Posted on 04/12/2013 3:45:58 AM PDT by SilvieWaldorfMD
BERGHOLZ, Ohio - Bare feet and work boots shuffle on the wooden floor of the Amish schoolhouse as the children settle into tight rows of scuffed metal desks across the room from their parents — the men on one set of benches, women on another, some cradling younger children. They have gathered to celebrate the end of school, but no one claps or cheers. The only voices raised are those of the students as they begin singing, the melodies rising and dipping like the surrounding hills. A warm breeze carries the religious lyrics, mostly in German, through open windows and over the fields where families will mingle afterward. The ceremony is typically in late April, but this school year was cut short to allow some youngsters a few more days of family time before their parents leave for federal prison. "It's a happy day on the outside, but not on the inside. On the inside, a lot of times we're crying, but we have to keep our spirits up for the children's sake," said Martha Mullet. Her husband, Sam Mullet Sr., is the group's leader and is among nine men already behind bars on hate crime convictions for hair- and beard-cutting attacks against fellow Amish. He was sentenced to 15 years, the longest term of the 16 defendants. Seven aren't yet in prison. Come Friday, five of them — four women and one more man — from this tight-knit group in rural eastern Ohio will enter the prison system in various states. That timing made Tuesday's event the last big gathering before the five depart, and the participants gave The Associated Press a rare glimpse into their largely insular community. Men played baseball in buttoned shirts, work boots and blue pants with suspenders.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
He said that since the scissors used to cut the beard were made out-of-state, that that's one of the reason the case was classified as a 'hate crime' since the Amish cannot bring in any interstate commerce from outside their community (or words to that effect)...
Amish are fair game.
Now if this was a Muslim it would be a “work place” disagreement.
Words mean something.
It will be curious what effect that the Amish have on prison population. Things might change in a positive way.
Seems to me the sentencing is a bit harsh and “overkill”. There have been murderers get less than some of these Amish people.
Living quite near many of their kind, the Amish are not violent people and believe strongly in their convictions.
Not saying the beard cutting incident didn’t happen. To me, it sounds more like another damn “wanna be” prosecutor trying to make a big name for himself on the Amish’s back (Amish going to prison IS a “BIG STORY”, no?)
WRONG!
This is a precident-setter.
It will morph into a case where anybody who looks crosseyed at a MUSLIM will also be guilty of a HATE CRIME.
The principle of “hate crime” is bogus to begin with—but that’s another matter entirely. Its a wedge issue to be used later for evil purposes—like allowing doctors to take away your gun rights without recourse in the new gun bill. Soon ALL doctors will by definiton “gummint doctors” in Obamacare.
.......and do his bidding.
OR ELSE.
The lawyer said on Savage’s radio show that Mullet has been getting a lot of support from his fellow prisoners and that they (the prisoners) have been treating him nicely.
This case (sentencing) is very disturbing. Recently saw a case of 3 men brutally attacking another man. One knocked the victim over the head with a beer bottle knocking him off his feet, the 3 then stomped him in the head and body. The finishing touch was when one stabbed him repeatedly until he was dead.
The sentences: 1 got 4yrs, 1 got 2 yrs and the other got 6 months.
Maybe these Amish fellows would have seen lighter sentences had they just killed their victim rather than cut his beard.
I think the whole thing is absolutely stupid and I hope the ones that got their beards cut and then filed charges get boils
There is more to this than the MSM is reporting. An Amish crew is putting an addition on our house. We live in the vicinity of this incident. These men, all brothers, cannot speak of the perpetrators without severe contempt. Mullet, the lead perpetrator, was running a scam like that LDS freak in Texas. He was telling his congregation that their women had to sleep with him to go to heaven. This did not sit well with his flock. The people who protested or left we’re threatened. Mullet even threatened to harm their children using a school shooting scenario, which had recently happened in an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. The Amish consensus is that this cult leader isn’t getting punished enough.
See post #9.
It’s good to get the back story on this story.
Thanks!
I found an interview with Mullet on the Huffington Post site that spelled out the same allegations.
last I knew, adultery and stupidity on the part of those taken advantage of, weren’t crimes here civilly. if people really want to believe sex is the way to heaven, that is their problem. I agree the guy is a perv and a narcissist, but jail time for cutting beards with no evidence that he did or that he ordered it is twisted
Your post confuses me. No adultery occurred, and that is why the beard and hair cutting occurred. When sex is demanded from someone and that someone doesn’t comply so you retaliate by taking something else from them by force, a crime has certainly occurred. Also, you don’t threaten to kill kids. It’s just a really bad idea.
Hillarious that the guy’s name is “Mullet”...
Their imprisonment will leave nearly 24 children without one or both parents
This is nuts !!!
Good to hear both sides of the story. While at its face value, the punishment DID seem a bit odd for the crime. Too hasty rushing to judgement (me) My bad!
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