Here's a round-up of Amish items in the news today:
EXPECTING AMISH: Â Oh geez, here we go again. Â Another movie about the Amish. I have found that since Aster's arrival Rachel and I just don't have time to watch TV anymore. Â Usually by the time Aster is a sleep we are so tired that we just want to sleep also. Â So as much I might want to watch this movie, I doubt it is going to happen. Â Sounds a little edgy for this type of drama: young Amish woman in rumspringa heads to Hollywo0d, meets a guy, comes back pregnant. Â Okey-dokey...click here to read more about this movie.
COPYCAT CRIME? Â We were covering attacks on Amish buggies in Geauga County recently, now the same thing is happening near Clare, Michigan. Â Let's hope the perpetrators are swiftly caught. Click here to read the latest.
EXCOMMUNICATED WELCOME HERE:  This is a rather interesting article about how ex-communicated Old Colony Mennonites are handled in Belize.  Really interesting to read because it sounds like the Belize settlement is quite strict in their orthodoxy.  Click here to read more. There actually are some Amish settlements in the USA that are welcoming of Amish excommunicated from other districts, that is a topic that might be worth a post sometime.
MEASLES ALERT: Â Two big events in Ohio's Amish country this weekend have health authorities on edge that the measles outbreak could be spread and carried out of state. Â Click here to read the latest.
Gary
I'm not sure I understand what the big deal is about measles. I had measles when growing up, so did all of my family. We got dots and felt out of sorts for a few days but then, not only was it over, we never got them again. Why are vaccinations against measles necessary? And besides that, the article noted that most of the Amish who are included in the outbreak WERE vaccinated. So how effective are the vaccinations? I'm confused.
Kevin
Gary, I think you raise a fair question...I mean, I don't think anyone WANTS measles, but isn't it really not much different than chicken pox?
Melissa
It is important to get vaccinated to help prevent the spread of disease. By not getting shots you could spread disease to already sick children and adults who cannot receive vaccinations due to their illness. This puts them at a greater health risk and could even cause their death because their immune system cannot fight off infections like a healthy individual's can. Many deadly diseases that have been eradicated in the U.S. Are returning because people choose to not get their children vaccinated.
Missy
Depending on the person, measles can be fatal. In most healthy children it's nothing much, but it can be. That is the problem.
As for this new movie. In the first 10 seconds of the trailer I saw what looked like a baptism but also like a wedding ceremony held in the water. Only the woman was wearing a lacy white dress, most assuredly NOT an Amish dress. Then later the Amish "groom" had slicked back hair. They have the minister preaching from behind a pulpit in a church building. Another "Amish" girl with "bangs" hanging down in front of her cap. Looks like no research was done as each of these mistakes would have been caught by anyone who read anything about the Amish. My 2 cents.
Bama
My husband caught measles from our daughter. Hers made her sick and uncomfortable for a few days. He ran a terrible high fever and nearly died. They can be very serious as can chicken pox..