The View From Amish Country

Dear Joe,
Thank you for this very educational article. Recently I helped an Amish family in upstate New York get their horses back in their field that were running around on the road (I happened to be driving by). After a half
hour of "helping," the father told me that his horses know how to find their way home after traveling great distances. It then dawned on me that I wasn't really helping them, after all. What I did witness was when people were driving by, they were yelling insults out their windows at the children -- just because the children were waving at them with their hats to slow down. I witnessed firsthand the prejudice that they face -- but I smile because I get the feeling that they are steadfastly raising their children with love and the family unit is one -- unlike "English" families of today. Isn't it wonderful if this is genuinely a group of people living together without "hate." It's a very beautiful thing. Plus, I want to say that their horses were fat and happy.
Sincerely, J. Purcell