Amish Refuse to Display Reflectors

[doggie]

9 Amish men sentenced in safety triangle case

 

Published: Sep 12, 2011 5:16 PM

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) - Nine Amish men who refused to display an orange reflective triangle on their horse-drawn buggies have been ordered to jail for not paying court-imposed fines.

 

The men belong to the ultraconservative Old Order Swartzentruber Amish sect in western Kentucky. They object to the triangles because the bright color violates their modesty code.

 

The Courier-Journal reports (http://bit.ly/njcW9w ) that the men say paying the fines would amount to complying with a law they believe violates their religious strictures.

 

Graves County District Judge Deborah Hawkins Crooks sentenced the men Monday to three to 10 days in jail.

 

The Kentucky Court of Appeals in June denied the defendants' appeal on the misdemeanor convictions.

[BlackHawk]

I will say I think the gov't needs to back up. They have never enforced the rule about orange triangles when it comes to the Amish. The Swartzentuber's have never had the triangles and no one has said shit about it for years. Now suddenly we are fining and putting people in jail over a damn triangle? Seriously?

[Trynn]

Much as I do like to respect religion, the triangles are a safety issue. The last thing most people want is to be driving along and then all of a sudden, wham! There goes an Amish family.

[Buzzard]

Much as I do like to respect religion, the triangles are a safety issue. The last thing most people want is to be driving along and then all of a sudden, wham! There goes an Amish family.

Didnt we talk about a case last year where a buggy was hit at night by an SUV and children were killed? Sorry, but safety trumps this one. They dont have a "right" to travel on public highways. If they want that privilege then they need to comply with safety requirements... or drive on their own property.

[Austin]

Didnt we talk about a case last year where a buggy was hit at night by an SUV and children were killed? Sorry, but safety trumps this one. They dont have a "right" to travel on public highways. If they want that privilege then they need to comply with safety requirements... or drive on their own property.

This.

[Avalondaughter]

I went to college in Amish country and I ALWAYS saw the triangles on the back of the buggies. It has always been my understanding that Amish know there are certain rules they are required to comply with such as orange triangles on the buggies.

[doggie]

suck it up you want to use modern roads then pay the price. the world can't bow down to every belief.

[Cran]

Guess the Amish wouldn't call this a modesty-issue, but an issue of plainness. Being plain in all things would equate to a very wide understanding of modesty, not limited to clothes and speech, but the whole life.

[haveapicniclife]

Swartzentruber! That clears up the mystery I had. We used to live about 20 minutes from Mayfield and I never could figure out which types of Amish people we had there. There were Mennonites, but they were easy to spot out and about. Very occasionally, maybe once a month, I'd see the Amish in town. Interesting that many businesses there designated special parking for the buggies (including Walmart), but they don't want to use the orange triangles? How one-sided of them.

[ladypuglover]

This.

Second.

[Kaylee]

I went to college in Amish country and I ALWAYS saw the triangles on the back of the buggies. It has always been my understanding that Amish know there are certain rules they are required to comply with such as orange triangles on the buggies.

The different groups & communities of Amish have different rules. Most of them, even other Old Order groups, will display the orange triangles and/or strips of reflective tape, but it against the Schwartzentruber rules to do so because they thing the color orange is too flashy (they only wear dark clothes & even have rules about decorations on dishes and things).

The Schwartzentruber are extremely conservative, even among the Amish, and they split with the regular Old Order Amish in 1913, because they believed them to be too liberal. Here are some of their rules (ordnung): http://www.amishabuse.com/Ordnung.htm

[bananacat]

I grew up in Central PA and all the Amish that I knew of or knew about were very pragmatic. They didn't have a problem using the orange signs because they wouldn't want to hurt other people. The biggest reason that they care about plain clothing is to prevent pride, unfairness, or a competition for attention. But the orange triangles aren't generally considered a problem because they aren't a display of wealth, and they are uniform among everyone. The Amish, like everyone else, have actual reasons behind their customs and it's not like they're just freaks who are afraid of neon colors. So the triangles don't conflict with the reason behind their rule. This is also why things likes phones in a barn aren't as hypocritical as they seem.

