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But what is wrong with what I've said?
They are inbred, and becoming moreso because they have been marrying between the same limited number of families for tens of generations.
Their concept of shunning is well known. Once you do something that displeases them, they go out of their way to avoid you forever.
I've 'worked' with many amish for a year when I was working with the Soil Conservancy in Lancaster. To say they were resistant to changing horrendous farming practices is an understatement. With few exeptions they won't even listen to you.
Their women have little rights. Are forced wrap themselves and cloister almost as bad as Burkha'd muslim women. Their opinions are discounted out of hand, they have no say in the direction of their family or community. Husband is master.
They treat human life with little regard. I read in the Lancaster New Era every month or so of a father who sent his young son into a thresher to clean out a jam and then closed the bin and went to work, forgetting about the child inside. Gruesome deaths like that are common. Children should not be used as such in heavy farm machinery.
They see no need for English courtesies. Their lives are purposefully dour. Their children, because they are so different are treated badly by 'our' children. In addition to that, they see our kids living bright, carefree lives in comparision. This makes the kids pretty hardened against us.
You find the occasional nail in a board near amish communities on the road. And groups of kids occasionally throw things at lonely passing cars.
I'm not saying this all second hand. This is all my own experience with the community.
I don't want them to die off, just to assimilate some with society. They need to face reality like the mennonites have.
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