speaks volumes. It wouldn't surprise me if Josh was operating at his sloppiest when these incidences occured. 

Do we know anything about this lawyer or are you assuming arrogance bc -- well -- he's working with the Duggars? I wonder if this is a solid lawyer in the area (while I'm from Philly, I've never practiced there) or if it's like the lawyer who is representing that Real Housewife of NJ -- he just wants the media attention and seems to do whatever the couple asks. But in any event, if Joshy and/or the lawyer get too cute -- they will risk an obstruction charge as federal courts take things like lying very seriously, even if you think you're purposing to tell the story Gothard wants you to tell. 

 

I have no doubt that Josh was sloppy in covering his tracks -- lots of reasons for that. First, this isn't the brightest light in the harbor, nor is he experienced in any way. He wanted a side piece, he got on the internet and google searched and voila. He likely wasn't smart enough to realize -- fake names, fake email addresses, don't use traceable credit cards, think about whether your ISPs or servers can be traced back to you etc. Every DC politician who is having an affair is aware of these issues, yet I'd be surprised if he thought about most of these for more than 2 seconds. Plus he's arrogant as he knew daddy was far far away, for once he didn't need daddy's money bc he was bringing in 150-200k on his own and was going to spend it how he damn well pleased, and the only person in DC who knew him was a lowly WOMAN -- Anna. He thinks he's brilliant and above all women including his own wife, so he likely thought his wife wouldn't even think to question bank statements or credit card accounts and say -- honey, what's this Ashley Madison recurring charge every month? Frankly Anna likely didn't even have access to the accounts as that isn't women's work AND even if she did, I bet on this issue he acted like the headship and shut it down if he could see that she was about to question HIM, the sole bread earner that she should feel lucky to have providing for her -- lest she had to get a job herself like all the poor single women out there (which I believe Anna said herself while in DC -- how she feels "bad" for single women and/or lucky for herself that she has a man to provide).

  • Love 3
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The women in the Duggar gaggle, and we are primarily talking about Anna in this thread, don't need a ton of gal pals to plot an escape like the underground railroad.  They really don't.  They need to got over themselves and get on with life like the rest of do.  Have I left and moved a thousand miles away for a job without knowing anybody there at all?  Yes I did.  Happy to do it and happy to get to see new faces and places.  These women need to expand a little more and it would not be difficult.  Everybody has something to get over.  So time for them to get to getting over it and on with it.

  • Love 4
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Have I left and moved a thousand miles away for a job without knowing anybody there at all?  Yes I did.  Happy to do it and happy to get to see new faces and places.  These women need to expand a little more and it would not be difficult.  Everybody has something to get over.  So time for them to get to getting over it and on with it.

 

Everybody's different, though, both in experience and in temperament. I'm much more like the Duggars, definitely in upbringing, less so in temperament but still clearly more like them in temperament than many others, and it was terribly terribly difficult for me to do this. And I did it only because I was convinced that the result, otherwise, would be suicide if I didn't get out, and that I might have turned the violence against others, too. (not exaggerating here) Even having done it, I was a frightening psychological mess for years after I left. And I'd had tons more exposure to the world than the Duggars and Anna have.

 

Certainly some people can just buck up and move on when they've had zero experience with making friends, have lived under constant surveillance and in social isolation and had their egos assaulted daily for life, but for others it's really really difficult. If I'd had young children at the time, as Anna has, I think I probably would have stayed because the prospect would have been even more daunting because the burdens and responsibilities would have been so much greater. If you leave alone, as I did, you really don't have any responsibilities. That's freeing. I very much wish Anna would go, and I do think that having a sibling who seems willing to help her makes a difference that, if she were smart, she'd appreciate and use as her crutch for leaving. But I really really understand why she doesn't.

