Instead of being

[CC]

depressing in JeffR's thread figure I would move this here.
I haven't even begun to think...
about pathways. I have been coming to terms with a nut shooting a school not very far from where I live. I am not far from the Amish school on White Oak Rd. though I live in MD, barely. I have spent a while now looking at this picture

wondering were these kids in that school? This picture was taken about 2 miles down the road from the school on a Sunday, most likely they were returning home after meeting at a farm for their services. We were behind them. There is a good chance they were there. I don't want to know for sure if they were.I used to tell people that if they wanted to see the Amish, Sunday evenings was the time. As long as they were willing to drive slow and know that almost nothing touristy was open. Was the little girl I used to see mow her front yard with an old fashion hand mower in her bare feet every Friday there? Or the kids that run around the place I buy my flowers from. I played hooky from the house Monday to go take pictures of mums at an Amish farm. I couldn't get to it because the state police had the roads blocked. I didn't know why. Thought there might of been a crash or fire and looked for smoke. I found out why later when I got home. It has been a pretty depressing week here so I threw myself into working on the house.

[ConsAreLiars]

1. That is a stunning photo (it leaves me stunned)

Small children should never look like that.

[CC]

2. Well they were in a buggy with a car

getting closer and closer. If you saw how people drive here, you would look like that too and in a car. When we were further back the middle girl was waving and smiling. But handheld camera in a moving car in low light I was lucky to get this shot. Most of the kids I have met were very happy, though they do work hard too. Cameras also tend to scare them. We have a young Amish family down the road that does not allow pictures. My SIL was here on vacation and tried to take a picture. He came over and nicely told her to please not photograph him as they don't believe in that kind of thing. I can't find it right now but I have one of a 5 year old boy whose mother gave me permission to photograph him. He looks like a deer caught in headlights. better off with a long lens, cover and permission after the fact.

[regnaD kciN]

3. I've taken pictures of children...

...with that sort of expressions. While some kids will "act up" and mug for the camera, others will become very solemn and shy, especially when the photographer is a stranger (and who can blame them?) as was the case here.

[ConsAreLiars]

7. What I see here is undoubtedly shaped by what I know about recent events

and of closed-cults' fears of intrusion (as with cameras). An interesting illustration, with a twist, is found in a study on how what we hear is shaped by what we see. Cycle through this video with your eyes closed a few times, then with your eyes open. Windows Media Player at http://depts.washington.edu/ilabsts/McGurk.wvx or the Quicktime version at rtsp://qtmedia.depts.washington.edu/ilabsts/McGurk_qt.m...

(edit because I see typos mainly after hitting the post button)

[F.Gordon]

8. I wouldn't call the Amish a closed-cult

They interact with the surrounding communities and are a part of those communities. In my yute' I lived for a time on a farm that was part of a German community. If you have some time google "palmer raids". There's not an abundance of info on the web but there is enough for you to get a sense of what this country did to the Germans back then. The then vs now comparisons are chilling.

What I remember as a kid was how close the farming communities were. Every farmer helped the other. One would bake bread to supply the community while another would gather eggs...another pickled "whatever they pickled" for the winter. Harvesting was a community activity with all the farmers helping each other.

Maybe we are the ones who are fucked up and the Amish are the ones who got it right. There certainly isn't any form of "community" anymore in this country. Most people couldn't even tell you the names of all the people who live on their block in Anytown, USA.

As for the camera thing. I've gotten mixed info on this. Different reasons... not sure what is accurate. Personally I think it just comes down to the Amish getting a little annoyed with tourists treating them like monkies in a cage to take snapshots of. There are a couple of "outsiders"... professional photogs that I've found on the web that seem to have no problem takin' snaps of the Amish. Maybe it's because they treat them with respect and are able to bond on a personal human level... unlike a tourist.

Could I live the Amish lifestyle? Hell no. I'll say no more on the subject. Still think the photo CC took is damn good. I can read a couple of chapters in that one pic.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I'm sorry, CC...

