Posted on 06/06/2002 1:29:17 PM PDT by NYer
EBENSBURG, Pa. (AP) _ A judge ruled an ultraconservative Amish congregation must use orange-and-red reflective triangles on their buggies, symbols the group says violate their beliefs against gaudy decorations and against placing their faith in man-made symbols before God.
Donna Doblick, the Pittsburgh attorney representing the Swartzentruber Amish for free, said she'll appeal the ruling to Pennsylvania Superior Court. That means the $95 fines assessed to 20 sect members for failing to use the slow-moving vehicle symbols will be held in abeyance until the appeal is heard.
Also, the Swartz'ntruber, who said they'll leave Pennsylvania if they lose the case, will likely remain near Nicktown, about 65 miles east of Pittsburgh, while the appeal is heard, Doblick said. Instead of the triangles, the Swartzentruber prefer to use a gray reflective tape and a lantern on the rear of their buggies. The gray tape is legal in nine states for use on slow moving vehicles, including Ohio, where the sect lived until two years ago.
But Cambria County Judge Timothy Creany ruled that the state can abridge the Swartzentruber's religious beliefs because it has a ``compelling interest'' _ namely, keeping the Amish and other vehicles safe on public roads. Creany relied on testimony given last month by state transportation experts, who said the triangles are more visible than the tape during thE dqy _ when statistics show about 61 percent of all vehicle-buggy accidents occur.
Doblick said those statistics don't prove anything, however, because they don't show how the accidents occurred or who was at fault. ``There's no evidence any of those crashes were from the rear (where the reflective symbols are mounted on buggies), or a lack of visibility,'' Doblick said. ``There's no evidence that any of those crashes could have been prevented by bathing the vehicle in color.''
The Cambria County District Attorney's Office didn't immediately return calls for comment on the decision.
AP-ES-06-06-02 1606EDT
I saw one droppin' a load in a urinal one time...
Local FBI Warning In Pennsylvania! The FBI issued a warning, in a Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania newspaper, that they suspect a terrorist may be hiding in the Amish community here.
This photo provided the first clue that triggered the investigation. (photo courtesy of WhyisaTexasgirlinPA)
BTW, I learned quite a bit about the Amish when hanging out there. I was friends with Dan the Amishman who told me a lot of interesting stuff about the Amish. Do you know why the Amish have beards but no moustaches? I do.
Delicious satire. Thank you. :)
1 - So drunk political figures do not run into them after spending the evening at 'The Do Drop Inn Tavern'.
2 - So gay activists can picket the Amish for stealing their triangle idea and then claim the Amish are receiving 'special treatment'.
3 - So it will be easier to racially profile the Amish....like we couldn't tell otherwise.
4 - To help save the Amish from themselves.....
Although said in good fun....sheesh...just leave these people be....
"There are quite a few scripture that mention beards in the Bible. An example would be Psalm 133:1,2. An Amishman does not shave his beard after he becomes married; a long beard is the mark of an adult Amishman. Mustaches, on the other hand, have a long history of being associated with the military, and therefore are forbidden among the Amish people."
source = Amish FAQ
How common what is? Memory loss?
Sorry, I couldn't resist. There are people who make a living in Lancaster County driving a van -- something of an Amish taxi.
Amish/Mennonite puppy mills
http://www.bogartsdaddy.com/bouvier/Bouv_Pages/article-nypost-pa-puppymills.htm
By Laura Italiano
Post Correspondent
Inside the picturesque barns and wooden fences of Amish country, pedigree puppies are bred by the tens of thousands, many living in a hellish world of filthy, crowded cages. They are "puppy mill" puppies, and they bring in $4 million a year for the 100 Amish and Mennonite farmers who supply boutique dog-shop markets, including at least two New York dealers, the ASPCA says.
"It's not just some cottage industry by people who sell bread-and-butter pickles by the roadside," said Roger Caras, ASPCA executive director. The farmers sell 20,000 puppies a year to wholesalers for an average $223 a pup, government records show.
And it's making some of these quaint farmers quite rich. U.S. Department of Agriculture documents show that one farmer in the town of Blue Ball sold 1,293 puppies last year for an estimated $290,000 though federal inspectors have cited his farm for numerous violations since 1992 including overcrowded cages and inadequate sanitation, pest control, feeding and watering of animals.
"Then these sickly, genetic nightmares are delivered to the upscale pet shops," Caras said.
"They given them a bath and blowdry them and fluff them up and pray they don't die before they're sold," for $1,000 or more each.
Separate investigations by the ASPCA and The Post found the deplorable conditions of puppy mills hidden away in picture-postcard Pennsylvania Dutch country, the fastest growing puppy-breeding region in the eastern United States.
Inside one dark, fetid metal shed inspected by The Post last week, About 40 puppies—German shepherds, dobermans and shitzus among them—were locked in threes and fours in cages a single dog would find cramped.
Many were unresponsive to a visitor's presence and voice. Most had coats matted with feces. There was no apparent escape from the shed's darkness and stench.
When questioned about the shed, Amish farmer David Zimmerman denied it was a kennel, even pretending that the ruckus of dog barks coming from inside was "just Potsy, the family dog, chasing that gray kitten again."
He might have been cautious for good reason: Zimmerman's license to sell puppies in bulk has been suspended by the USDA.
"It's harassment," Zimmerman said of the USDA, which has also fined him $51,250 for numerous animal-welfare violations. Zimmerman, whose farm is in Ephrata, is appealing the fine.
There is such a place, BTW.
I didn't know they had beards but no moustaches, let alone why. But now I've begun my journey of knowledge, so why not tell me why?
Too funny!! FReepers do have a sense of humor. Sometimes.
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