The Amish have also been known to do things for the safety of the extended community. For example, they generally don't get the full vaccine schedule, but if their is an outbreak or epidemic and the state or local government has decided that they need to get a specific vaccine or treatment, they have generally been cooperative.

So this group is clearly very extreme compared to other Amish groups.

[doggie]

well here are the outlaws. they are scary. ok so this is modest? orange on your buggy or loosing most of your modest apparel. I would die laughing if they were in one of the jails that make everything pink.

[mirele]

They'd be hating life in Sheriff Joe's Maricopa County jail, home of pink underwear.

(Please note, I am not approving of Shurf Joe, I think he's repulsive.)

[clibbyjo]

well here are the outlaws. they are scary. ok so this is modest? orange on your buggy or loosing most of your modest apparel. I would die laughing if they were in one of the jails that make everything pink.

They are pretty scary looking! I saw some adorable teenage Amish boys at an amusement park a few weeks ago. Healthy looking,rosy cheeks and smiling,what you think of when you think of Amish. These guys look like they are from Deliverance.

[doggie]

they look strange without their hats.

[Letgo]

Was anyone else struck by how short all these men were? Four of them didn't even make it to 5'6". One was 5'9" and the last guy was close to that. Out of eight grown men, I would think that at least one might be close to six feet tall. Is it their diet?

Are they required to have short bangs in front and long hair on the rest of the head? The beards are all so low on their faces; do they shave above that beard line? My husband and son both grow lots more facial hair than these guys.

Those faces...some of them resemble mug shots of men arrested for a DUI. Kind of a scary looking bunch, to me.

[moreorlessnu]

Was anyone else struck by how short all these men were? Four of them didn't even make it to 5'6". One was 5'9" and the last guy was close to that. Out of eight grown men, I would think that at least one might be close to six feet tall. Is it their diet?

Are they required to have short bangs in front and long hair on the rest of the head? The beards are all so low on their faces; do they shave above that beard line? My husband and son both grow lots more facial hair than these guys.

Those faces...some of them resemble mug shots of men arrested for a DUI. Kind of a scary looking bunch, to me.

I was also surprised by how short these men are.

I think I'm going to give the next barber I see a big wet one. It cannot be said enough what a difference a good hair cut can make

[browngrl]

Oh thank goodness someone has finally spoken out for teh defrauding triangles. As everyone knows triangles (especially the orange ones) point DIRECTLY to (and if you squint - look just like ) a woman's naughty bits. Think of the children! As the KJV of the Bible clearly tells us: first come the triangles and then the octagons and the next thing you know: your sons are prancing down the street in garters and heels and your daughters are shucking off their frumpers for any Tom, Dick and Harry!! *clutches pearls and reaches for the smelling salts*

[debrand]

I don't think that they are frightening looking but the beards look fake, don't they? It looks like those old props that were tied behind a person's head.

[clibbyjo]

Was anyone else struck by how short all these men were? Four of them didn't even make it to 5'6". One was 5'9" and the last guy was close to that. Out of eight grown men, I would think that at least one might be close to six feet tall. Is it their diet?

Are they required to have short bangs in front and long hair on the rest of the head? The beards are all so low on their faces; do they shave above that beard line? My husband and son both grow lots more facial hair than these guys.

Those faces...some of them resemble mug shots of men arrested for a DUI. Kind of a scary looking bunch, to me.

I think it is the inbreeding among the sect,they are all related and I guess all short. Yes, that is the standard haircut for all Amish men and boys(which looks adorable on little boys). The beard starts when they get married and there must be no mustache.

[Freed]

They are pretty scary looking! I saw some adorable teenage Amish boys at an amusement park a few weeks ago. Healthy looking,rosy cheeks and smiling,what you think of when you think of Amish. These guys look like they are from Deliverance.

Is it bad that I think they look like leprechauns? -ducks-

[Guest Anonymous]

They do look like leprechauns. The hairstyle is killing me! :lol:

[doggie]

talk about hat hair.

[Guest Anonymous]

Bottom row, second from the left. Shave him, cut, color, and tousle his hair, and he's Robert Pattinson. The resemblance (to me, at least) is uncanny.

This guy has no idea how many Twilight fangirls he could be getting it on with.