By Kevin Williams
TRAGEDY IN AMISH COUNTRY: Wow, stories like this are tough. An Amish father is being charged with involuntary manslaughter after his 4-year-old boy died in a farm feed accident. I can't imagine anything more wrenching than losing a child like that, and that would be more punishment than any court could mete out. On the other hand, it does sound like the father was negligent.
Alvin Beiler, everyone agrees it was a tragic accident....should he have been charged?
And if part of the judiciary is to promote deterrence and charging this Dad saves one other child from this same fate, isn't it worth it? I don't know. I think you can make powerful arguments on both sides. Read the details here and let me know what you think.
RECLAIMING THEIR STORY: I like this. For the most part. This is a new non-profit that is trying to provide a pathway for ex-Amish to make it in the world. The foundation's goal is to provide education, job-training, counseling,and more to resources to those who may want to leave the Amish. They do dismiss a lot of Amish admiration as "storybook romanticizing" but I'm not sure I buy into that completely. Yes, there is a segment of the population that does that, but I think most people are insightful enough to know that Amish stories vary by family and person. I think there are some Amish families whom I probably would consider idyllic and storybook (just as there are some non-Amish families who I might view that as), and others that I'd not wish their life on me for anything. So I think the story isn't so simple, but the cause is noble. Click here
MILLIE'S INDIANA CORNDOGS: Check in with Illinois Amish columnist Millie Otto and her recipe this week for - wow - homemade corndogs. I bet those are so, so, so, so good. I mean, frozen store-bought corndogs are super, so a homemade one? I'm in. Click here.
PLAIN KANSAS - Spied this article about Rosanna and her family a Kansas newspaper, stay tuned for more columns from her in the months ahead! Click here.
HOMEMADE REFRIGERATOR PICKLES: Home-canned pickles among the Amish are popular, but you have to fool with proper canning procedures, cold packing, hot packing, etc, just too much trouble. But refrigerator pickles? Now that is a different story! You can skip all those cumbersome steps and just do fridge pickles. Take a look here at this recipe!
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I wish they hadn't showed Mr. Beiler's picture. It is not as though he is a run of the mill convict. The picture shows that he is probably still in shock. Hard to say . My heart goes out to he and his family. What a tragedy. Boy times like this I would not want to be a judge.
Kevin
Hi, Rose, I guess you could make the argument I shouldn't have reposted the photo. But, yes, you are right, such a tough,tough case...He clearly didn't do anything deliberately wrong...but it it also sounds like he was careless, but should he be charged for that? I am glad I am not the judge, either...PS - always good to hear from you!
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Keven. I was not referring to your post. The picture was already out there. It is always good to read your post. I look so forward to them. Keep up the good work.