 

Social isolation and not being given any chances to learn that you're competent to navigate the world on your own can take a really big toll on some people. I envy those who have the guts to just feel the fear and do it anyway. But when I look at my own family's inability to break free for the most part and at what it took for me to do it, I just can't go along with thinking that it's possible for anyone. Maybe it's not.

  • Love 23
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Everybody's different, though, both in experience and in temperament. I'm much more like the Duggars, definitely in upbringing, less so in temperament but still clearly more like them in temperament than many others, and it was terribly terribly difficult for me to do this. And I did it only because I was convinced that the result, otherwise, would be suicide if I didn't get out, and that I might have turned the violence against others, too. (not exaggerating here) Even having done it, I was a frightening psychological mess for years after I left. And I'd had tons more exposure to the world than the Duggars and Anna have.

 

Certainly some people can just buck up and move on when they've had zero experience with making friends, have lived under constant surveillance and in social isolation and had their egos assaulted daily for life, but for others it's really really difficult. If I'd had young children at the time, as Anna has, I think I probably would have stayed because the prospect would have been even more daunting because the burdens and responsibilities would have been so much greater. If you leave alone, as I did, you really don't have any responsibilities. That's freeing. I very much wish Anna would go, and I do think that having a sibling who seems willing to help her makes a difference that, if she were smart, she'd appreciate and use as her crutch for leaving. But I really really understand why she doesn't.

 

Social isolation and not being given any chances to learn that you're competent to navigate the world on your own can take a really big toll on some people. I envy those who have the guts to just feel the fear and do it anyway. But when I look at my own family's inability to break free for the most part and at what it took for me to do it, I just can't go along with thinking that it's possible for anyone. Maybe it's not.

Churchhoney I agree with your post.  For many it isn't as simple as "buck up, girl, move on".  Which is why so many non fundies also stay in awful situations.  And some of us get the situation thrust upon us and even with exposure to the real world and some resources, it is incredibly difficult to navigate a new culture, because that is what it is.  And some never recover fully and some thrive.  I'm thinking one must need a certain amount of resilience and "spunk" to get through it all.  And some people just don't have the strength to tackle it.  

  • Love 11
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Churchhoney I agree with your post.  For many it isn't as simple as "buck up, girl, move on".  Which is why so many non fundies also stay in awful situations.  And some of us get the situation thrust upon us and even with exposure to the real world and some resources, it is incredibly difficult to navigate a new culture, because that is what it is.  And some never recover fully and some thrive.  I'm thinking one must need a certain amount of resilience and "spunk" to get through it all.  And some people just don't have the strength to tackle it.  

 

I also feel like it's a bit of a sweeping assumption that any of the Duggars want to be "rescued", or anything like.

 

People seem to be assuming largely based on the evidence of Josh's actions, Jinger's idle speculation about cities, and what they themselves would do or want.

 

Maybe it sounds like a nice life to the women, always having someone around glued to their hip (husband or baby), and never having to go to work.  

 

Look at Jill, who wishes Derick would never have to go to work for example, and got her wish.

 

Plus, we don't know how many battles any of them might fight daily with the parents in secret on smaller matters.

 

It sounds really nice to say "Now that you've done X, you will and must also have the strength to do Y, because you've got this experience behind you and in your past!"  

 

If it were true, people who had escaped these home situations would never have any problems or bad habits.  They'd be career successes, never get or be fat, or even chew their nails.  "If you did this, you can do anything!"... *crickets*

 

Some people only have the stomach for one big battle in their life.

Edited by queenanne
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I don't even know if Anna has realistically thought about walking. .

I don't know if Anna knows the extent of Josh's behavior.

I'm sure that Jim Bob has kept all that away from her as much as possible. She is the golden ticket for the Redemption Tour. Without Anna, Josh is just another sleazy dirtbag who likes fast food and has a vile history.

We all get to read all the dirt, court documents, interviews etc.

I bet Anna knows very little. And what she has googled in private while sitting on the toilet, is easily dismissed as a conspiracy theory against Christians and the Duggars.

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