Fifteen Amish Guilty of Hate Crime?

by JMCC Posted 2012/09/20 19:32:48

Related Topics: hate crimes, Family, Crime, Faith, Religious, jail, Guilty, Ohio, Hate Crime, Hair, Dispute

35 votes
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	Well...	13 votes	37%
	What?	13 votes	37%
	Undecided	4 votes	11%
	None of the above	5 votes	14%

Members of an Amish breakaway group have been found guilty of hate crimes for forcibly cutting the beards and hair of community members.

The leader of the group, Samuel Mullet, has also been convicted of planning the five attacks last year in eastern Ohio.

They all face 10 years or more in jail over the incidents, prompted by a dispute over religious differences.

Prosecutors said the victims' hair was cut because it has spiritual significance in the Amish faith.

Defence lawyers admitted the attacks did take place, but argued they did not amount to hate crimes.

The hair-cutting incidents were internal family disputes, they argued.

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C. C. Rider 2012/09/23 04:55:30

What?

+3
I blame Romney for this!! HE has started his own gang!!

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stevegtexas@aol.com 2012/10/31 16:12:21

What?

+1
thats an interesting news story you dont get to read about in Texas every day! thanks for sharing on sodahead.com!

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cybernestical 2012/09/27 01:39:03

What?

+1
A little crazy.

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Jeff Smith 2012/09/24 12:03:48

Undecided

+1
How is this any different than sharia?

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watusiwaldo 2012/09/23 22:06:59

None of the above

Maybe they just needed a hair cut.

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TrudyGirl 2012/09/23 15:39:13

None of the above

It is a religious thing and there should be no legal ramifications. There was no real injury as hair and beards grow out. Government and religion do not belong together. Are you saying you have the right to disallow religious rites even when there is no bodily or financial harm?

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clasact 2012/09/23 10:19:53

Well...

This was not a dispute between famillies,if that were the case they could have just shuned them.To them the hair is a religous sign and Mullet him follower knew exactly what they were doing.Now when you add that to the fact he was holding people against their will and forcing them into sex ,his group looks more like a cult.The Amish are some very nice people and I respect their ways but like any group you have the nut cases

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Pinball Wizard 2012/09/23 08:09:41

Well...

Save the prison system some money. Castrate them.

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jon 2012/09/23 07:39:42
C. C. Rider 2012/09/23 04:55:30

What?

+3
I blame Romney for this!! HE has started his own gang!!

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Odinsown 2012/09/23 03:28:49

None of the above

+2
All crimes against others are hate crimes

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Manuel 2012/09/23 02:58:32

Undecided

+2
it all had to in the way it was worded.. there are lots of things that get written up and then sworn that it the truth...so police are left with an arrest...then in court it get sorted out to be either real or B.S. lots of red tape here....

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gaylehelen 2012/09/22 12:26:40

Well...

+1
Gosh, if we start putting people in jail for disagreements between family members, our states and country will go broke even faster.
This is an internal, family matter that happens to have religious roots. Let the family work it out and save the taxpayers the money of locking them up. It sounds like they're already in a prison.

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Marianne 2012/09/22 10:01:00

What?

+1
It is ridiculous, if considering how many abuses and mistreatment in families or communities go unnoticed, unpunished, which are much more traumatising, especially against children. This looks like a rebellion against exaggerated or oppressing religious rules having gone too far, but a 10 years penalty seems not justified.

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JMCC to Marianne 2012/09/22 10:16:24

+1
I agree, but subsequent to me posting this more facts came out to suggest that there was a lot more serious stuff going on :(

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Marianne to JMCC 2012/09/22 11:19:30

Well, I have not much information. Harming weaker ones is indeed serious.

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JMCC to Marianne 2012/09/22 11:22:48

+1
I saw on TV that the leader was forcing the men to sleep in a chicken coop and sleeping with their wives for "marriage counselling"

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Marianne to JMCC 2012/09/22 12:08:43

+1
This case was not in our news (Europe). That is really atrocious. Now I understand better.

