FM. My small town has also borne the brunt of assault by media.
I have long been an admirer of the amish way or what little I understood of it.
I was up the bush and missed most of what happened. A sad state of affairs.
excerpt from "Country Towns" (Slessor)
Verandas baked with musky sleep,
Mulberry faces dozing deep,
And dogs that lick the sunlight up
Like paste of gold - or, roused in vain
By far, mysterious buggy-wheels,
Lower their ears, and drowse again...
There are some interesting pieces on the aftermath of the multiple killing of Amish girls by the local Lancaster County paper,
the Intelligencer Journal.
Walter
I've attempted to open your link 3 times & each time I get the "page cannot be displayed" message. It may be my computer, I don't know.
Worked before, now it doesn't here, too
I ccouldn't open it either..
Finally got in, Walter.
Very interesting reading.
Thanks.
A couple of websites include :
http://www.lancasteronline.com and a sort of "local backdoor" is
http://www.lancnews.com
Thanks, farmer.
Frightening that another school has a rumoured "hit list". Whether it's real or not.
http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/26504
Farmerman - Did someone say the murderer was gay? I hadn't heard that- I mean the fact that he targeted girls would seem to indicate the opposite.
I'm glad that the community is being so understanding of his family - they're not responsible for what he did - only he can be held accountable for that.
I think it's always easier to imagine forgiving someone when they take something (like a child's life) from someone else than it is when they take something that actually is yours and you know it will effect your life in a sad and negative way everyday for as long as you live. I would like to say I'd be forgiving - but honestly, I don't think I would be. I'd view him as a murdering, thieving coward who stole something of incredible value from me- and I'd want to make him pay. There's just something about this that calls out for some kind of justice. Maybe that's why the Amish can be so forgiving - I'm sure they believe in divine retribution. I'm not so sure about that myself.
Walter Hinteler wrote:There are some interesting pieces on the aftermath of the multiple killing of Amish girls by the local Lancaster County paper,
the Intelligencer Journal.
I heard on TV, that they plan to demolish the schoolhouse.
farmerman wrote:Well, helmet heads of the world, those who read the news off prompters, This is not your world apparently.
That says a lot FM.
It's not our world, it's theirs, and their privacy must be respected.
Adrian, somewhere I tied the two points together when osso posted about having a gay lover. I dont know, I just try to keep tredding water and keep up, sometimes I fail and sink.
Miller-The decision to tear down the school was made the day of the shooting. The Amish quickly try to get rid of "Hexerie" in their lives, They will, I understood from an elder, either burn it down for firetraining (hence some good may be derived from the tragedy) or they will just tear it down and otherwise destroy the windows, doors, everything.
The Amish do strongly believe in the devil and how He tricks people with whatever he touches.
If I believed that way, I would draw conclusions from a number of historical events that happened in the immediate area over the last 200 years. Its kinda spooky when you think of it.
Farmerman - I was just wondering if that was another part of his torment or something that I hadn't read about- him being gay and feeling that he needed to be closeted (since he was married and had kids, etc.)
I don't have a tv - so I don't know what's been on the news - and there hasn't been much in the newspapers over here - what I've read has mostly been on the internet - so I'm just trying to piece it all together.
Hope your community returns to some semblance of what it was. It sounds as if any community is equipped to handle something like this - it's this Amish community as you describe it- lots of support and understanding and forgiveness for all involved. Maybe, as unfortunately intrusive as it is at such a tragic time, it is good for the rest of the world to see the dignity and Christian spirit of their response.
I know what you've described has made me rethink my initial visceral response to it.
aidan wrote:Farmerman - Did someone say the murderer was gay? I hadn't heard that- I mean the fact that he targeted girls would seem to indicate the opposite.
I'm glad that the community is being so understanding of his family - they're not responsible for what he did - only he can be held accountable for that.
I think it's always easier to imagine forgiving someone when they take something (like a child's life) from someone else than it is when they take something that actually is yours and you know it will effect your life in a sad and negative way everyday for as long as you live. I would like to say I'd be forgiving - but honestly, I don't think I would be. I'd view him as a murdering, thieving coward who stole something of incredible value from me- and I'd want to make him pay. There's just something about this that calls out for some kind of justice. Maybe that's why the Amish can be so forgiving - I'm sure they believe in divine retribution. I'm not so sure about that myself.
I never heard that the killer was gay, only that he was apparently a pedophile.
Ha! See how rumors start! That was my post that mentioned the word gay, in the context of whether one could be surprised by something about someone she knew well. I wasn't at all saying the killer was gay.
On the forgiveness aspect, and other aspects of how the Amish are living with this situation - I am very impressed by them.
On the killer, I can only think of him as very psychologically ill.
aidan wrote:.... Maybe, as unfortunately intrusive as it is at such a tragic time, it is good for the rest of the world to see the dignity and Christian spirit of their response.
Yes, the dignified response of the Amish community has really been quite extraordinary. It's the aspect of this terrible episode that has most stayed with me. They seem so sane in such a troubled, crazy world.
Msolga and Aiden,, Their dignity and gentleness is quite obvious in this time, thats the only thing that I hope isnt missed from the coverage of all the "News Hyenas". These people really live their religions and Im happy to know those Amish that I do.
They are happy and content in their simple lives and dont wish ill upon anyone else. They are not quite insular but they are not a heavy duty proseletizing form of religion.
"Whatever works for you" is what my one neighbor says. He, when hearing that Im an agnostic scientist who works in the edges of evolution, says that "hell pray for me", then we both laugh and continue the converstaion about crop yields and new equipment or even politics.
Amish humor (yes Virginia there is such a thing and there are even Amish comedians who perform in local bistros...) is very self deprecating. They never presume to poke fun at others but they always poke fun at themselves.
the news is reporting that of the 75 people attending the killers funeral at least half were from the amish community
How can they, and should the Amish forgive the killer of these children?
