The Amish Civil Rights Movement

16.
can we spell WACO all over again ?

like the branch davidians, the " lesser " letters of the law,
( atf, dea, etc. ) NEED to find something there to thereafter,
homeland security can methodically & publically dismantle.

we can almost trust, that after the whole mormon
debacle a few months back, just gives " big brother "
even more reason to investigate anything on american soil.

one thing for sure, with that large of a denomination, it will indeed
be a jewish attorney representing their interest in a court of law........

Posted at 6:18PM on Sep 16th 2008 by david berkowitz

17.
The Amish Civil Rights Movement
Posted Sep 16th 2008 4:38PM by TMZ Staff
A bunch of Amish people in Ohio could get a whole lot richer -- if the cops can't explain why they sent a SWAT team to storm a schoolhouse!


Amish residents of Bergholz, OH are suing the Jefferson County Sheriff's office for $35 mil, claiming they were deprived of their civil rights when a fully armed SWAT unit entered a schoolhouse with their automatic weapons drawn back in 2007.

In the suit, the Amish -- who almost all have the last name of Miller or Mullet -- claim the "paramilitary tactics" were authorized so the Sheriff's Dept. could pick up two children caught in the middle of what sounds like a pretty nasty custody fight. Obviously, the Amish, who don't use modern technology, claim they "suffered mental, bodily and physical distress" during the raid.

If they win their suit -- what in the Lord's name are the Amish going to do with 35 million bucks?! That's a lot of buggies and butter churners!


Filed under: Wacky & Weird
Comments [13]

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Reader Comments
(Page 1 of 1)
1. Talk to the hand, cause the beard ain't listening

Posted at 5:00PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Jed
2. I don't know what the Amish will spend this money on if their law suit is successful, but I can tell you what they won't be spending it on: twenty five million dollar houses, millions of dollars worth of bling, five hundred thousdand dollar cars, five thousand dollar handbags, thousand dollar shoes, a thoursand dollar a week coke or alcohol habit, restaurantt tabs in excess of five thousand dollars, tens of thousands of dollars for a stay at a fancy rehab facility, millions of dollars for overflowing closets of designer clothes.

The Amish may well spend some of this money buggies and butter churners, but I bet after they are finished paying the huge fee for legal services rendered, they will enhance their community with some of the money, and give the rest to the poor, in the US and around the world.

Buggies and butter churners, TMZ you show your ignorance.

CC

Posted at 5:15PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Canadian Comment
3. They already get away with not paying taxes. They will probably win this law suit and get paid with OUR TAX DOLLARS.

Posted at 5:16PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Loser
4. What can they do with 35 million? Pay their medical bills! I work EMS in an area with a large Amish population, and they get hurt a lot. It seems like every day they have a drowning, or a kid kicked by a horse, or a buggy struck by a car. (I once worked a call with nine kids in a buggy struck by a truck, and we had to fly four of them by helicopter). That's a lot of huge medical bills.

Since they don't typically have medical insurance or rely on government assistance, they must pay their bills with cash. To their credit, they do... (they are, for obvious reasons, very good savers) ... but we all know how huge medical bills can sometimes be. It's certainly conceivable that they would have millions in medical bills, particularly when viewed community-wide.

Just kind of thinking out loud.

Posted at 5:21PM on Sep 16th 2008 by medic911
5. Their last names are Mullet? That's hilarious.

Posted at 5:27PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Mrs. D
6. Isn't the court system and a lawsuit considered to be MODERN TECHNOLOGY?? Don't mind using THAT I guess...

Posted at 5:33PM on Sep 16th 2008 by hmmmm
7. and what else do you propose they do? in today's society the only thing that will make them pay attention and not violate their rights again is to hit them where it hurts...in the wallet..it's the only thing that most governments understand..they do not need the money..are not doing it for the money..but they are smart

Posted at 5:37PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Abby
8. I actually know some amish people. They are not to be made fun of. They are honest, hardworking, and noble individuals. If a swat team stormed your child's school unannounced, you would probably be more than a little peeved as well.

Posted at 5:37PM on Sep 16th 2008 by iKNOWamish
9. @6. LOL ummm...no! the court system was actually in this country before the Amish, as it was brought over when we were just "the colonies". if you are going to make fun of people for their beliefs, try taking a 5th grade social studies class first.

Posted at 5:49PM on Sep 16th 2008 by peacexxl
10. hmmmm, No the court system is not new technology. The US court system is a descendant of the English Common Law which is a descendant of the Norse Common Law which is almost 2000 years old. Not exactly new, idiot.

As far as spending the money, do you have any idea what purebred farm animals cost? Try going to a farm auction and you might learn a few things.

Go Sox

Posted at 5:55PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Baseball Junkie
11. #6 hmmmmm. You are a MORON. Take a World Civilizations class! And #3, they don't pay taxes because they don't benefit from government programs.

Posted at 5:56PM on Sep 16th 2008 by CBH
12. to the person that stated they know the amish, so do I, I was raised around them, yes they seem honest hard working and simple. BUT, but what we dont get to ever see or hear of is the other side of these sweet kindhearted darlings, 1. childeren are worked to the born at early ages with no choice, now for those that say gee this is good for them, hey they are not mowing lawns for extra cash in summer, they are doing work that most adults outside of the amish community couldn't do, the girl are highly regulated in relations, the father and the elders decide in the end who the daughter will marry and who she want. 2. Inbreeding is a serious problem not brought up. 3. punishment in the order is stricter than a russian prison and final. 4. Child abuse and rape is NOT reported period, if it is brought up then the girl has to prove it, and if she doesn't she is "deemed not of the order and shuned in other words kicked out of her community. 4. If a woman wants a divorce and leave the order guess what she isnt getting the kids, 5. Those cute homemade furniture you see everywhere and thing what neat plain people made this with love, well think of the kids whose hands bleed to put that together. The amish get away with alot more than people know they are just as much a cult as any cult but they believe in god so its ok. They should not be tax exempt and have have different legal rights as others that is the problem with america we let religon do what ever it wants and when you do that secrets get buried deep very terrifying secrets.

