By Kevin Williams
Glen Sears owns and old-fashioned hardware store in Auburn, Kentucky. He used to have a lot of Amish customers who'd come in to buy belts for their gas generators and other tools that generally only the Amish would need. Glen enjoyed the brisk trade and catering to his Amish customers. But now his store is largely empty as Auburn's town council has been targeting and ticketing Amish who won't put "horse collection devices" on their animals.
It is illegal for a muncipality to craft laws that target a single ethnic or religious group (c'mon, is anyone else really riding into Auburn with horses other than Amish? I highly doubt it). And now Amos and Dan Mast sit in jail for refusing to pay their fines associated with their tickets.
In a lot of religious rights cases involving the Amish some First Amendment groups would parachute in and represent the Amish and push back against the town council. But it's tough to get the public passionate about "horse poop." And therein lies the issues, I think.
I hope they find a way to resolve this, otherwise the Amish in Auburn will just pack up and leave which would be too bad. It seems like a town could spend resources a lot more wisely than ticketing and jailing people over such stuff.
I went to the city council meeting last night. There were about 40 present including a lot of Amish. My question was how many names does it take to get this ordiance put on the ballot at the next election the mayor said he would look into it (but he won't). I also asked "if the bags do make the horses run away and someone is hurt is the city going to be responsible?" No answer. One guy suggested they make an alternate route just for the Amish. But no one listened. This council is dead set on chastising these people just because they are different. I wish there was something that could be done. I have went to council meeting after council meeting but it is like water on a ducks back. The only thing that is going to get this stopped is a big law suite against the city for discrimination and I know that would be hard to prove, but it could be done.
I will keep everyone posted on this developing story!
brenda
this goes along with all the other peculiar mindset against animals and humans and their natural systems. such as cow and horse flatulence, horse poop on the street, carbon dioxide from living breathing people and animals. do they forget that plant synthesis works in the reverse and helps with that. when they get rid of human beings they supposedly are going to be exterminated also.
Ruth Johnson
I know how it is to have the road littered with horse "apples," but considering the fragrance of the farm "lagoons" around here, and the smell when they spread their liquid fertilizer, horse poop is downright pleasant. We have quite a few Amish on our little road, a little over 2 miles long, and I just cannot get excited about horse poop in the road from 10 families of good people. We have had things stolen from us, our neighbors have had their house broken into, and there are mobile meth labs all over the county. I'm going to worry about a little horse poop in the road? I don't think so! Drive around it! You know the first people who would be at your house if you needed them? The ones driving the horses who poop in the road!
Kevin
Very well said, Ruth! What Amish settlement do you live near?
Ruth Johnson
We live near Marathon, NY, between Syracuse & Binghamton.
I don't know as you could rightly call it an "Amish settlement," but a family moved here about 3 years ago, in the middle of the winter, then in the spring another Amish man came and built a "wash room." His family moved up here, then next thing we knew, his brother was building almost across the road from us. More brothers came, parents, sisters and husbands, and they built as well. Others came, across town, and more around here. We have a leather worker, builders, a few farmers, and they all seem to have a sawmill of some sort, but there is not an established "Amish settlement" per se. They are scattered around, and they don't all work at their preferred craft, because they have to make a living.
Mary K. O'Neill
There are far more important things to worry about in life than horse poop. Watch where you are walking and it won't affect you! So what if cars run over it? They run over much more obnoxious things than that - dead animals for instance.
At least horse poop is biodegradable. Maybe the people complaining should scoop it up and use it in their lawns or gardens - free fertilizer!
I do think the town is unfairly targeting the Amish however. People shouldn't live in small towns or the country if they can't put up with a little inconvenience.
Heather
I have to wonder is you are from Auburn or really know anyone involved in this situation? A rule is a rule. If i am fined for speeding, I have to pay it. These people think they are above the law. You don't get to pick the things that apply to you. If you want to visit the city, follow their guidelines. They were provided the trial they ask for and lost. The cost the entire county money by doing so when they should have paid in the first place. I spent many years working in an establishment where the two guys mentioned, as well as others from their community, did business. This is not the first of their group to be arrested. They do not love or openly help us. They want to use our resources and then skirt around having to pay for them.
Kevin
Heather I have two issues with what you are saying:
1) There are small towns the size of Auburn all over the USA that have Amish populations and horse waste isn't an issue anywhere else, what makes Auburn so different from all the rest? That to me is a worth mulling over...
2) I agree with you about following laws, BUT, it is illegal to craft a law that targets a specific race or religion and it appears in Auburn that is exactly what happened...you can't really tell me that anyone else besides Amish ride horses through town that this "horse diaper ordinance" was meant to apply to?
Kevin Duncan
I hear this is all about one man getting horse shit on his corvette, to bad! If you run these people off then I am going to be looking at you to replace them with someone with a business of shoeing horses. They serve a purpose in this community more than you do! I also am very good friends with them. You are discriminating against them. You are allowed a way to get to your work & so they should be allowed theirs also. If Scottys is putting oil on a road to blacktop it you cannot make them remove the oil for you to drive on, you either drive through it or set there. Oil is a lot worse on a car than horse shit. Leave the people of our community alone.
Margaret
Why not just add a small fee to property taxes then use that money to hire someone to clean the horse apples up. Win-win for everybody.
renee
I just don't understand way there Attacking the Amish in Auburn Over poo when there's way more going on that needs to be looked at and taken care of!
How about the poor Animal How bad they will get Chase after putting them bags on them what then there going to go after them for Animal cruelty Because the animals have big Sores on them from the bags it's crazy
I say leave them alone there only going after them because there faith is something ppl don't understand and ppl don't like what they don't understand and if they move because of all this bull crap auburn will not be the same because auburn is known for having the Amish there.