This is my second post that is essentially rants about Mennonites. Now I don’t want you to think I hate them or anything of that nature. I have many Mennonite friends and neighbors, I am just simply bringing out some of my observations of their way of life and my concerns.

Even amongst ourselves we have many different ways of raising our children, no one will ever agree on what is right. I guess most of us just go on what our parents did…or didn’t do.

It must have been a year or maybe two years ago that not even 2 miles down a road a young Mennonite toddler was killed. He might have been two years old and his father ran over him with his tractor. I’m not sure of the full story but he was running around and his dad did not see him. So tragic, I’m not sure how I could continue if that happened to me.

My point is that they are too lax with the way they raise their children, however I do see what they are going after. They are toughening up their children. Their life is no cake walk, they work as soon as they can start walking.

Just the other day the neighbor had his boy mowing the lawn…at 4 or 5 years old, and maybe they were watching from the windows, but there were no parents in sight. I am all about making a kid work and earn his way and not be a leecher on society, but at 5? Come on, maybe 10 years old they can start doing that stuff, but wow, it just boggles my mind.

And I’ll be very upfront about this…if we did that to our children there is no doubt in my mind Child protective services would have those children out of that household. I have almost heard/seen many stories first hand of the little children crossing the road and it is very annoying.

Again it is their ways, but it sure does make one think…is this right?

Simple life...easily taken away...

*Video link added at the bottom*

If you know the term Mennonite or Amish chances are you know that they do not possess cars for regular transportation. Okay that is not 100% true, there are some orders of the Mennonites that allow you to own a car.

However, for the majority their transportation is horse and buggy or bicycle, unless they arrange a ride with an Englishmen. (I’ve done it and gotten paid well.)

I’m all about them practicing their ways…but it’s an easy way to get killed. It is a sad fact, and I’ll admit there are many times that I have almost plowed into a buggy or bicycle either during the day or night.

During the day its not usually the buggy, but the bicycle. Their clothes are so plain that they are basically camouflaged and when you are driving a long and see nothing but fields and road and you come up on one, its a very frightening experience.

Without a doubt, night is the absolute worst time.

In my short time on this earth, I have seem them take measures to further show their presence. I can only speak for the Mennonites and not the Amish on the buggy factors, because frankly the Amish are stubborn, and have made little to no change.

From when I can remember, Mennonite buggies just had the orange farm triangle sign, now, at least in my area some of them have started “Pimp my Buggy.” I have seen diamond plate on the bottom with purple neons and flashing lights on the back. I really need to get a picture of this, because its quite funny to see really. Most are not like this, but they do have the flashing lights, some just have red lights in every corner, some have two red lights flashing in each corner. You can see those suckers flashing from a good two miles off, its great. But again there are just some that have not adapted. It is those that get hurt.

Bicycles…

I want to shout expletives every time I drive in the evenings…it’s really bad on Saturdays. *cuss**cuss**cuss**cuss**cuss*

If it was not for many hours playing racing games and my natural driving ability I would have had notches on my belt for the number of bicycles hit. However these are *starting* to change, some are getting a fixed headlight that is pretty bright, and a blinking light on the back. But it is still so dangerous, and sometimes they are in packs, or alone. It is just so scary. They just pop out of nowhere like little rat finks.

I applaud them for sticking in their ways, but it seems like a lot of unnecessary risk.

If you are in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana another other sections of the US that have Mennonites/Amish, please watch out for them. From my experience, they are are extremely nice people, their wives are amazing cooks, but they just have a certain way about things.

Stay safe.

-DH

*Edit video added*

I snapped some video of the bicycles at night…

Thursday Night coming home.