I am speaking with someone shortly for a story on use of the Amish name to sell products. Â I’ve found this a topic people react strongly to. Doing anything involving the Amish name to make a buck is obviously exploiting them, after all. I’ve also found that with reflection some see it differently. There are a number of topics like this, where there is sort…
There is apparently one Amish-attended event where cameras are not at all welcome: dog auctions. Or at least undercover cameras aren’t. WFMY News reports that a producer and videographer working incognito were tossed from a recent Millersburg auction and threatened with arrest. I can’t say I’m too surprised, given that it was on private property. Â And given that there is a reported ban on recording…
Not all Amish vaccinate their children, with concerns over safety, money and thwarting God’s will. Â Amish apparently also vaccinate their horses at a lower rate. Human vaccination has been a hot issue for many years. Â We don’t really think as much about animal vaccinations. Â However animal-borne diseases are a potential danger, and not just to a farmer’s bottom line. Officials in New York are trying…
Three weeks ago Amish outhouse troubles made local news in Ohio. Â The story seems to be repeating itself in Kansas, but this one is being picked up by national media. Bourbon County officials have asked Amish near Fort Scott to comply with outhouse regulations. Â These include installing a $1,000 holding tank, and paying to have them pumped out every 1-2 years. The Fort Scott settlement…
Can you be Amish, and also a gay person? A reader writes: I am sure there must be some Amish kids that are gay. I wonder how their parents and church handle this, as well as how the gay kids deal with it. Any idea where I might find this info? The short answer is that Amish view homosexual behavior as a sin. And like…
Do you remember the controversy over busing Amish students in New York back in January? By a 6-0 vote, the Marathon school board has elected to offer the Amish “special busing”, which will apparently do enough to alleviate Amish concerns.  To recap the Amish side: The Old Order Amish community in the hill towns around Marathon had sought separate busing for their children on a schedule…
Welcome to the not-so-scenic side of Amish country. The Amish of Hardin County, Ohio (aka Kenton Amish) are in the news for violating waste disposal rules. Â Local officials warned Amish some months back that new outhouses will need a sealed concrete tank, and that they’ll need to pay for a waste removal service. A local news outlet caught up with bishop Elmer Bontrager on…
The Amish smoke alarm issue has been ongoing for a number of years in New York state. David Belton, who made the PBS Amish documentary, has written an article on the topic for BBC. Swartzentruber Amish in northern New York have violated building codes by not installing smoke alarms in their homes, leading to fines and court cases. The core of the objection appears similar…
This is just a heartbreaker. Â A 2-year-old boy in Ohio died after severe scalding last week. Following the burn (hot water tipped onto him from the kitchen stove) he was first taken to be treated with an “Amish home burn treatment” of B and W ointment and burdock leaves. When he began going into shock the following day, he was brought to the hospital, but…
National Geographic has developed Amish: Out of the Order (you may remember this program from late 2010, featuring ex-Amishman Mose Gingerich) into a full-fledged series.  It will air in 10 parts this spring and is named, nearly identically, Amish: Out of Order. I found the original program interesting but wonder if they’ll be able to get enough mileage out of the concept for a full series….