My grandmother was from Lancaster County, so this tragedy has resonated with me, too. It's hard to imagine that kind of violence in such a peaceful place.

[CC]

12. Bad as this one was

I think it being the third (CO,WI then PA) in a short amount of time made it that much worse.

[JeffR]

5. It's a haunting image

Quite apart from the context of recent sad events. Any newspaper or magazine would have been salivating to run this photo this week. It's probably the best photograph I've seen in this forum.

The first small step to changing America begins in November. It will take years, and will never be a finished process. But November will be a beginning.

[F.Gordon]

6. I'm glad you posted this

I think I might have a pic of the school house. At the time I didn't think it was a very "interesting" snap. I heard they are tearing it down?

Excellent photo. I'll avoid the Amish culture "discussion". I'm just sad that one of "our" fucked up "religious" wacko sickos did what he did.

[CC]

11. You probably do since you weren't far

from it when you were out here last year. Though it could also be one of the others around. There are 3 of them in a close area there. They all look alike. I had to wait until I heard it was on White Oak Rd. to know which it was. I also remember the name of that particular road because when I do get lost on all the back roads it is one I know I can find my way home from if I find it.

Last I heard they are tearing it down. None of the kids want to go back inside it. Can you blame them? I waiting to see it they start moving their school back farther onto the farms.

On pictures, some don't seem to mind, some do. Sounds like anyone else there. The guy on Rt.274 surprised me on being so anti picture specially since he is way off the tourist route and young.

[Eurobabe]

9. Intense photo CC, I live 20 minutes from Nickel mines

You gotta wonder what is going through the heads of these innocent children.

I too, like F Gordon, will avoid getting into a discussion about Amish culture, but they didn't deserve to suffer such a heinous crime that took too many young lives...I fear our country has so much pent up rage and violence one day it is just going to explode.

I hate to say it, but I look forward to flying back overseas on Weds. to my new 'no gun culture.' Crimes of this nature are rare where I live.

Truly, truly sad.

[CC]

13. I didn't know you

were that close.
I won't get into a culture discussion because I don't know enough to do so even if I live in an Amish area. I can only say the kids I have seen were happy, the adults very nice to me and helpful. Plus if Cecil Co. wants to have any open space and farms not over built by developers it will be the Amish buying farms that will save it. It is already turning into Baltimore & Philadelphia's bedroom community here. sigh

[wakeme2008]

10. Nickel Mines School Victims Fund

I just got done donating to this fund. I was reading on CNN that they do not have any health insurance and there is a couple funds set up to help pay for this. In addition money is going to the family of the killer.

http://www.afweb.org/foundation/nmsvictimsfund/

[CC]

14. There is a lot

of coverage here http://www.lancasteronline.com / and a list of places taking donations. Though I think you listed the preferred fund.

[WePurrsevere]

15. That's an amazing photo. Perhaps today or some Sunday soon you'll end up

behind them again, see her mowing, etc and hopefully will know that at least these little girls are okay. This obviously has hit you very hard.

This whole thing hit us pretty hard since we just recently moved into an area of NNY that has a rather large Amish population. The ones we have met are a it shy but overall pleasant and friendly. We stop and get fresh veggies, baked goods, pickles or apple butter from them, there is not a day that goes by that we don't see them. I've been hesitant to take their picture because I read that most consider it a vanity thing to have it taken... children seem to often be exempt however.

Although we know they are not perfect some of there "simple" ways are looking pretty darn good (especially as energy and other prices rise). What I found surprising was the prejudice against them by this one man who stopped at our yard sale (definitely an ignorant RW nut) said they were not "white" and ranted on about how they don't pay taxes. From the looks and comments of other customers that were there this is thankfully not the norm up here.

Anyway.. thank you so much for posting that photo of the children. I'm so glad that I finally wandered into this area. It is a powerful pic without knowing the story.. knowing the story however definintely increases it's impact.