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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – There’s something strange about us humans. We hate some people because they are different. Other differences we tolerate. There’s no discrimination that I’m aware of against people with blue eyes, even though they are a minority. In the middle ages, redheads were thought to be the devil’s children. We’ve gotten past that. No one says I don’t like that dog or cat because its fur is brown.
But if your skin is different, or you speak a different language, or are a member of a different religion, some people will hate you for no other reason.
The hatred of the Amish in Wisconsin is peculiar to me. Here are quiet people who live simple lives. They don’t bother anyone, and generally just want to be left alone.
Perhaps you remember the tragically stupid case of Steven Faber of Clark County. He and his best friend Andy Mallory were driving along a county road when they passed an Amish buggy. Faber drove intentionally close to the buggy to try to spook the horses. Then he turned around in a driveway, crossed the centerline, and drove at the buggy again. When he veered back into his lane, he lost control of his car, flipped over in the ditch, and killed his passenger.
And just this month, 9 students from Reedsburg are suspended for harassing their Amish neighbors… things like blowing airhorns at Amish homes and knocking on doors and windows in the middle of the night. They’ve been, correctly, charged with disorderly conduct.
What’s the point of this obnoxious behavior? I have a theory. The Amish don’t consider themselves successful or failures by our standards, but many are living more productive lives than many of us. And some of the Amish are thriving without modern conveniences like automobiles, or, for some, even electricity or heat. Could it be that some people are jealous that such a simple, devout people not only survive, but thrive? Or is it that old demon that we hate people who are different? If so, take some time to examine yourself and ask ‘why do I feel that way?’
Chris Conley
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