The best people in America

[lawrnk]

I feel privledged to have been in Amish country and welcomed into an Amish home not too long after the horrible Amish shooting nearby. My family is from Lancaster, and my family were Mennonites (though none are anymore) One the day of the shooting of 10 girls, 5 who died, this was the Amish reaction. My wife and I say we are the strange and backwards people, not the Amish. This post is completely random, but when issues of forgiveness come up, I like to refer to this reaction.


The day of the shooting, a grandfather of one of the murdered Amish girls was heard warning some young relatives not to hate the killer, saying, "We must not think evil of this man."[17] Another Amish father noted, "He had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he's standing before a just God."[18]

Jack Meyer, a member of the Brethren community living near the Amish in Lancaster County, explained: "I don't think there's anybody here that wants to do anything but forgive and not only reach out to those who have suffered a loss in that way but to reach out to the family of the man who committed these acts."[17]

A Roberts family spokesman said an Amish neighbor comforted the Roberts family hours after the shooting and extended forgiveness to them.[19] Amish community members visited and comforted Roberts' widow, parents, and parents-in-law. One Amish man held Roberts' sobbing father in his arms, reportedly for as long as an hour, to comfort him.[20] The Amish have also set up a charitable fund for the family of the shooter.[21] About 30 members of the Amish community attended Roberts' funeral,[20] and Marie Roberts, the widow of the killer, was one of the few outsiders invited to the funeral of one of the victims.[22] Marie Roberts wrote an open letter to her Amish neighbors thanking them for their forgiveness, grace, and mercy. She wrote, "Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. Gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you."[22]

[sivart-dod]

if only everyone cared like that.. huh.

[WildBill]

Lawrnk - Thanks for the story. I have visited Lancaster a couple of times and always enjoyed the people.

[The Annoyed Man]

lawrnk, there is much which is actually attractive to me about the Amish life, but when I really consider it more deeply (and honestly), I am not suited for it. The amount of forgiveness shown the killer's family has a great deal of integrity to it. I say "integrity," because the Amish actually live what they say, even if it costs them dearly emotionally.

But, it does beg a question regarding your own decision to carry a pistol concealed if you believe that we are strange and they are not. The Amish are also ardent pacifists, and they do not believe in going about armed for personal defense. I'm sure none of them wants to die, but neither are they willing to kill another human being, if necessary, to preserve their own lives. Some of them own guns and are avid hunters, but they would never use those same guns in self-defense.

Not being critical here... but how do you square that with you own decision to carry? I'm just curious.

[lawrnk]

lawrnk, there is much which is actually attractive to me about the Amish life, but when I really consider it more deeply (and honestly), I am not suited for it. The amount of forgiveness shown the killer's family has a great deal of integrity to it. I say "integrity," because the Amish actually live what they say, even if it costs them dearly emotionally.

But, it does beg a question regarding your own decision to carry a pistol concealed if you believe that we are strange and they are not. The Amish are also ardent pacifists, and they do not believe in going about armed for personal defense. I'm sure none of them wants to die, but neither are they willing to kill another human being, if necessary, to preserve their own lives. Some of them own guns and are avid hunters, but they would never use those same guns in self-defense.

Not being critical here... but how do you square that with you own decision to carry? I'm just curious.

I'm not even close to being half of what an Amish person is. I find them remarkable. Now I do understand the points you bring up, but here is why we are strange compared to them.

I could list hundreds of things I love about the Amish, but I won't. The Amish are family centric. Children do not waste their afternoons on playstation, rather helping the parents, grandparents, and younger siblings. The Amish are true Christians, not like the jerk on the freeway with the christian fish who flicks you off for going too slow. They take care of their people and neighbors, pay taxes into a system that they rarely use outside of the roads and basic services. They waste little, and live a lifestyle of healthy and natural living, hard work, and worship. I may disagree with them refusing to defend themselves, but other than that its pretty hard to find fault with the way the Amish live. That is why we are weird, and they are not. If our country practiced a tiny fraction of what the Amish do, it would be a much better place.