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Marianne to Marianne 2012/09/22 12:09:20

+1
I wanted to say Continental Europe ...

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Ken to Marianne 2012/09/23 03:48:31

I don't think you read enough about the case.

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Marianne to Ken 2012/09/23 12:28:27

+1
As I said, it was not in our news, and I got some more details only later. Apparently, it was a religious disagreement between two different sects, and the guilty ones "punished" members of the other sect, not alone by cutting hair and beards but also by mistreatment, torture and sexual abuse. That was indeed criminal.

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Dub 2012/09/22 04:53:56

What?

+1
Is this serious? There have been crimes so much worse than this that go unnoticed/under-punished. 10 years for a hair cut? Get real.

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JMCC to Dub 2012/09/22 07:07:47

I saw on TV that the leader was forcing the men to sleep in a chicken coop and sleeping with their wives for "marriage counselling" - so there was more to this story than meets the eye ;)

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Dub to JMCC 2012/09/22 07:09:08

+1
Well my answer was based on what was given in the preceding text, as its all I have about it. If there was more to it than maybe they did deserve what they got.

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Torchmanner ~PWCM~JLA 2012/09/21 12:11:18

None of the above

"Hate Crimes" laws are UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

The Democrats passed the 'Pedophile Protection Act' S 909. It is supposed to be a 'hate crimes' law, but it protects PEDOPHILES.

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Tallulah 2012/09/21 01:21:40

Well...

+3
Ten years in jail for cutting somebody's beard seems kind of harsh even though I know it would suck for those amish and they didn't deserve it, but anyway yeah there's worse hate crimes and eeerrrrg idk

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JMCC to Tallulah 2012/09/21 08:24:57

I think that the abuse went a little further than cutting off mens beards and shaving the heads of women.

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TheR 2012/09/21 00:54:32

None of the above

+2
Total BS article. Yet no one does a thing to GW Bush for Torture and War Crimes in other countries.

http://www.uruknet.de/pic.php...

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Destinyyy^-^ 2012/09/21 00:06:17

Well...

+1
thats messed up. No person deserves to be harrassed for their beliefs, no matter what they are.

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Matt 2012/09/20 22:54:48

Well...

+1
10 years ? They must have been prosecuted under RICO statutes !

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JMCC to Matt 2012/09/20 22:57:27

+1

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sjalan to Matt 2012/09/21 00:15:00

+1
Conspiracy to commit assault with hate crime enhancements would be about 7-10 The leader will most likely get an extended probation with a lifetime restraining order

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Mikado Hikyuu 2012/09/20 22:41:26

Well...

+1
this is definitely a cultural hate crime and hate crimes carry a minimum sentencing in USA.
Why should excuses by made for this group or any other?

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Blaze the Neko Vampire 2012/09/20 22:37:39

Well...

+1
Ummmmmmmmm i really don't know what to say about this

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JMCC to Blaze t... 2012/09/20 22:43:50

Thats OK - I was pretty gobsmacked myself.

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SebaTheSociallyAwkwardPenguin 2012/09/20 22:36:16

Undecided

+2
It's ironic considering his name is Samuel MULLET.

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JMCC to SebaThe... 2012/09/20 22:38:30

+1
Yep that didn't escape my notice either.. ;)

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DH 2012/09/20 21:42:36

What?

+1
I read the title and literally said, "What?!?" out loud. So I had to choose that as my response.

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JMCC to DH 2012/09/20 21:43:48

My response too...

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**StarzAbove** 2012/09/20 20:52:16

What?

+1
I've seen a lot of Amish men and I can't remember ever seeing one with real long hair, so they must cut their hair at some point in time?

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JMCC to **Starz... 2012/09/20 21:08:06

The hair was cut from the women, the beards - well obviously ;)

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