Our Amish, Ourselves

    I had no idea just how crazy those Amish were until I read this article. Many have always viewed the Amish as a backwards cult obsessed with religion, but I just felt bad for them. Their culture is forced upon them by their families, and any individual who wishes to enter the "real" world (or what we percieve as real) is disowned by his or her family. I've always felt like people have judged them, but I respeted them. I respected them for living simply. I do not personally know any Amish, but the author comes from an are with a large conservative population of Amish. He says that people living in that are either love or hate them. "Unlike those parts of America without large Amish populations that tend to romanticize the community, here things take on a more fundamental, some might even say practical, prejudice." Some think the Amish are getting away with something, have too many secrets, or somehow cheat the system. They resent them for buying up so much of the land and inconveniencing them with their buggies and horse droppings on the road. Alll this combined, people living in Amish populated towns have developed some prejiduces. People just love to poke holes in the fabric of Amish solidarity. People in the author's town love to discredit the Amish, and all of the different sects and doctrinal splits, which are as common in the community as straw hats and hay wagons, are perfect evidence. "All Amish seem to fall into the trap of believing their way is the true Amish way." Amish communities are all different, but one common thing they all share is the burden of being viewed by others in such a scrutinizing way.
     I chose "Our Amish, Ourselves" by Joe Mckall because of the mystery that encircles the amish culture. The author put a personal spin on the article, talking about the Amish in his own town. He mentions his Amish friends, but admits to getting sucked into the anti-Amish whirlwind whenever the media points out Amish flaws. He relys heavily on pathos.