Posted at 5:56PM on Sep 16th 2008 by shawn"

oh you mean they are human beings susceptible to all the foibles that all humans are ? they have 'their ways" of dealing with such at least they are ATTEMPTING TO BE GOOD more than i say for most of the losers in my "hood" .

Posted at 6:57PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Upside Down Girl

18. Even the Amish Has Learned That Sueing is a Great Way to Make Money!!

Posted at 8:50PM on Sep 16th 2008 by John

19. I grew up with the Amish and back then, they went to school with us taxpayers kids until the eighth grade. They are nice, but they are very stingy and bossy when it comes to money. PLEASE, don't let the horse and buggy fool you. They can be just as hateful as anyone. When they don't want you to know what they are saying, they speak in German, which is often the case. They work their animals and children to death. They do inbreed and abuse is never reported. They aren't supposed to have tv's, but I know of people who have them hid in trash cans etc. They have alot of money and I mean ALOT, BECAUSE they don't pay taxes, but yet, they use our roads and cause the most damage, they buy up all the farmland where I am from, because when you don't pay taxes, you have more money. Please, these people are a cult, who shop at Wal-mart and watch tv and listen to the radio, although some do it from a generator. They are smart though, they don't pay taxes because they hide behind God. I feel sorry for the children, if that is who was in school, in my hometown, they use the schoolhouse as a meeting place for the elders. They hunt, they do have guns, maybe the police had good cause.

Posted at 7:19PM on Sep 16th 2008 by calling it like i see it

20. I can imagine those kids were pretty traumatized when they saw the buttons and metal snaps on the SWAT team jackets.

Posted at 7:31PM on Sep 16th 2008 by chicken stripper

21. #12 I agree with you.
Don't forget the Amish are also linked to many puppy mills.

Posted at 7:41PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Windy City

22. My friend lives near an Amish community. They say they don't use modern technology. LIE!! They don't HAVE it in their homes, but they use it. They don't have phones in their home, but my friend constantly sees them walking to nearby payphones and using them! Hilarious! Kind of a cheat, isn't it?

Posted at 7:47PM on Sep 16th 2008 by monkeynoodle

23. I'm not surprised they all have the same last names. The Amish are inbreeding so much that there is a statistically HIGH number of Amish babies being born with no arms, no legs, major deformities. Constant inbreeding, gross. So at this rate they will obiliterate themselves soon. Anyone see that X-Files episode where the hillbillies kept their limbless mother under the bed and kept having sex with her and having deformed babies? Welcome to Amish Country!

Posted at 7:47PM on Sep 16th 2008 by monkeynoodle

24. calling it like i see it,
Why shouldn't they speak in German? It's the language of their homes. Do you assume that if someone is speaking Spanish they must be saying something nasty about you too? Geeze you have an ego on you. Everything is about you. Get a life.
My great-great grandparents came to the US from Germany. My mother was taught to speak German as a child as well as English but when she was speaking to her grandparents she only spoke German. I have a friend who speaks Gaelic when she is angry because that is the language she learned first from her grandmother. The only thing weird about people speaking other languages is idiots like you who think there's something wrong with it.

Go Sox

Posted at 8:20PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Baseball Junkie

25. Does everybody know what it takes to satisfy an AMISH woman?




Two Mennonite!

Posted at 7:32PM on Sep 17th 2008 by Mr. A

26. This is the problem with the average police department in America today. Most are comprised men who were too chicken to actually join the military but they want people to think that they are still rambo. Britain got it right several years ago when they banned beat police from having shaved heads or military style haircuts, and they required them to interact with people. Today's American cops don't want anyone to talk to them, and they like to carry big guns. What are they compensating for?

Posted at 11:41PM on Sep 16th 2008 by Chuck

27. I know and work with alot of amish .And i will say one thing . its not about the money , and they dont usr the walfare system and or anything else , you would be suprised , they are hard working folks , and if a neighbor has problems they take care of there own , Please never take what anyone says , they are good hard working people , with good values , just not like the ones we have , and they are good to my family .................I think there trying to make a statment , and if they were not amish no one would give a damm how much they suied for ,just saying....................................Oh and if they recived money they would give most of it to there neighbores as usual .

Posted at 12:04PM on Sep 17th 2008 by Tami

28. With 35 million dollars they could buy a couple of M1A1 Abrams Tanks to defend their territory. Plus they could
hire some Spetsnaz from Russia to teach their children hand-to-hand combat and close quarter tactics.

Posted at 1:59AM on Sep 17th 2008 by noiseslug

29.
noiseslug;

from the sounds of it, the children already know

hand-to-hand all too well in close quarters;

Posted at 3:14AM on Sep 17th 2008 by david berkowitz

30. I don't agree with everything the Amish do but I feel the need to make afew corrections. The Amish do pay taxes. The only taxes they don't pay are social security taxes and they take care of their own elderly so they don't require the government's help. They also pay school taxes when in most areas the children don't even go to the State schools that they're paying the taxes to. They pay there own teachers and educate their own children. Thank you to the people that also realize that the Amish could certainly use $35 million dollars as they pay their medical bills with cash and the church shares the cost. Some Amish have also been known to help natural disaster victims outside their community. The Amish are by no means perfect but people please do your research. If you're going to accuse someone of something, at least make sure you accuse them of the what they've actually done.

Posted at 3:53AM on Sep 17th 2008 by Miss Dynamite