Comments on: Members of Amish Splinter Sect Arrested on Hate Crime Charges

By: Ithink

Ithink — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:30:41 +0000

^Honestly, I’m pretty much 100% in sync w/ Jacob Peters’ take on this one; and for the record, I don’t want to sinlge out the Amish because there is, of course, definitive evidence and history that events like this goes on in virtually every cultural, religious, political, or racial/ethnic group that can be define. But as disturbing and/or shocking as this may be to any outside reader or observer, there is no reason to doubt that, similar to sexual molestation and pedaphilia, these matters happen to a lot more people than we feel comfortable admitting behind closed corridors on a consistent basis: the difference being theu simply go unreported to authorities and the more passive-aggressive news media, whatever happens to be the sensationalist ‘flavor of the week,’ if you will.

On the flip side, we probably shouldn’t blithely assume this is a consistent of this or any other Amish community, they do more or less live out that pacifist and communitarian stereotype the larger American culture has given to them. This does still reveal the larger flaws and dangers of any sort of cultural (i.e. religious, racial, lifestyle,etc.) sects that practice extreme isolationism/separatism in the name of ‘purity and preservation’, or some other esoteric, nonsensical self-righteous creed. Reality and past History dictates again and again that whether its countries (Japan pre-20th century), religions (all of them, to some extent) or ultranationalism (practiced in some way by every race or ethnic group), when these ‘splinter’ or spin-off entities become more detached from the Other, they only lead to their own self-demise and radicalization; we can only hope in a more globalized Earth they learn how assimilate with the rest if not necessarily intergrate…

By: Jacob Peters

Jacob Peters — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:02:41 +0000

IMHO, any group that secludes itself from the rest of society tends to have problems like these. I do not believe that this is an isolated incident, given the Amish reluctance to report matters to Law Enforcement. I wonder how many other incidents like these or worse have been swept under the rug by the Amish community.

By: Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:21:14 +0000

Well it’s sad to see the Amish community being tarnished by this latest rash of violence. But glad to see that laws are established in this country, to ensure that no group, no authority figure is above the law. And there is a price to pay when you break the laws in this country.

By: Rasheeda

Rasheeda — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:31:49 +0000

They say that Muslims are extremist. This shows that there is good and bad in all cultures. The Amish are quiet, peaceful people…at least that the image we are shown. Here you have a ‘nut’ to put it mildly, terrorizing his own people. It also goes to show you should not judge a tribe by a few ‘bad apples’. That goes for all cultures, religions, communities, race, creed, sex, etc…STOP!!! GOD IS WATCHING!!!

By: CriticalDragon1177

CriticalDragon1177 — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:03:57 +0000

Bill Morlin,

This is something I thought I’d never see.

By: Linnea

Linnea — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:23:14 +0000

Just goes to show that no group is immune to extremist nut-cases.