Bush Quietly Meets with Amish Here; They Offer Their Prayers

Lancaster New Era ^ | 7/16/04 | Jack Brubaker

[Preacher777]

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - President Bush met privately with a group of Old Order Amish during his visit to Lancaster County last Friday. He discussed their farms and their hats and his religion. He asked them to vote for him in November.

The Amish told the president that not all members of the church vote but they would pray for him.

Bush had tears in his eyes when he replied. He said the president needs their prayers. He also said that having a strong belief in God is the only way he can do his job.

This story has not been reported before. You might think an observant press follows the president everywhere, especially during a re-election campaign, but no reporter attended this meeting.

Sam Stoltzfus, an Old Order historian and writer who lives in Gordonville, spoke with a number of people present at the session with the president.

He related what happened to the Scribbler, saying the Amish “caught Bush’s heart.’’

The 20-minute meeting with Bush occurred immediately after the president addressed a select audience at Lapp Electric Service in Smoketown Friday afternoon.

An Amish woman who lives on a farm across Witmer Road from Lapp Electric that morning had presented a quilt to the president with a card thanking him for his leadership of the country.

Bush said he would like to talk to the quilter and her family.

So the Secret Service invited the family to meet the president. Friends wanted to come along, and the entire assembly eventually numbered about 60. They were evenly divided between adults and children of all ages.

The group walked together across the road to Lapp Electric.

Stoltzfus reports: “It took a while to get them through the metal detectors as these were farmers and shop men, with vice grips, pocket knives, and nuts and bolts in their pockets. Some ladies had baby gear. All pockets had to be emptied.’’

When the Amish were “found not to be a serious threat to national security,’’ they were allowed inside the office area of Lapp Electric and waited about 30 minutes for the president to appear.

“Babies got restless. Children squirmed,’’ Stoltzfus reports. “Suddenly the president and five Secret Service men stepped into the room. One housewife said, ‘Are you George Bush?’’’

The president replied in the affirmative and shook hands all around, asking the names of all. He especially thanked the “quilt frau,’’ who operates her own business selling quilts and crafts.

“He seemed relaxed and just like an old neighbor,’’ says Stoltzfus.

Bush said he had never met any Amish before and was curious about why the men were wearing straw hats rather than black wool hats. The Amish explained that they wear cooler straw in summer. Bush tried on a hat.

The president commented on the appearance of Amish farms, and an Amish man spoke apologetically about how he and his friends were not expecting to see the president and were wearing soiled work clothes. Bush said he did not mind that.

Another man remarked that he has twin daughters, as does Bush. The man said one of his twins had dreamed the night before that she was shaking hands with the president and now she actually had done that.

“One of the young girls wanted to give Bush a whoopie pie cookie,’’ Stoltzfus says. “Bush declined it. The Secret Service man took it, as presidents aren’t supposed to eat untested food.’’

At the end of the session, Bush reportedly told the group, “I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn’t do my job.’’

As the president left the room, one Amish man wished him good luck in November.

“The Amish group headed back to their farms and shops,’’ reports Stoltzfus. “Mothers took their children home for a nap and went back to their sewing and gardens.’’

Bush moved along to an appearance in York County, leaving behind a group of Old Order admirers who have tales to tell for the rest of their lives.

The Scribbler column runs Tuesdays and Fridays in the New Era.

[nmh]

The Amish are wonderful people. They always vote conservative and Republican. You can expect them to do this. It's good that Bush took the time to meet with them.

[nmh]

Thank you for posting this.

It made my night!

[lawgirl]

The president commented on the appearance of Amish farms, and an Amish man spoke apologetically about how he and his friends were not expecting to see the president and were wearing soiled work clothes. Bush said he did not mind that.

the Amish seem to be a class act. :-)

[I-53]

It shows concern and respect for a very small but distinct consituency.

[I-53]

Have fun out east! That will be the rally to beat all.

[Reagan79]

At the end of the session, Bush reportedly told the group, “I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn’t do my job.’’


But you might see some lib reporters throwing a tantrum about that remark.

[nopardons]

Holy cow...what an article! The MSM didn't cover this at all and sadly,neither did FNC.

Many thanks for the ping! :-)

[Squantos]

LMAO.........Perfect pic !

Stay safe !

[joanie-f]

Per a request:

A photo of an Amish handmade quilt that I have on the bed in our guestroom. This is a pieced-quilt that probably took over a hundred woman-hours to make. It consists of more than five thousand tiny hexagonal fabric squares pieced together, with all of the quilting done by hand, each stitch about a sixteenth of an inch in length, and the stitch lines as straight as an arrow. Although I think it is beautiful, pieced-quilts don’t hold a candle to appliqué quilts (which generally cost many times as much as a pieced-quilt – often several thousand dollars, and worth every penny).

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Interesting.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Actually i was wondering how John Kerry would attempt to pander to that crowd. 7 posted on 07/16/2004 3:09:39 PM PDT by cripplecreek

John Kerry: "By donating your embryos to science, think of all the great medical cures the Amish of the future will enjoy under socialized medicine, mandatory state-regulated mental health screenings, and required automatic euthanasia at 65."

[CharliefromKS]

Thanks. It's beautiful. Does one Amish woman usually make a quilt? I have seen, like in movies, lots of them sitting around a wooden thing stitching a quilt. Do they usually work in a big group like that? Did you buy yours right from an Amish farm?

[patriciaruth]

I don't think the Amish are "backing" Bush. They said they would pray for him, as they would pray for any leader.

And most of them don't vote because they believe they are supposed to remain separate from the pollution of modern society and not involve themselves with the affairs of modern society--and especially not with affairs that have to do with killing other people, like wars. You are right about their being anti-war, any war for any reason.

This was just some Christians meeting another Christian from a different sect. It was just a neighborly thing.

[KQQL]

Bush reportedly told the group, “I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn’t do my job.’’

---

I think someone has mis quoted W .....

[Hermann the Cherusker]

I'm a bit impressed with the Amish backing Bush since they are anti war.

They aren't anti-war. They are conscientious objectors and have occasionally served as such. They object to being personally responsible for killing somebody because they do not believe that violence is a solution to human problems. However, the Amish helped the American cause in the War for Independence, for example, although obviously not as soldiers.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

That comes from not being in debt from owning a lot of farm machinery and not being a part of Social Insecurity since they take care of their own.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

There's 120,000 of them now, many in Ohio and Pennsylvania. A few thousand votes from them in each state might be all it takes to win.

[LizardQueen]

As I recall, many Amish don't approve of havinng their picture taken. I remember them running from my mother's camera on a trip to Amish country as a child - she was clueless and tried to snap a pic of them.

So the lack of coverage may be due to this, rather than any political ignoring of the event. Even if the networks wanted to cover it they may not have been allowed by the Amish to film it.

LQ

[hoosiermama]

Think you may be correct.....Wouldn't you love to see a picture of the President's Quilt?