Posted on 01/12/2012 10:21:58 PM PST by george76
MAYFIELD, Ky. - A group of Amish men were sent to jail in western Kentucky Thursday for refusing to pay fines for breaking a state highway law that requires their horse-drawn buggies to be marked with orange reflective triangles.
The men have a religious objection to the bright orange signs, which they say are flashy and conflict with their pledge to live low-key and religious lives.
...
"I totally understand your objection," the judge told Byler. "But you're in violation, and it's not up to me to change the law. It doesn't really matter what I think about any of this."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
>> Rastafarians have been prohibited from sacrificing animals in furtherance of their religious observance.
They should move to Miami-Dade County - no problem here. The Santeras do it all the time.
I feel so much safer now.
Thank God the aggressive police state has its boot firmly on their silly necks.
Orange triangles don't negate bad driving(?) on the part of the occupants.
Couple of years back the wife and I were in Lancaster PA looking for some breakfast. Ahead of us was an Amish buggy and ahead of him was a traffic light. Imagine my surprise when instead of slowing down and stoping for the red light, he blew through it. We were so shocked that we told the nice girl who served us breakfast, and she said "Yeah, happens all the time."
Our government spends $ millions or billions to make sure that salmon can run upstream even with a dam. The EPA spends money to protect an endangered mosquito or lizard. Why does our government not do the same for people whose religious practices avoid technology? We should show a little respect, give them their own roads so they can practice their beliefs in peace?
Our country someday may take a few steps backward; it would be useful to have people who have skills and know how to survive without technology.
“... like native American Indian ceremonial hallucinogenic mushrooms”
With the example you cited, other citizens aren’t in danger or a risk due to the mushroom taking. If anyone gets injured, it will be the Native. However, with the buggy situation... any person within the vehicle or in the striking vehicle could be injured/maimed/killed. The buggies are black and I can only imagine early in the morning, at dusk or night... they are VERY hard to see. I agree with the judge on this one. IMHO.
no sense being PC over life and death situations
the navy vet has as much right to say what he thinks as you, me, or anyone else
Are ya thinking the judge should've ruled differently (for similiar reasons), or the same for different reasons?
You seem to be equating traffic laws with environmental protection regulations, or the need for the Republic to be self sustaining in the event of a national EMP.
After all, the Constitution is a living document - produced by a bunch of ignorant agrarians - having no clue to today's contemporary issues, the documents nees a bit of tweaking by the judiciary now and then.
I think in this case the Constitution says the state of Kentucky can tell them they have to have that yellow triangle if they want to, and always has.
I grew up in NW Pennsylvania Amish country. Buggies were a common sight, but being flat black in color they were almost impossible to see at night. When they started putting the reflective triangles on the back of the buggy it helped considerably. Now some even have battery powered tail lights.
These aren’t new style but old style Amish.
>> I thought there was some case out of Miami dealing with animal sacrifice and prohibiting it. Could it be that the law has been upheld but not enforced?
We have traffic laws in Miami, too - they aren’t enforced either.
… a young girl looked back at me and gave a slow wave …
About a dozen years ago my late wife talked me into moving back to Pennsylvania. It was a rural county and heavily Amish. We’d ride the back roads just enjoying the scenery. There were a number of times when we’d be passing an Amish farm and everyone would stop work and come to the road to see the Harley. They’d wave, we’d stop and introductions were made. It was a refreshing change from the “bird salute” we had in other States.
Yep...I was thinking a reflective hex sign...
Which reminds me of an old story:
Recently, Justice Ginsburg and her former colleagues at the ACLU became especially exercised about the great number of executions occurring in Texas so they determined to send one of their young law clerks down there to work undercover and expose these rednecks. Using her influence, the Justice secured a summer internship with a West Texas judge of well known conservative impulse.
At the end of the summer the old judge called the young man into his chambers and asked, " Son, you got any questions about how we administer justice here in West Texas?"
"Yes your honor I do, I would like to know why it is you execute all these horse thieves but you let all these murderers go free?"
His honor expectorated into a spittoon and allowed, "well son, out here in West Texas we got a lot of men that need killing, but we ain't got no horses that need stealing."
Do they have to put the sign on the back of their horse when they are riding with a saddle? ;-)
:)
We have traffic laws in Miami, too - they aren’t enforced either.
Hey, didn't Miami just make #1?
;)
And that is the real point here. The article states that they are looking at gray reflective tape on the wagons. Why not work with the Amish to come up with something that allows them to be seen at nite without violating their convictions? How hard is common sense?
I do appreciate the judge though for following the law and not trying to write it himself.
Statist? That's a stretch. If you believe in any government at all, traffic laws for communal roadways would certainly be on the acceptable list. Its flat out dangerous to all involved to place a large black wooden box full of people (Amish carriage) on a highway at night without any lights or reflectors. I would certainly consider it criminally negligent.
I don't think you want to be in the car that kills an Amish family (and or yourself) do you?
Not all safety laws are a heinous move toward statism. Are you going to allow people to drive on the left as well?
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