The Amish..some first hand observations

FebreezeIt

Well-Known Member
So I recently got a new job where there is an Amish community close by. Before this job, I had never really met any first hand and always thought of them as "quaint", good furniture and all that good stuff. The more I began to interact with them, I found myself growing more irritated in many ways. First and foremost I noticed a shitty attitude, especially from the older ones. Unfortunately my job requires that I greet and interact with them..

I greet people in a variety of ways, a simple head nod, a little wave or a "hi there". With the Amish, almost all of them completely ignore me, no response. Some of these same rude assholes immediately stop me as I begin to walk away. I relish the opportunity to ignore them right back when I can. If they want my help after blowing me off, I make them chase me down and raise their voice to get my attention.

I have studied a lot of material on psychology, pick up techniques, body language, etc. When I began to notice certain things, I knew exactly what they were trying to do. They would stop me just to waste my time, see how far they could push me. Some of these same Amish I see often enough to recognize. They know damn well what they're looking for and where it is, but love to ask me instead. I notice all the subtle dominating gestures, such as invading my personal space with direct intimidating eye contact. Of course I don't move or even flinch, and stare back even harder. Amish men shower maybe once a week, and always have some level of horse shit smell. Part of this is due to the horse shit on their shoes, which they happily track all over inside. When they do speak to me, I can see the look of scorn and judgement all over their face.

Aside from my direct first hand personal experiences, seeing the poor kids kinda upsets me. As children, we have little choice but to listen to our parents. Amish children are immediately alienated from the rest of the real world. They wear strange clothes, practice strange customs, all designed to make sure they can never leave. They have special schools and no education past the 8th grade. None of these schools teach any practical skills for non-Amish jobs. Sure they have a "choice" if you can really call it that. Raised from birth with the threat of hellfire and brimstone, and the very real threat of being disowned by everyone in their life.. They travel for miles in freezing cold, on narrow roads, in vehicles begging to get hit by every car on the road (including mine). Since Amish don't recruit new members, they breed them like the rest of their animals. It is not uncommon at all to see 8-10 kids by a couple under 30.. This is encouraged, as all forms of birth control are banned.

Before meeting the Amish, I had little opinion. All of these things I've described are my first hand experiences dealing with them, furthermore I am also a Christian. Its hard for them to accept that Jesus loves the "english" just as much as the Amish :)
 

Heisenberg

Well-Known Member
Interesting write up, thanks for sharing. Reflects what I have heard from interviews of ex-Amish. Even the most harmless seeming religions have the potential for oppression.
 

tyler.durden

Well-Known Member
I know little about the Amish, except what I've seen in movies and on TV. I really liked that trainwreck of a show, Amish in the City, and I found the concept of Rumspringa fascinating. It seems like a choice, but it really isn't when their entire family threatens them with not only eternal torment, but ostracism from everyone they've ever known. It's amazing that any of them choose the freedom and liberty of the outside, modern world. That takes real balls...
 

Omgwtfbbq Indicaman

Well-Known Member
Religion should be thought of as animal training(for humans), some can do it lovingly, others like to take the cesar milan approach and dominate.
 

unohu69

Well-Known Member
I only knew one amish dude. he was pretty laid back and mellow. he never went back to the community after his rumdrinking thing... pretty sure the only time he returned was for his fathers funeral.

other than that, my take is they are a tight knit bunch, you cant really blame them for not wanting much to do with our society, i mean really, if it werent for dominos, and Piratebay, id write it off also. And my girls need electricity. maybe if the amish would at least recognize magnetic ballasts as a gift from god, i would be interested...
 

drolove

Well-Known Member
ya i got amish near me although i never really have to deal with them. see them at the local walmart sometimes and they got a couple stores i visit every now and then for certain things. the ones running the stores are always nice and again i dont deal with them other than that but i could see them as being the asshole type of people as explained in the original post. i feel bad for the kids as well but they at least get the chance to leave once they reach 16 stay or leave and get to check out the REAL WORLD for themselfs.
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
we have a local swap meet by my house.. they have a large store on the inside of the place all owned the the amish.. they sell furniture, tons of killer food, do dad's, etc, etc..
i've been in there tons and tons of times, and every single amish i have talked to is extremely polite and more then goes out of their way to help me when i'm buying something.. also very willing to answer any and all questions i may ask of them about their wares..
ime, they're no different in this aspect then anyone else i have ever met at the flea market, except that the older men have beards and the girls wear those funny looking hats and black dresses... oh yah, and sneakers too, that part always cracks me up..

they seem like good people imo.. yah, i'm obviously not down with indoctrinating kids with religion, but i'd say that about any and all religions and not ust the amish.. :D
 

Zaehet Strife

Well-Known Member
I lived in Michigan near an Amish community and in Indiana, at my girlfriends, they ride by in the buggies all the time and smile and wave at me when im on the porch sitting around. I think that everyone is different, there are some mean Amish just like there are some mean whites, blacks, gays, lesbians... you name it. Maybe you just got in with a group of them that are seemingly unpleasant, in any case, that definitely doesn't count for all Amish.

I'd bang an Amish chick... that hair bonnet is sexy as shit, lol.
 

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
I lived in Michigan near an Amish community and in Indiana, at my girlfriends, they ride by in the buggies all the time and smile and wave at me when im on the porch sitting around. I think that everyone is different, there are some mean Amish just like there are some mean whites, blacks, gays, lesbians... you name it. Maybe you just got in with a group of them that are seemingly unpleasant, in any case, that definitely doesn't count for all Amish.

I'd bang an Amish chick... that hair bonnet is sexy as shit, lol.
that's what i'm saying m8.. i've met asshole white people, asshole black people, asshole korean people, etc, etc, etc.. but i'm not going to judge a whole group of people off of my bad experience with one or two of them..

and lol and the bonnet statement.. i have to admit, that's the one aspect i'm not into honestly..
 
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