Posted by:
Utah Sally
(
)
Date: February 05, 2012 10:22PM
The last thread on this subject closed.
Although Josh Powell parted ways with the Mormon church it is clear he fit the profile of someone who believed that his wife and his children were property. I watched a few girlfriends leave the church behind, with their husbands and when the marriage went bad, despite having supposedly left the Mormon mindset, the men freaked out, perpetuated violence and acted terrifyingly erratically.
One of their husbands, who had been having affairs nearly their whole marriage was so incapable of seperating his own identity from that of her and the kids that he became obsessed with keeping the marriage intact. He threatened to kill her and the kids on numerous occasions. This is in Utah. When the mormon police showed up, she was ignored and nothing was done. She went to judges and advocates all in an effort to keep him away from her and the children. Overwhelmingly, nobody could comprehend the danger she was in.
Some of us who have seen these situations play out in Mormon communities know the contribution the culture played.
Josh saw his wife and children as property and he owned them and he felt he had every right to murder them. His delusions were only reinforced by a culture that does not see women and children as seperate human beings from their priesthoodholder.
Josh should have never had those kids from the moment he became a suspect. There was more than enough evidence to keep him away.
I am heartsick for the last terrible moments of these little boys as they were burned alive and for the families of Susan and Josh. Some people are monsters and it is so hard for normal people to believe that they are until it is too late. Who knows, maybe Susan would still be alive if her Bishop had taken her situation seriously. Local church hierarchy are the first line of defense in abusive situations.
It's high time the LDS church put women in positions of power, including as spiritual counsel and created avenues for them to escape abusive situtations. Male Bishops should not be interviewing girls and women period! Other churches wrap their arms around women in abusive situations and keep them safe on the way out and afterward. It is a shame Susan didn't have these resources available to her.