anotherlimey

I'm sure the whole story will come out in time.

TouristTrap

Find a scapegoat for every situation instead of laying the blame at the feet of the actual wacko.

Hiro11

Huh?

Leslie

This thread is sort of making me sick. It smacks of hypocrisy. Where are all of the atheists/agnostics (myself included) who bitch and moan constantly about how out of control religion is in this country?

I think that all human life is valuable. The fact that the victims are Amish doesn't make these deaths any more tragic than the ones in Colorado last week - or anywhere else for that matter.

I'm saddened by the deaths of these girls because they were small and helpless and probably died feeling terrified and alone - not because they're Amish.

Some posters are making them sound like perfect people that live in some sort of Utopian society. I for one would NOT want to be Amish.

FWIW ....

The Amish do not educate their children past the 8th grade - keeping them ignorant keeps them from wanting out of the community.

They are notoriously inbred with many genetic afflictions associated to their closed lifestyle.

They do not seek or provide health-care for pregnant women - despite the risks to the mother and children.

I could go on and on but I don't want to go crazy bashing any one belief system - but to be very honest - If it were a bunch of Muslims living this way (and in many ways Muslims are much more progressive than the Amish) we'd be calling for their heads.

In this day and age lives and choices being controlled by religion is wrong - full stop.

Leslie

I know lots of weird people (many on this forum ). Should I call the police on them for what I think they might do? Shall we start a Thought Police division in every precinct in this country? Should we all be mental health professionals so that we could weed out or predict anti-social behavior?

The wife and children are victims of this murderer - albeit to a lesser degree than the dead and injured - but victims nonetheless - their lives are effectively ruined now.

Rete

Many people are depressed, seriously depressed, and if they were never a violent person before or don't voice their thoughts on wanting to sexually abuse children and/or kill them, then how in heaven are you suppose to stop them from doing something like this.

As for the man claiming to have sexually abused girls when he was 12 I'll give you odds that it was nothing more than adolescent physical curiosity which is completely normal. Perhaps his upbringing or religion made him believe that this was abnormal and wrong behavior. Heck, how many of you guys and gals played doctor when you were kids?

Elvira

I will admit that I have conflicting feelings about the Amish. On the one hand I admire their moral strength and their ability to focus on what - to them - is essential.

On the other hand I agree with you on many of the issues you raise, particularly the lack of emphasis on education. The lack of pregnancy care I did not know about, and this is certainly worrying. Also, do they not "shun" young people who choose to move away from the Amish lifestyle? I cannot see how this can be reconciled with a supposedly Christian lifestyle.

anotherlimey

Trust me.. if I thought you had a gun, I'd call the police!

Elvira

And if everyone who had some sort of niggly doubts about someone they knew were to report them to the authorities, they'd be completely swamped and unable to cope.

ladyofthelake

Yep, this incident is getting far more coverage than the other 2 school shootings of these past weeks. The media has the bonus material of talking about their lifestyle ad nuseum.

Don't see the wife going to the funerals really. Would be too guilt ridden to face those families if it was me.

Hiro11

That's a false dichotomy. There's a big difference between someone who's a "little weird" (e.g. me) and someone who is capable of meticulously planning (for months, apparently) and carrying out a plan to rape, torture and execute 7 year old girls.

Leslie

Let me rephrase that - I know some people who are barking IMO. However if they've never displayed violent behavior toward me I have absolutely no way to know what they might do. Apparently this guy hadn't broken the law and his wife thought he was a good husband. What do you suggest she could have or should have done?

Leslie

Not to mention we could get into trouble ourselves for wasting their (the cops) time. They really do frown on that whole false alarm thingy.

Rete

I don't see that as the case. One has to realize also that some of the injuried girls are still dying. The count has risen from the original 3 to 5 and 3 of 5 remaining injuried are still in critical condition.

Leslie

I'm calling the police on you for threatening me.